At an initial meeting with a coaching client, she told me I had come very highly recommended and she was curious to know more. (Of course I was flattered 
but then..uh-oh, the pressure was on! I had to live up to whatever she had heard. Gulp!)
“So, tell me a little bit about yourself”, she said.
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I quickly shot back,
“Well, I’m the national elevator pitch champion.”
She said, “That’s fantastic!” And then,
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My first thought was: Ooooh, I can definitely help you!
But first, I had to help myself!
I had made a CLASSIC Elevator Pitch blunder. I had failed to frame the conversation, and I blurted out an answer without any context.
Has this ever happened to you: you get wrapped up in the inner monologue in your head, fueled by your own publicity (or lack thereof) and you find yourself telling a story that relates to no one but yourself?
The antidote to blurting, and ego-centric conversation, is to focus on your listener. Set the stage for what’s about to come out of your mouth, with one of these four framing statements:
Here’s a quick video example of creating an elevator pitch on the fly, from a recent workshop seminar. Note how the framing is crucial, and how you can sense the agreement from the audience:
What do you do, to make sure you stay focused on your listener? And, how do you keep your conversation relevant in your elevator speech?
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Reserve your copy today – The NEW Elevator Pitch will be released on May 7, 2012! Find out how to create an authentic and persuasive conversation, whether you tweet it or tell it. The definitive guide to compelling communication in the digital age is now available – with a foreword by Jeffrey Hayzlett.
Check out what others are saying about this book.
@BruceSallan There's no doubt in my mind that I could learn a few things from you, Bruce! I love your approach and it means a lot to know that this material resonates with you. An engineering professor shared this observation with me recently, about eye contact. In a group of engineers, do you know how you can find the one who is most outgoing? When he shakes your hand, he looks down at YOUR shoes.
I make sure I have eye contact! EVERY moment. I've been doing "Elevator" pitches before the term...I sold ideas for television and you HAD to hook them fast. A great way to learn. Energy, focus, quick wit...all help, too!
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