Elevator Speech

Sell yourself in 15-seconds or less.

An elevator speech is a brief introduction of who you are and what you do to provide key unique benefits to your target audience.

It's called an elevator speech or pitch because it's short enough to be given during a quick elevator ride. The principles are the same whether you're delivering it in-person or on the phone.

You'll use the elevator speech when you learn how to warm up a cold call using voicemail in our next blog.

To demonstrate the flexibility of how you can construct an elevator speech, in this example, we'll put the request for help at the end of the speech so that you can not only develop a coach but also engage, qualify, and ask for a referral to advance the sale if that's what is needed at this time.

Note that it sometimes is better to open the speech with, "I wonder if you could help me please?" This is one of the most potent "coach-building" questions you can use. People like to help. It's in their DNA, and that makes it hard to turn down a request to be and feel helpful.

Elevator Speech Steps:

1. Introduce yourself by giving your name, your role, and the name of your organization.
2.  Say what your company does that's different from your competitors and provides a unique benefit to the prospective customer.
3. Ask a question to engage, qualify, develop a coach, and advance the sale.

The elevator speech is a common way to quickly orient the other person about who you are and what you do.

Structure One:

Step 1: Hi, I’m _______ (your name, job) with ________ (identify your company).

For example, "I'm Bob Jones. I'm a sales and service rep with Big Supply Company."

Step 2: What we do ________ (now say what you do that's different and the unique benefit(s) they get).

For example, "We help our customers cut inventory costs by keeping their supplies fully stocked, and only invoicing when they use them."

Step 3: And then ask your question to engage the prospect, develop a coach, and to advance your sales process.

For example, "I wonder if you could help me, please (don't pause). In your company, who would you recommend I talk with first about this special service?"

This is a great way to get referrals to people inside the companies you're targeting during networking events. And, you should know that a referral from someone inside the company is golden.

You'll use this same process, slightly modified, when you leave a voicemail commercial to warm up a cold call.

Structure Two:

1.      Your name and company name (Say slowly and use rhyme or another memory device)

2.      What your Unique Selling Points do (USPs) by the results you obtain (pique interest for USPs).

3.      Ask a qualifying question (right person, use what you offer but don't have USPs).

4.      Ask a diagnostic value question (quantify the cost of not having USPs).

5.      Agree on the next step(s) (Next step agenda close).

For example,

1.      I’m _______ with ________ (use memory aid).

2.      We help people _________ (USPs).

3.      How do you handle _________ (qualify need for USPs)?

4.      How often does that happen? What kind of costs are involved each time (quantify the cost of not having USPs)?

5.      Let me send you the information (or a link to the information on our website), then call next Thursday to review, and if everything lines up, we can set an appointment (a phone appointment) the following week. How's that sound to you (Next Step Agenda Close).

The key to a successful elevator speech or pitch is to position yourself and what you do differently than the competition. This means finding your Unique Selling Points and using them in your positioning statement. So, get ready to write, rehearse, and deliver your Elevator Speech; start with the basic competitor analysis questions:

• What makes you different?
• Where are you strong (USPs) where your competitors are usually weak, and the customer has needs?
• What strengths do they have that you will need to neutralize or suffer an objection?

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Resources

Select this link to review the Blog: Competitor Analysis

Select this link to review the Blog: Unique Selling Points Win Sales, Win Negotiations and Keep Customers

Select this link to the eLearning course: Networking for Sales

Select this link to view Objection Free Selling (Now four years on Bestsellers list)

Select this link to connect and follow Dr. Robert "Bob" DeGroot, MEd, DCH on LinkedIn

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