5 Steps to the Perfect Elevator Pitch
Ita Olsen, MA, CCC/SLP
![Ita Olsen, MA, CCC/SLP]()
Ita Olsen, MA, CCC/SLP
Founder & CEO of Convey.🌟Convey Clearly🌟 Making you sound amazing. Want to be a better speaker? Facilitator? Responder? Storyteller? Networker? Small talker? Reach out for your free consultation. 🌟
A newer version of this article is here.
What’s the most common question you’re asked when you meet someone new? Is it, “What do you do?”
What’s your answer to that question? Is it a well crafted and powerful response? No? If you’d like it to be set aside 15 minutes to do the following:
Design it:
- Think about the benefits for the customer. Don't talk about what you do but about what the customer gets. Turn, "I'm an accountant" into "I keep Uncle Sam's fingers out of my clients wallets."
- Check your wording. Make sure your words are concise & active. No passiveness. Don't start with well, um, actually or just. These words don't belong anywhere let alone your elevator pitch. I do this with my first-time clients. Role-playing, I ask them, "what do you do?" and they almost invariably start with an undermining passive word. Don't do this!
- Record yourself and relentlessly assess yourself: Are you going down at the end of your sentences resulting in a strong, confident sound? Does your voice sound warm, credible & authoritative? Is your wording strong & efficient? If not, make it so.
Practice it:
- When you're happy with the wording practice with your recorder multiple times. Then practice it with everyone you meet. This way when the pressure's on you'll have it down.
- Make warm eye-contact and smile. You got this!
What are your tips? Please share them!
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The Number 1 Reason You Suck at Public Speaking
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SVP LTC Product Development at Genworth Financial
8yIta knows what she is talking about! She is the master at pointing out ways that we subvert our goals but speaking too passively.
Publisher
8yTerrific feature, many thanks! Like it a lot and will use it!
CEO | Innovation | Technology | Global Commercialization | Growth @ Trinity Consulting
8yIta - great post! I won't add to the post, but restate what I believe to the most important part "practice...practice...practice" and once that's done practice your pitch again and again and again!