In advertising the challenge is to deliver a memorable and actionable message in thirty seconds to a minute. On radio, these messages are a mixture of words and background sounds. With television and streaming media, sights and sounds combine to deliver the message. At an amusement park, all of the senses are stimulated to deliver the message in the first thirty seconds: bright lights, bells ringing, the scents of tasty food drifting through the air – so sugary you can almost taste it, and the bustle of people. The message that primes the rest of your experience is “you’ll have a great time here!”
In How to Make People Like You in 90 Seconds or Less, Nicholas Boothman writes: “Believe it or not the attention span of the average person is about 30 seconds!
Focusing attention has been compared to controlling a troop of wild monkeys. Attention craves novelty – it needs to be entertained and loves to leap from branch to branch, making new connections. If there’s nothing fresh and exciting for it to focus on, it becomes distracted and wanders off in search of something more compelling – deadlines, football, world peace.”
When you introduce yourself to someone new, you have between 30 and 90 seconds to make a memorable impression. This is commonly called the “elevator speech,” and should be short enough to deliver on the elevator, at a networking event, or walking alongside someone in a cafeteria line.
The elevator speech is really an introduction to you, and should be both informative enough to stand on its own, as well as compelling enough to start a conversation.
In The Situational Leader, Paul Hersey notes that “for every job there is an appropriate tool. Hammers are great for pounding nails. You could also use a hammer to cut a two by four but it would leave a lot of rough edges. For that particular activity you need a variety of tools and the knowledge of what they are designed to accomplish.” The same is true of your elevator speech. Different situations will require different elements. Sometimes you will be selling, sometimes telling, and at other times simply creating a positive first impression. In the same way that you fill your tool belt with everything you need before starting a project, be sure you have several elements that can be included in your elevator speech – so you’ll have them when you need them.
Four questions should guide your thinking as you craft your own elevator speech:
- Who am I? This is who you are to the person or people you’re speaking with at the time. At home you may be a parent, and in the elevator with the CEO you may be something entirely different.
- What can I provide? In every interaction, some sort of currency is being exchanged. Currency can be monetary, social, professional, etc. One example would be if you have a solution that will make someone else’s work easier. Determine what you’re offering to the person in that moment.
- What makes me unique? Think about things that make you unique. In what areas are you a subject matter expert or a high performer? If you’re in a room with fellow subject matter experts, what sets you apart from others in the room?
- What is my goal? Consider why you’re having the conversation in the first place, and what reaction you are expecting from the other individual. Think about what action or outcome you would like to have, and how this interaction might move you closer towards that goal.
Authenticity is key to success in every interaction, so remember this isn’t a sales pitch. This is a genuine connection you’re wanting to make and you have the other person’s best interests at heart.
The most important component to crafting a quality elevator speech is practice. Try it out on friends and colleagues, individuals that will give you honest feedback. Continue to hone delivering the elevator speech until it’s second nature.
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