That is the sweetest elevator music ever! Okay so we're not going to talk about elevator music. We're going to talk about your elevator speech.
What is an Elevator Speech?
An elevator speech is your quick, concise answer to "What you do?" When asked in an "elevator" or any other "icebreaker" or networking type of situation.
It is very important to have an effective elevator speech. It allows you clarity and what benefits you can provide to your customers and it will also allow the prospect that you're talking too a clear understanding of exactly what you can do and how you can help them.
When you deliver your elevator speech you want the other person to say, "Wow, I'd like to do business with you cowboy!"
I understand you may not be a cowboy and that's okay, this will still work for you.
What Are the Keys to a Strong Elevator Speech
Let's look at the keys to developing a strong elevator speech:
– You must determine your niche market.
– What problems does your niche market have that you can solve
– What benefits can you provide.
– What's unique about you. What's your USP?
– It must answer, "So what?". It must have a benefit approach and not be a simple generic statement.
For example if I am at a networking event and someone asked me, "Well Drew what you do?" If I answer that question with the generic statement like, "I conduct training for companies." You can quickly imagine the response. Or more importantly the lack of response as they'd turn and walk away because they're not interested in me whatsoever.
On the flipside. If I said something like this, "We help salespeople dramatically increase their sales effectiveness so that they can boost their results by at least 19% through an easy to use and understand training system. Could you use a 19% increase in your revenues?"
It's quite apparent that the second elevator speech would get a better response.
Pay close attention to what I did at the end. Did you notice that I ended it with a question. This is so important. You must always, always, always end your elevator speech with the question back to the prospect that will engage them into a conversation.
You may argue that most people that you would use an elevator speech with will turn out not to be customers or prospects. And you're probably right.
However, every day we go through life and we never know who we really come across. We never know who we might meet and how we may be able to help them.
Just imagine if you did not use your elevator speech on someone that could be your biggest customer ever. You'll never know this unless you are thoroughly prepared and willing to give an elevator speech to everyone you come in contact with.
Now it's Your Turn
Use this area below to fill in the blanks and complete your elevator speech. Of course you do not have to use this template. Feel free to use whatever you need but the bottom line is create an elevator speech right now.
"We help (insert your target market ) do, eliminate or increase (insert their biggest problem) so that they can (insert biggest benefit). How is your organization affected by (insert their biggest problem)?"
Now go back and refine it.
Now go back and refine it again.
Now practice it, practice it, practice it. Until you have mastered it and it rolls off your tongue and sounds 100% natural.
It should become second nature to you so that when anybody asks you "What do you do?" It should flow out like a smooth running river and sound like the sweetest music you'll never hear in an elevator.