Going Up: The Elevator Speech

Over the years, I've probably heard more “elevators” than Mr. Otis. Here are my thoughts on elevator speeches from the perspective of a career recruiter and coach. Of course, you are free to agree or disagree and do as you see fit.

For those of you who may not be familiar with the term, an “elevator speech” is a short, rehearsed, personal “commercial” a job seeker develops for use during a brief encounter with a prospective contact. The term comes from the hypothetical scenario of having 45-60 seconds with someone in an elevator. In such a situation, what would you say to best present what you can do to bring value to an organization?

Going Up
Here are three considerations when developing or revising your elevator speech:

• Don’t be vague: Some outplacement firms suggest your elevator speech be fairly general and subjective highlighting general skills rather than honing in on functional expertise. This leaves something to be desired. For example, I strike up a conversation with a person in an elevator who learns I am a recruiter. He is looking for a job. I ask him what he is looking for and what he does. He says something to the effect: "I am a project manager who is a strategic business partner with several years of experience in leadership roles who brings organization, creativity and innovative ideas to teams I lead to complete major projects on time, within budget…." As a recruiter I immediately have 3-4 questions, but not enough time to ask them before the elevator door opens: What is your field of expertise (and perhaps industry affiliations)? Marketing, Engineering, R&D, Finance, etc; Pharma, Manufacturing, Financial Services? It all sounds good, but says who? Have you received this feedback, or is mostly your own perception? And what are you looking for? Without some hint of an answer to these questions incorporated into your elevator speech, the opportunity may be wasted if you do not have the luxury of more time with the contact. If you are looking for a position in a specific functional area or industry, include it in your elevator speech.

• Prepare a follow-up: In the event you are afforded more time than an elevator ride provides, try to anticipate follow-up questions the person may have for you after you deliver your elevator speech. Then, develop concise answers to those questions, write them down, rehearse on a tape recorder, and fine-tune them. There is nothing worse than someone who delivers a polished elevator speech and then, when asked follow up questions, flounders to form responses not nearly as crisp as the speech.

• Display confidence: Be certain you can deliver your elevator speech with confidence and conviction. You may have been coached on what to say, but only you know if you can pull it off. Most of us do not like to “toot our own horn,” but to a certain extent the job search process requires it. Just be certain you feel good about it, and then stretch a little out of your comfort zone. You don’t want to come across as one wearing a great suit with a bad fit.

Finally, there is a lot of great advice and resources available and I encourage you to seek the best counsel possible. In the end, you will have to decide what works best for you. Set a stretch goal for yourself in the event some of what you deem a “good fit” is limited by your comfort zone. Now, get prepared to take that elevator ride up to the executive suite! It can be a bumpy ride but will be exhilarating once you get there…

Let us know what you think. And, Keep Careering Today and Everyday.

Mark

P.S. If you do not have a business card, you should. You can have them printed for free at www.vistaprint.com. I suggest you use the front of the card for your contact information and on the back add three bullets capturing the highlights of your elevator speech. Distribute them liberally and collect them from others.