Creating an Elevator Speech

An elevator speech is a blurb about your company or product that is short enough to get your point across in the amount of time you might have between floors during an elevator ride. Whether you have a new business or are selling a new product, it is essential to have an effective speech that helps you communicate clearly with any potential clients. Fortunately, it is not difficult to create your own.

Identify Your Goal

Before you begin writing your elevator speech, identify your ultimate goal. Are you trying to sell a specific product or service? Are you trying to raise money for a charitable cause? If you do not know what you are trying to accomplish with your elevator speech, the person you are talking to probably will not either. Take a minute to determine what it is you are trying to do.

Explain What Your Company Does

It is important to explain what your company does in layman’s terms. Do not assume the person you are talking to knows about your company, what your company does and what products and/or services your company offers.

Avoid Using Buzzwords

Everyone knows a name dropper, and most people are not fond of him. When you write your short sales pitch, think about industry or company jargon and buzzwords like you would name dropping. It is tacky, annoying and pointless. So, just avoid it altogether.

Use a Question in Your Pitch

You do not want to talk at a person, you want to talk to him. Try to incorporate a question into your sales pitch. In fact, using a question is a great way to break the ice. Questions make the conversation more engaging and interesting; try incorporating your question at the beginning of your pitch.

Timing Is Everything

You typically only have a matter of seconds between elevator floors, so it is important to wrap up your speech quickly. Read it out loud, and time it using a stop watch. Make sure your speech is only between 20 and 30 seconds in length, otherwise you risk losing the person’s attention or risk him rushing off before you are finished.

Practice Makes Perfect

The most important thing you can do once you write your elevator speech is practice. You need to know every word of your speech by heart, otherwise you find yourself stumbling over your words. Practice, practice, practice, and then, practice some more. Do not stop until you can say the elevator speech in your sleep.

A good elevator speech can drastically increase your company’s sales or help you reach your ultimate goal quickly. Business is all about networking. Know how to grab a person's interest quickly and keep him that way.

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