Putting the Lift Back in Your Elevator Speech
Published on 4 Sep 2008 at 6:00 am.
5 Comments.
Filed under Business Development, Career Tips, Feature Articles, Savvy Marketing Tips.
When I ask business owners about the situations where it’s hardest to communicate, I often hear “the elevator speech.” Somehow, that moment you are asked “what do you do?” can bring up a host of fears and tie the tongue.
Some business owners tell me they worry about sounding “canned.” Others aren’t sure where to start. Others shy away from saying anything out of the fear that, once again, they won’t be understood. The cost of not communicating your value easily in any business situation is high. It zaps your confidence, hinders your ability to draw in new clients, and limits your willingness to step out in the world to be seen and to be heard.
You can get into trouble with the elevator speech right out of the gate when you forget about the difference between the Language of Information and the Language of Connection. Yes, it’s important to include clear, practical information like who you work with, and what kind of challenges your work addresses, but remember that it’s not the facts and data you share that will move people to work with you.
It’s your ability to paint a picture with your words that evokes a feeling and awakens something in your listener. And the key to finding that more emotional and resonant language is going beyond the practicalities of your work and finding words to express the deeper meaning and importance of the work you do.
Here are some tips to give more life to your verbal introduction.
- Develop your message. Nothing will do more to enliven your introduction that you getting clear what the deepest most profound message is that you are here to share, and then finding words to refine how you express that message. With your message in focus, your elevator speech becomes an opportunity to talk about the concepts and ideas that excite you, not just a test of how well you can sell yourself. If you aren’t sure how to do that, go to www.parlancetraining.com/Catalogue.pdf for information on our innovative trainings that help you bring your message into focus.
- Talk about the experience your work creates, not what you do. One common trap is focusing too much on explaining what you are or what you do (coach, consultant, writer, hypnotherapist) rather than the experience your clients have as a result of you doing the thing you do. If you’re a coach, don’t get detoured trying to explain what a coach is, describe what becomes possible for people as a result of your coaching. When you try too hard to explain what “a ____ (coach, hypnotherapist, feng shui consultant)” is, you risk selling your audience on hiring someone LIKE you, rather than bringing into focus why you are the one to work with.
- Start with one simple sentence. Look for signs of interest before you add more information. If your initial sentence gets some positive reaction, then move into sharing an insight or belief about the challenge or situation that your work helps address. E.g “What I’ve seen is that new business owners are often missing two critical skills that are crucial to their success.”
Be willing to reveal yourself. It’s all too easy to hide behind a label or title “I am a coach, I am a consultant” rather than sharing your passionate beliefs: “I help leaders find more courage” or “I help women to embrace their messy, luscious, wonderful lives.” Your perfect clients cannot resonate with you and your message if you aren’t willing to put that message out in the open. - Don’t sweat the exact wording of your elevator speech. Focus on the ideas and concepts you want to share rather than stress about memorizing an exact combination of words. This keeps you from sounding canned.
- When your message is in focus, you’ll start to relish being asked “what do you do?” Instead of worrying how you measure up, you’ll look forward to opening a conversation about the principles and ideas that matter most to you.
© 2008. Isabel Parlett. All rights reserved.Isabel Parlett is a business communication expert who helps professionals harness the power of language to attract the perfect clients and create powerful change in the world. Get a free e-mail mini-course “The New Language of Business” at http://www.parlancetraining.com.
Cheers,
Lorraine
www.powerfull-living.biz
PS: Do you have the desire and inspiration to make this year extraordinary? Are you ready to say YES to more good than you have ever imagined or experienced? Join my new tele-coaching and mentorship group beginning Sept 9. for 12 weeks and say YES to your dreams and desires. Experience having a team to cheer you on, celebrate your successes, and hold you to your best by combining spiritual principles with business practices. Learn to transform negative beliefs, fear, and self-sabotage.
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Evelyn Lim on 6 Sep 2008 at 8:49 am: 1
Hey Lorraine,
I learn something new from you today. You wrote “Talk about the experience your work creates, not what you do”. This is great advice! It is too easy to get caught up in the technicalities of what we do. We often forget that the other party sometimes do not care for the minute details but rather how we can help them make your life easier.
Thanks for sharing,
Evelyn
lorraine on 6 Sep 2008 at 12:43 pm: 2
One of the biggest mistakes people continue to make is forgeting to focus on talking benefits with people. I see this consistently Evelyn.
Then they wonder why folks aren’t responding to what they have to offer!
Thanks for stopping by
Lorraine
Tom Volkar / Delightful Work on 7 Sep 2008 at 7:50 am: 3
Excellent elevator speech primer. Connection is key. If they can’t consider themselves in your world - they aren’t likely to hire you. Thanks for publishing Isabel, I’ve been a newsletter subscriber of hers for years. She always make sharp points well.
lorraine on 7 Sep 2008 at 11:57 am: 4
Isabel is great Tom,
She really “gets” the whole idea of the Language of Connection is critical to building quality relationships in today’s world. I worked with her a few years ago and I learned tons.
Powerfull Living » Putting the Lift Back in Your Elevator Speech | dougmcisaac.com on 7 Sep 2008 at 7:19 pm: 5
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