What to consider during your elevator speech
DEVELOPMENT
When someone asks you to explain what you do , how are you going to stand out ? Especially when you ’ re in a high-level EA role that most people find tricky to ‘ get ’. In this article , I ’ m going to suggest two different styles to you . The first is very short and I call it the one-line elevator pitch . The other is longer in case you have just a minute of extra time . It ’ s called the five-step pitch .
The one-line elevator pitch
What it is : The one-line approach involves you explaining in just one sentence how you help people .
How it ’ s done : Start with : “ I help people …” then say what you achieve . Or , start with your title and further explain what that means by outlining how you help people .
Here are some examples : “ I help people who feel trapped and unfulfilled in their corporate jobs to ditch the ladder , escape the nine ‘ til five and live a life of purpose , success and abundance through running their own business .”
“ As a strategist , coach and speaker I bring clarity to complex situations , enabling difficult decisions to be made with confidence .”
“ I ’ m a pitch coach and I help people to communicate their ideas persuasively , so they hear the word yes more often .”
“ I ’ m an accountant with PWC and specialise in corporate tax . I ’ m working on an interesting project at the moment with Rio Tinto helping them minimize their tax liability .”
The five-step pitch use to persuade people . I specialise in helping businesspeople pitch their ideas so people listen , engage and say yes more quickly . Last year I helped two corporate clients win $ 500million pitches . The reason we follow formulas is because they work .”
Here is another , slightly longer this time : “ Most people fear speaking in public . In fact , you ’ ve probably heard that people fear public speaking more than death . Imagine if you could learn what awesome public speakers do to manage their nerves so that you could captivate an audience and never feel fearful when speaking in public again ? I specialise in helping businesspeople overcome their public speaking fears so they can communicate with confidence , clarity and influence every time .
I ’ ve just helped an amazing girl called Amy . When Amy was only 10-years-old , she was booed by her teacher and class whilst doing a speech in class . By the time she contacted me she was 32-years-old and she had been terrified of public speaking ever since . She said she ’ d decided to overcome her fear and had signed up to do a keynote speech at a conference of 120 people . Her brief to me was : ‘ Cure me !’ No pressure ! Amy learnt the three phases to a persuasive presentation in business and was told she was the best speaker at the event . She ’ s cured forever . Anyone can be a persuasive presenter , it ’ s just a matter of knowing what to do and doing it .”
Why not plan out what you ’ ll say the next time you find yourself at a networking event and you ’ re asked : “ What do you do ?” I ’ m sure you ’ ll be glad you did . S michellebowden . com . au
THE EXPERT
Michelle is a certified speaking professional and communication skills coach who has delivered her Persuasive Presentation Skills Masterclass more than 950 times for 12,000 people . She has also authored a number of books , including How to Persuade : The skills you need to get what you want .
What it is : The five-step pitch is a simple way to plan out what you ’ d like to say .
How it ’ s done : Simply go through the five steps : w Start with the problem : “ Many people find …” w Introduce your solution : “ Imagine if …” w Explain your target audience – who benefits from your product or service ? w Share proof – list one or more clients who have reaped the rewards of your help . w Conclude with a statement of fact to ensure your audience is convinced .
Here is one example : “ Have you ever felt like you were banging your head against a brick wall when trying to convince someone to say yes to your ideas ? Imagine if you knew the formula that successful business presenters
What to consider during your elevator speech
With content sorted , the next step is fine-tuning your performance . Here are my top five tips …
w Speak clearly . Articulation is the clarity of your words . Aim for crisp , clean sounds . Warm up your lips , cheeks , teeth and tongue where possible . w Don ’ t become a crazy card person . Avoid thrusting your business card at people who don ’ t want one ! w Be careful not to sound rehearsed . The key is to rehearse until it doesn ’ t sound rehearsed anymore ! w Don ’ t brag . No-one likes it . w Believe in yourself . You need to believe to your core that you have what this person needs . If you don ’ t have what this person needs , give a shorter answer and let them talk about themself instead .
Summer Issue 2024 | Executive PA 57