from my Sales & Marketing Minute column for the TIVA newsletter
We all know what an elevator speech is, right?
It's based on the premise that you have a brief time (the length of an elevator ride) to tell someone about yourself and what you do, in an impactful way.
But if you have been following my marketing musings over the years, you know that seems to fly right into the face of my main credo, "It's not about me, it's about you."
So, am I against elevator speeches?
Certainly not, because there is a way to make an elevator speech (and in fact, one that's more effective) that follows my guiding tenet.
Compare the two following answers to the question, "So, I hear you are from Washington, DC. What do you do?"
A: "I am a video producer with over 20 years experience creating award-winning high-end programs for broadcast, corporate, government and association clients."
B: "We work with a diverse range of clients, and we help get them unstuck when they are frustrated in trying to get complex messages out to the public. We specialize in doing that through video, with results ranging from a 50% to 100% increase in website traffic."
Which one do you think will elicit the question, "Hmm, that sounds interesting, tell me more?" At first read, there seems nothing wrong with "A", right? Might actually sound likes what's on your resume. But alas, look at it again . . . It's a dud. It's screams, "about ME!"
"B" is much better because: 1) it deflects the attention from "me" (Oh, and notice I used the royal "we" to emphasize that further) 2) it clearly states a problem that is solved, and 3) it states results. Who wouldn't be interested in hearing more about increasing traffic to their website by 50% - 100%?
Still a bit unclear? Ok, Here's another approach I have found to be successful in helping folks develop an effective elevator speech:
Get yourself into an almost meditative state, and concentrate on the following terms: "pain relief" and "disaster avoidance." Keep asking yourself, "What do I do that addresses either one or both of those two phrases for my clients?"
(Hint: Think of home cleaning services. Their "pain relief" is obvious. 24-hour plumbers? Again, "pain relief." People who sell business security systems? "Disaster avoidance." Tax preparers? Both "pain relief" and "disaster avoidance" providers. OK, you get the picture.)
Now, while your services in the media field may not be as "critical" as a plumber's during a sewage back-up, you still want to find a way to phrase your elevator speech in those terms. Again, what "pain relief" or "disaster avoidance" services do you provide?
In conclusion, sure, creating an effective elevator speech is not easy. We are most comfortable talking about ourselves, and so it's counter-intuitive not to do so when asked, "What do you do?" But I assure you, if you keep honing a message that:
* takes the emphasis away from "me" and concentrates on the type of client you work with
* clarifies what pain you relieve and/or disaster you prevent
* and states measurable results you can deliver
you will start to view the elevator speech, and marketing in general, in a whole new light.
We all know what an elevator speech is, right?
It's based on the premise that you have a brief time (the length of an elevator ride) to tell someone about yourself and what you do, in an impactful way.
But if you have been following my marketing musings over the years, you know that seems to fly right into the face of my main credo, "It's not about me, it's about you."
So, am I against elevator speeches?
Certainly not, because there is a way to make an elevator speech (and in fact, one that's more effective) that follows my guiding tenet.
Compare the two following answers to the question, "So, I hear you are from Washington, DC. What do you do?"
A: "I am a video producer with over 20 years experience creating award-winning high-end programs for broadcast, corporate, government and association clients."
B: "We work with a diverse range of clients, and we help get them unstuck when they are frustrated in trying to get complex messages out to the public. We specialize in doing that through video, with results ranging from a 50% to 100% increase in website traffic."
Which one do you think will elicit the question, "Hmm, that sounds interesting, tell me more?" At first read, there seems nothing wrong with "A", right? Might actually sound likes what's on your resume. But alas, look at it again . . . It's a dud. It's screams, "about ME!"
"B" is much better because: 1) it deflects the attention from "me" (Oh, and notice I used the royal "we" to emphasize that further) 2) it clearly states a problem that is solved, and 3) it states results. Who wouldn't be interested in hearing more about increasing traffic to their website by 50% - 100%?
Still a bit unclear? Ok, Here's another approach I have found to be successful in helping folks develop an effective elevator speech:
Get yourself into an almost meditative state, and concentrate on the following terms: "pain relief" and "disaster avoidance." Keep asking yourself, "What do I do that addresses either one or both of those two phrases for my clients?"
(Hint: Think of home cleaning services. Their "pain relief" is obvious. 24-hour plumbers? Again, "pain relief." People who sell business security systems? "Disaster avoidance." Tax preparers? Both "pain relief" and "disaster avoidance" providers. OK, you get the picture.)
Now, while your services in the media field may not be as "critical" as a plumber's during a sewage back-up, you still want to find a way to phrase your elevator speech in those terms. Again, what "pain relief" or "disaster avoidance" services do you provide?
In conclusion, sure, creating an effective elevator speech is not easy. We are most comfortable talking about ourselves, and so it's counter-intuitive not to do so when asked, "What do you do?" But I assure you, if you keep honing a message that:
* takes the emphasis away from "me" and concentrates on the type of client you work with
* clarifies what pain you relieve and/or disaster you prevent
* and states measurable results you can deliver
you will start to view the elevator speech, and marketing in general, in a whole new light.
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