Mastering The Elevator Speech

Say it Like You Mean It – Mastering the Elevator Speech

It takes only 30 seconds or so to get from the lobby to the penthouse in an elevator . Which is just about enough time for a business person to make a sales pitch and capture an investor's interest. That’s where the original concept of the “elevator speech” came from.

As entrepreneurs, we want to attract investors too , thosee ideal clients in your niche market who are ready to invest in their future by hiring you. And if you cultivate loyalty, they will keep investing in everything you offer.

A masterful elevator speech does three things:

Identifies their most unique and compelling challenge, so that your coaching prospect feels you understand their unique problems.
Succinctly describes your niche market, so that your coaching prospect sees that you specialize in helping them exclusively.
Delivers a value proposition, so that your coaching prospect believes you will help them succeed.

When you’ve finished your quick little speech the natural response should be “Tell me more!” or “Hown do we get started?” or “I’d like to refer several people I know to you, I think you can help them too.”

Your prospects become clients when they perceive that you can help them: to have less of what they don’t want and more of what they do want.

Moving From Broad and General to Pinpointed and Compelling

This is a typical example of a first stab at an elevator speech:

I help women professionals discover how to have a more fulfilling business and personal life. Through life counseling, which provides a safe and meaningful place to explore alternatives and options, we’ll design you your ideal life and put together a strategic plan to achieve it.

Not bad for a first try, but definitely not a winner. Why?
The niche market (women professionals) is way too broad and so the speech can’t ever address unique challenges.
The challenge (fulfilling business and personal life) is a vague catch-all.
The value proposition (design your ideal life/strategic plan) is also just blah.

Keep in mind, your goal is to the reach your ideal clients with as little effort as possible.

To compel your prospect to invest, you must show them the value of your services in just 30 seconds.

Lets see how specifics accomplish this:

Hello. I’m Barbie Johnson. The name of my company is Sales Force Services. I help women sales managers create an inspired sales force and generate their most profitable year yet! Most sales managers have succeeded this far relying mainly on their formidable sales skills. Now it’s time to align all of their talents and learn some new tricks to lead an inspired sales force, while they easily earn an annual bonus. (pause) If you’re a woman sales manager, let’s make this your best year yet!

Winner! Why?
The narrow and specific market i.e. women sales managers.
The clear value proposition " most profitable year" speaks directly to the unique challenges of sales managers: learning management skills to lead a team, making profits, and earning bonuses.
Barbie asks directly for the business.
And it doesn’t even mention your specific services, which keeps the focus on clear communication without having to explain something new.

Subtly adapt your elevator speech to the circumstances. The one above would work best delivered to a group. Change “they” to “you” for one on one networking or when writing for your website. Don’t lose the specificity in your niche market or your value proposition.

Get It In Your Bones

If you’re still in the space where you still have to look up your unique benefit statement or your 30 second speech, then you are still missing opportunities to get clients.

In other jobs you’ve had before, you took ownership, didn’t you? Now it’s time to take ownership of your own business and do the most basic things you can to ensure your success: become the master of your own elevator speech.

Speak up.
Make eye contact.
Let your light shine through your eyes.
Don’t fidget or hide your hands behind your back.
Stand up straight.
Have your business cards with you to pass out. (with your elevator speech on the back, so they'll remember you, and you have your cue card with you - no more excuses

Your prospects will respond with interest if your elevator speech is compelling, sincere, conversational and memorable. Once you’ve done writing your speech, there are three more steps to do:

Practice presenting it at least 30 times in the mirror until it’s an automatic part of you.
Immediately get out into situations where there is a high percentage of your target market present and test out your elevator speech on them. (allow yourself a few mistakes!)
Energize your speech with your passion for what you do and your interest in your clients. Then, your light will shine through and your offer will become very attractive.
Don't forget to ask for their business. No feedback, means no gain or chance to really change.

There’s always more to learn about wining clients. But start with the solid foundation by mastering your unique benefit statement and your elevator speech.

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