The Elevator Speech: Part I
Adapted from The Elevator Speech is the Swiss Army Knife of Job-Search Tools by Katharine Hansen

 
By now the Elevator Speech is a fairly well-known tool, not only for job-seekers but for organizations and individuals with products and services to sell. Authors of numerous Internet articles on the Elevator Speech offer speculations on the origin of the term -- ranging from the notion that we often run into important people in elevators to the more common explanation that the Elevator Speech is a clear, concise bit of communication that can be delivered in the time it takes folks to ride from the top to the bottom of a building in an elevator.

Whatever the exact origin, the Elevator Speech is an exceptionally useful and versatile tool in numerous situations:

• Events designed specifically for networking.
• The casual networking opportunities we encounter nearly every day -- the kids' soccer games, plane flights, waiting in line to buy tickets, and on and on.
• Opportunities within your own department to talk with someone who is in charge, let them know you're doing a great job, and position you for promotion.
• Job interviews, where the Elevator Speech can provide the answer to at least two common interview queries: "Tell me about yourself" and "Why should I hire you?"

Wide variation exists among experts as to the ideal length of an Elevator Speech. Some authors say as few as 15 seconds; others say up to three minutes. There's no reason, however, that you can't employ both short and long versions. Different situations, after all, may well call for diverse approaches.

This very short introduction of yourself used in situations where you are meeting a lot of people and probably not spending a great deal of time with any one of them, could be something like this:  

Hi, my name is ___________. I'm in the _______________ field, and I'm looking to_____________________.

Where the last blank would be filled in with your current career aspiration, whether it is to stay within your field and move up or move into a different career.

You can stick with this basic level structure and see where it takes you. It may not take you far, however, because it lacks two things: a "hook" and a request for action.

Beware of an Elevator Speech that inspires the thought "so what?" in the listener, as the above examples might. If, however, you add an element of intrigue -- a "hook" -- the ensuing conversation now has considerable potential.

Let's look, for example, at how a conversation might go that starts with an intriguing “hook”:

Networker #1: Hi, my name is John Smith. I turn the campus green.
Networker #2: How do you do that?
Networker #1: I'm a gardener. I've been planting native plants to make our landscape ecologically sound. I find the subject of landscaping fascinating, and I’m looking for growth opportunities in this area. What advice do you have for me? Could you suggest any one I could contact?

The concern, of course, with the intriguing “hook” (I turn the campus green) is that you'll sound corny or hokey. And, in fact, chances are you will. I'll admit that when I first researched these elevator speeches, I found them very corny. But they work by hooking your conversation partner into finding out more about you.

You just have to decide whether or not you're comfortable with incorporating an intriguing line into your “elevator speech”. If not, go for a more basic format. One way to test the effect is to try both approaches out on members of your inner circle.

In the next "Tip Of The Month" issue: The Elevator Speech: Part 2

[ Source: http://www.quintcareers.com/job-search_elevator_speech.html]