Ever wonder exactly what an elevator speech is and why it’s important for you to have one? An elevator speech is a clear, brief, explanation of what you do for work and how you help others. It communicates to the person you are talking to who you are, what you’re looking for and how you can benefit a company or organization. It’s typically about 30 seconds, the time it takes people to ride from the top to the bottom of a building in an elevator, hence the name.
Important: What to have in your elevator speech
It is important to be clear in your speech so that the person you are talking to briefly will be able to clearly understand what you do, who you help and what you are looking for. That person may not be an employer for you but they may have someone in mind that could be and if you are clear, they can easily get your information and pass it on to the appropriate person.
Your speech should go something along the lines of:
Hi, my name is (NAME). I help (WHO YOU WORK FOR) to (WHAT YOU DO FOR THEM). By doing this work I help them to (RESULTS).
If you are then looking for work you can always add in “if you know of anyone that may be interested in my services I would love to give you a business card to pass along to them.”
Remember, this is brief and clear. Don’t over explain or overthink it.
At a career fair, you can use your speech to introduce yourself to employers.
It is important to have your speech memorized and practiced. It gets easier the more times you do it and soon the nerves you may experience at first will be gone.
Tips to writing:
- Write down all that comes up for you.
- Now review it and cut out any “extra” details or wording that is not necessary. Make strong short and powerful sentences. Make sure it flows nicely.
- Keep practicing it until you have it memorized and are comfortable with it.
- Make sure you have answered the question all listeners have which is What’s In It For Me?
If you would like support in creating your elevator speech I would love to support you in this. Just reach out and let’s set a time to chat.
