In my continuing series Things I’ve been Meaning to Tell You, I’ve wanted to include having an elevator speech.
An elevator speech is something you should always have handy…even if you’re a resale shopkeeper whose nearest elevator is full of grain. It’s a short, concise and fascinating answer to use just about anywhere, when someone asks What do you do? or You have a consignment shop? What’s that?
It’s a prepared presentation you’ve developed to grabs attention and to convey, in an interesting way, the basic premise of your business. It’s designed to be truthful but also to evoke interest and to be memorable.
Here’s a step-by-step from Certified Professional Virtual Assistant Jean Hanson:
- Who am I? (introduce yourself)
- What business am I in?
- What group of people do I service? (be specific — do you have a niche?)
- What is my USP (Unique Selling Proposition)? What makes me different from the competition?
- What benefits do my customers derive from my services?
Another how-to example on how to develop an elevator speech is a guest entry on Dustywidget, another blog.
What these dry instructions cannot encompass though, is that the key word is fascinating. You want your listeners to say Wow! Tell me more. You want to sell them on your concept, perhaps get them into your place of business, and assure that the next time the topic of your industry comes up in their lives, they will immediately think of…and mention…you.
What’s your elevator speech? We’d love to hear yours. I’ll tell you mine if you tell me yours LOL
Auntie Kate The Resale Expert 