Creating a Great Elevator Speech

When I got into the business of being on a permanent job search, I never even heard of an Elevator Speech. But every networking function I've attended touts this 30 second diatribe as some sort of personal branding that will land you a job on your way up to the 30th floor.  Will it?  Who knows.  Did I create one? You bet.  I'm not taking any chances here. 

Know Yourself:

So what does an elevator speech entail?  Well, first of all you need to know a few things and first and foremost you need to know yourself.  It's imperative that you figure out what type of job you want to land and create your speech accordingly.  Then make sure you know who you are delivering said speech to.  If you're on an elevator with the CEO of a Fortune 500 company, you probably want to talk about relevant job experience instead of non-profit volunteer work you did in your spare time. 

You Need a Hook

I attended a Meet-Up group for job searchers one time where we had to stand up and give our elevator speech in under a minute.  Let me mention that I was not prepared to give any type of speech, elevator or otherwise so mine was boring and trite.  I think I even said um in there once or twice.  Note:  Don't do this.  Ever.  Anyway, there was a guy attending the group from the Middle East with a name that was as long as my arm with the first syllable being "Yog".  He said "Many people cannot pronounce my name so you can just call me Yogi the Bear".  This was funny and we all laughed.  Later on, the facilitator was making mention of the few speeches that would be remembered later an whose was first?  Yep - Yogi.  Whose wasn't?  Yep, me.  This was Yog's hook and it made people remember him.

Keep It Simple

The best elevator speeches are truly ones that you give to people in under 45 seconds.  Make it short, sweet, and to the point.  Give relevant information about yourself that will make people want to hire you.  Tell them who you are, what you did, how you can add value to a company, and how you can solve their problems in about five sentences.  Add a hook in there somewhere - doesn't have to be a play on your name.  My hook is "So when the cat's got your tongue, let me say it for you".  Not one "um" in there anywhere  and most people will remember that.

Ask How You Can Follow Up

After you give your spiel, ask if you can call them later to follow up.  And call them later to follow up - don't wait.  Don't let them forget about your awesome elevator speech with your interesting hook and the way you can add value to their company.  Follow up with them (or whoever's name they give you) right away so you can land your dream job....all because of the power of a great elevator speech.