Whether you call it a 30 Second Elevator Speech, Infomercial or 30 second introduction, it is one of the most important marketing tools at your disposal. However everyone has been to networking events where you have to listen to numerous examples of introductions all sounding similar or leaving you cold. How do you avoid this happening to you, and grab attention with your elevator speech?
There are many pitfalls in producing a truly attention grabbing elevator speech – you know they type. When you hear it you think: “I need to find out more about that, it sounds as though the speaker was talking about me”.
By far the biggest mistake that sabotages the route to this reaction is talking about yourself.
This may sound strange. How can you get your message across without describing who you are and what you do? Well, there are several factors at work here that make this such an important elevator speech topic.
People don’t care – again, this may sound harsh. Most of your potential clients are not walking around thinking about you, what you do and how great your company is. Sorry, but that is reality. They are thinking about themselves and their issues, problems and challenges. They are looking for solutions to those challenges EVEN if that isn’t at the forefront of their minds right now.
Everyone sounds the same – when you sound similar to others in your niche or chosen market you don’t stand out. Even if you think you have the best services in the industry, so do your competitors and they will say so as well. When faced with two competitors saying the same thing you are asking your listener to choose on the basis of no more than your say so. They won’t. You haven’t engaged them, they are thinking: “I’ve heard this before”.
Much information you give is irrelevant – seriously ask yourself whether your office location and how long you have been in business, how many branches and staff you have is relevant information to your audience. This is such a common element of elevator speeches that it fails the test of item 2) above but more importantly it begs the question: “So what?” Is longevity important? Possibly, but you need to spell out WHY. If you are a business that comes to your customer, why is location important?
You’re doing well may not help others – the fact that you are doing well in this climate is great – for you. By extension it probably is for your clients as well but you don’t need to say that. As a client of your business I want to know that you have solutions for my problems and challenges, not that you just added a new branch and had your best quarter ever.
These points are strongly worded to make a point. The best way to grab attention is to follow a simple set of guidelines.
Firstly, Tell them your name and company and that’s it! “My name is John Doe with Acme Inc”
Then explain in one sentence your IDEAL client profile: “We help small business owners and independent professionals
Finally, outline the issues and challenges you help them with: “who are embarrassed by their website and frustrated that they don’t get any clients from their Internet presence”
Then stop. If the session demands it and time allows you can elaborate but keep the focus off you, and on the issues faced by your ideal clients. This will sound so different from what they commonly hear AND will address issues of direct concern to them (or allow them to refer you to someone they know with those issues) that you will get that most desired response: “Interesting – tell me more”.
