I was at a speed networking event last month where each person had two minutes to give their elevator speech. The crowd ranged from new grads and MBAs to seasoned executives who were interested in moving up the ladder at their companies or in transition.
Most everyone bombed.
One after another recited a laundry list of what they had done – schools, job titles, dates of employment, how many people they managed, what the company was about.
There’s no story in a laundry list.
Most didn’t even get to their punch lines before their short time in the spotlight was up.
Use the Elevator Speech to Create an Impression
Your elevator speech is important because it is something that you will use throughout your life to communicate your personal identity. You’ll use it in meeting new people, pitching new business, trying to make a move internally at your company and, of course, in job interviews.
But in reality, every encounter is a potential interview. Yet, most of us are unprepared and we botch the opportunity to make a strong first impression. Or even worse, we don’t make a meaningful connection so that the person becomes part of our network.