Learn how to craft the perfect business elevator speech in 4 easy steps!
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What Is An Elevator Speech
When we talk about business, an elevator speech is a brief way of introducing yourself, introducing what it is you do, and making a connection with someone. This is about 30 seconds give or take. And for entrepreneurs, it is so important to craft the perfect business elevator speech that you can deliver at a moments notice.
In this episode, we are going to walk through what an elevator speech is, how your business will use one, and the 4 steps I have for you to begin creating yours.
How Your Business Can Use This
You are going to use your elevator speech while meeting new people in person and virtually.
Your elevator speech is the verbal handshake when it comes to your business so it does need to be a tool of yours.
And remember, we aren’t selling anything with our elevator speech. So you’re going to be saying this baby to anyone who asks what it is you do for a living.
This elevator speech allows you to quickly and effectively tell someone what you do and who you are.
And from there, you instantly find yourself in a much smoother conversation. The conversation can flow more easily from here, or hey – this is a crazy thought – but the person you’re chatting with can also inquire about your products or services on the spot.
You might be surprised by what comes from confident and clear communication.
Creating Your Elevator Speech
There are four steps to take when you begin creating your business elevator speech. Remember, your elevator speech is to confidently introduce yourself and your business. It is not used to sell your business.
To create your business elevator speech:
- Make it short (about 20-30 seconds)
- Keep things clear (who you are, what you do, who you serve)
- Memorize it (so you can deliver it at a moment’s notice)
- Say it with confidence!
In this episode, I am going to dive into each one of these areas. You’re going to walk away from this episode knowing how to introduce yourself and what it is you do for a living in a way that is going to give you confidence and set you up for success.
Your elevator speech is a huge part of your starting line. And one that shouldn’t be overlooked.
01. Keep It Short
The first thing to know when creating an elevator speech is to keep it short. A great length to shoot for is about 30 seconds.
We want to keep this short for a few reasons.
The first is because this is an introduction. Your elevator speech is intended to introduce yourself and your business. And an introduction needs to be just that. This is where we want to fly at 30,000 feet and give a brief, high-level view of what it is you do.
Another main reason we want to keep it short is for attention spans. If you started talking to someone about what it is you do and went on for even 2 minutes, trust me, this could feel like an eternity.
Especially when we consider that this elevator speech is generally meant for new people to hear.
The goal of your elevator speech is to communicate clearly. And sometimes when it takes longer to do this, that’s usually when we are adding fluff that actually makes our message less clear to understand.
And the last reason you should keep your elevator speech short is because you’re not sure what is to follow. The person you could be talking to can take the conversation in a billion ways. Perhaps they want to work with you. Or maybe they want to work for you. Or maybe they just love you and want to hear more.
Allow your elevator speech to start the conversion by keeping it short, not monopolize the conversation.
02. Make It Clear
When creating our business elevator speech, we want to clearly state who we are, what we do, and who we serve. It’s that simple.
Here is an example of a business elevator speech:
My name is Amy Schmidt. I own an online business that celebrates strategic side hustles, part-time business models, and trail blazing career paths. I help entrepreneurs and aspiring business owners create businesses built for flexibility and more income through my podcast Side Checks, my 1:1 business coaching services, and my digital resource shop.
This may feel cheesy or weird delivering a speech like this in person. However, I promise you that it’s going to deliver results. And you know what else it’s going to do? It’s going to show that you respect your business and that you’re a professional, and it’s going to seamlessly demand respect right back.
Notice how this example didn’t have fluff but it had specifics. I specially stated 3 different avatars that I work with (the side hustler, the part-time business owner, and the career trailblazer). And I also stated the main services that I have inside my business, my podcast, my coaching service, and my digital shop.
This gives a really well-rounded look into my business and exactly how it operates without getting too detailed. And I do this without adding fluff like my origin story or my personal views on the entrepreneur industry.
03. Memorize Your Speech
The third step in crafting a business elevator speech is to memorize it. We don’t want to stumble over our words but instead make a clear, kind, and fantastic first impression. So that is why we must memorize our elevator speech.
You never know what table you may find yourself sitting at, so we don’t always want to leave introducing our business up to just pulling something out of our heads. Or maybe talking about our latest project. Instead, we want to put our best foot forward and always have a tried and true, rehearsed elevator speech in our back pocket.
Plus, I can’t tell you what a confidence booster it is to always have an answer ready to go for the question “What do you do for a living?”. I think a lot of small business owners can agree with me here.
So you’ve written an elevator speech that is short and clear. In about 20 – 30 seconds you’ve explained who you are, what it is you do, and who you serve.
A few tips I have for memorizing your elevator speech is to write it over and over again. And write in different places. Anything to break up that familiarity. Write your speech in a notebook, on the mirror, on sticky notes, or in your phone notes, or turn it into a social media caption. Just write it out.
Then of course, rehearse it. Say it over and over.
And I know this sounds funny, but the more different environments you say your elevator speech in, the more solidified it will become inside your mind. So say it while walking your dog, folding laundry, or doing the dishes.
And of course you can always literally have a notecard to refer to while you memorize it.
04. Deliver With Confidence
The last step for crafting the perfect elevator speech for your business is to say it with confidence. And there are three ways to do this.
The first is, I want you to practice with your friends. Choose the friends in your life that you feel comfortable with and that you trust. And if your friends are local this is even better because you can practice face to face with them.
Next, ask for good feedback from your friends or anyone you practice your speech in front of. Ask them what you did well. You don’t even have to ask for critiques if you’re not ready yet. Just ask for good feedback.
Hearing positive feedback like this from others can boost your self-confidence. And when it comes to the early days of crafting and delivering your elevator speech, we want all the self-confidence!
The last little tip I have for you when delivering your elevator speech is to smile. When you smile while talking to others, your body naturally relaxes and so does the person you’re chatting with.
We actually tend to mirror the people we have face-to-face conversations with. So when you smile while delivering your speech, you are likely to see that smile return right back to you which is always great to see!
Conclusion
Your business elevator speech will and should change over time. As your business grows and evolves, so will the way you introduce yourself and what it is you do.
Remember the goal of your elevator speech isn’t to sell your business but introduce your business.
You never know where your business will take you, or who you’ll end up running into or riding an elevator with. But when we are able to introduce ourselves in an approachable and professional manner, we do know we are setting our business up for success and that only good things can come our way.
