Elevator Speech 101

 

Succeeding in business may be all about being in the right place at the right time, but you better make sure you’re prepared when this good luck falls upon you. This is where the idea of the elevator speech comes in. For you, it’s all about being able to very quickly communicate what makes Sunscape Window Films better. To get things started, let’s take a moment to watch this humorous video of what not to do.

 

 

 

What Not to Do

 

Now that you’ve had a good chuckle, let’s look at some common mistakes people make when creating their elevator speeches. Probably the biggest mistake is trying to make a sale. An elevator pitch should be looked at as a way to start the conversation. The very nature of this luck encounter is that it usually happens when you least expect it, like when you’re at a social event. If you do your pitch correctly and give your prospect your business card, you’ll most likely hear from him or her and have the chance to close the sale when the time is right – when you’re supposed to be working. Another common mistake is to make unsupported statements. This is not the time to be vague or emotional.

 

Communicate the proof of why you’re better than all of your competitors. An example of this might be: “Our window films are famous for their quality and durability, trusted by the Smithsonian and the Louvre.” Finally, craft your pitch to be conversational. Stay away from industry jargon. For example, you’d never get into technical terms like luminous efficacy or infrared rejection. Instead, you’d use common terms that express the benefit for your prospect: “Your family will enjoy cooler summers and warmer winters, along with the benefits of reduced glare and UV exposure.”

 

 

The Elevator Ride Has Grown Shorter

 

Of course, we couldn’t be talking about selling anything these days without talking about the impact of the digital world. And yes, today’s barrage of digital communications vying for ever-shorter attention spans has effected the elevator speech as well. Daniel Pink, author of To Sell is Human, The Surprising Truth About Moving Others, says, “The purpose of the pitch isn’t necessarily to move others to adopt your idea, it’s to offer something so compelling it begins a conversation.” He gives several examples of how to ramp up your speech for the digital age, from the one-word pitch to the Pixar pitch. Watch this video for some very interesting ways to make your elevator speech more successful.