1. Do
you
have
your
Elevator
Speech
committed
to
memory?
By: Bob Schout, PowerSkills Training & Development, Inc.
Elevator Speeches
Elevator speeches, or minute messages as they are sometimes called, are designed and delivered to
enthuse, intrigue, interest, provoke, and engage so that the listener will remember a person,
organization or cause; and be willing to listen further, meet with, contribute to, refer to, and support a
group, organization, or cause.
Elevator speeches are a critically important tool for professionals and leaders at all levels. An elevator
speech is designed to accomplish 3 things:
1. To demonstrate and share your personal passionate commitment to your organization, cause
or work.
2. To build the knowledge about your work, cause or organization in the minds of others.
3. To invite others to be open to receiving a follow-up contact from you, partnering with you, or
consider supporting your business or cause.
As a professional, you are an Ambassador for your organization, cause, group or business. You are
charged with the responsibilities of making community connections, identifying and grooming
partners-volunteers-clients or future board members, soliciting funding and resources, organizing
events, inviting people to visit or use your organization’s/business services, link the organization
through partnerships with other businesses-government agencies-civic/community organizations, and
much more. Elevator speeches must be practiced so that they smoothly and passionately roll off the
tongue. They must not sound ‘canned’. They must be backed up by knowledge of the organization’s
history, mission, values, clients, services, successes and needs.
An effective elevator speech hooks the head, heart and hands of the receiver. It educates, informs
and provokes new thoughts and interest (the HEAD). It excites, engages, and stimulates caring (the
HEART). It invites, encourages action, and offers new possibilities (the HANDS). Though is can
sound ‘canned’, it doesn’t have to be ‘canned’. It should be personal and personalized. It must be
genuine and the speaker’s emotions and body language must be in alignment at the time of delivery,
with the actual exciting content of the message itself.
Here is a simple mingle exercise that you can practice with colleagues within your team or
organization. Invite group members to participate in a 4-round activity. Each round will last 4 minutes.
During each round each person will partner with one other person (switching partners in each
successive round). The partners will have 4 minutes to practice their elevator speeches with one
another (2 minutes per person). The person listening to the elevator speech should authentically
pretend that they are unfamiliar or only partially familiar with the business, cause or organization
represented by the speaker. The listener should of course listen, but can also interrupt and ask
questions as if they were truly newly hearing about the business, cause or organization.
During round 1 the speaker should simply talk about why they personally care about the business,
cause, organization, or service/product (2 minutes per person in the dyad activity). In round 2 (after
switching partners) the people talk about why they personally care and why others should care (again
2 minutes per person). Listed below you will see the prompts for round 3 and round 4.
Round 1: Why do you personally care about our organization?
