Always On: The Elevator Speech
Being ready for extemporaneous or impromptu presentation opportunities

by Tony Jeary and George Lowe, Presentations.com
This column is the second in a series on preparations for unplanned presentations, what we call "Always On." Simply put, Always On is a philosophy master presenters adhere to, to be prepared for unplanned presentation opportunities. Specifically, we'll focus on one type of standard material – what we call the "elevator speech." The classic elevator speech is essentially a standard answer, crafted in advance, to the "Who are you and what do you do?" questions. The name comes from the idea that you need something ready to say when you have a chance encounter with someone important on an elevator, and have just 15 to 45 seconds to deliver your message.
An elevator speech may begin with a brief description of what you do and the organization you work for, and often includes points or examples of special aspects of your offerings – for example, how you provide unique value to clients or customers. It typically closes with a mechanism that provides a link to future contacts.
Effective elevator speeches, while not literally memorized word for word, are well-rehearsed so that they sound completely natural and spontaneous. (Note: They can also be adjusted on the fly based on whom you are conversing with.)
WHY:
As we discussed in the previous column outlining the concept of Always On, being well-prepared for opportunities to answer questions that arise in recurring situations, such as the elevator scenario, is a basic technique in the Master Presenter's repertoire. It's also a good opportunity to practice techniques that will work for opportunities involving more complicated questions, or situations in which you don't have complete answers worked out in advance.
As indicated in our last article, most of life's presentations are impromptu and spontaneous – but that doesn't mean you can't be prepared for them. In fact, the master presenter knows how to take advantage of opportunities offered by being in the right place, at the right time, in front of the right audience. Being Always On means having the ability to say the right thing, in the right way, at the right moment.
HOW:
Following are some basic tips on the preparation of elevator speeches. Once again, these recommendations are similar to our advice on scheduled presentations, but they emphasize the key aspects of a specific type of impromptu opportunity. To be your best (a Master Presenter), you need to put some extra effort up front – i.e., do your homework.

Preparation tips for the "Elevator Speech"

  1. DEFINE your Presentation Universe for the Elevator Speech!
    Before you begin writing your speech, determine the following five design and context factors that will affect it. Good definitions here will limit the range of situations for which you need to be ready.
  2. Your Audience Universe:
    This is the "who" part. Do you need to be ready for potential clients or customers, senior management in your own organization or, for job shoppers, a contact in another organization?
  3. Your Content or Subject Matter:
    With the "who" above defined, you now need to fill in the "what", which is the range of topics you plan to be prepared for with each audience.
  4. Your Objective(s):
    Determine what you want to accomplish in these chance encounters. An objective could be as simple as establishing name recognition in a positive way, or as difficult as getting a "yes" on a request for a future interview or sales call.
  5. Your Desired Image Or Style:
    Think about short, descriptive words you want to leave as impressions (e.g., smart, aggressive, deliberate, cool, humorous, etc.), and then build a larger picture of the style and image cues you can use to portray these characteristics in front of your target audiences.
  6. Your Key Message:
    These are the key points that you want to make to your target audience(s). They form the foundation for the words you'll use. Often you'll want your key message to involve a hook of some kind, so that people are intrigued and want more.
  7. Develop Your 3-D Outline.
    Collect and organize on paper your thinking about topics, objectives and key messages. Keep in mind that you typically will have less than a minute to deliver your key points. Ruthlessly edit to get your content down to a length that can be delivered without even a hint of being rushed. Don't forget to work carefully with the Why column of the 3-D Outline (discussed in the third Presentation Mastery column, "Using the 3-Dimensional Outline for effective planning") to assure that each piece of your material connects to an objective you've identified. Likewise, the How column ensures that your planned methods reflect the image and style you want to represent. Keep your points short and specific.
  8. Write Your Script.
    Write down on paper the three to six sentences you want to use. Again, edit these so that each word carries value, and each phrase rolls easily off the tongue. Here's a simple example from Tony:

"Hi, I'm Tony Jeary, I write books and help people present more effectively." Then I pause and a new contact will ask "about what?"
I then say something like, "On presentations strategy – most of my books are on presentation effectiveness."
I let them respond and then (while pulling out my card) I move on with something like, "I personally coach some of the biggest and brightest CEOs in the world and often I speak on my books at special events." I hand over my card and ask for theirs.
Then I mention that we have a cool Web site, and look for a way I can e-mail them something of value, free – I'm always looking for ways to give value up front.

  1. Rehearse, Rehearse and Rehearse.
    Practice in front of a mirror, with your associates, your spouse or with anyone who will listen and give you feedback. This type of presentation must not have any hints that it is memorized or "canned," and must be paced to come off smooth, natural and unrushed. It is extremely important to be genuine when using elevator speeches. Be ready, but also be natural and candid.
  2. Deliver with confidence.
    When the opportunity arises, deliver the elevator speech with vigor and confidence.

BENEFITS:
A good elevator speech is essential for almost everyone. We all like to be liked, and a good elevator routine helps us leave a favorable impression and helps us appear professional at all times. Preparing for these common, spontaneous situations will make a difference in your credibility, your reputation and your future opportunities.
ACTION PLAN:

  • Start now by defining the Presentation Universe you want to be prepared for in your elevator speeches.
  • Follow the steps in the tips section above to build your own speech.
  • Evaluate how your elevator speech works in the first few uses, then modify it until you are comfortable with it.

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Tony Jeary has more than 20 years of experience coaching others how to design and deliver more effective presentations, including being the personal coach to CEOs and presidents from Ford, Wal-Mart, Sam's Club and EDS. His company, Tony Jeary High-Performance Resources (TJHPR), offers special sessions (private coaching, speaking and strategic planning ) based on the principles of "Presentation Mastery." Jeary's most recent book is Life is a Series of Presentations (Simon & Schuster, 2004). For more information or to contact Tony Jeary, visit or call 877-246-7747.
George Lowe is co-author, with Tony Jeary, of the book We've Got to Stop Meeting Like This! and edits TJHPR's e-newsletter. He is president of Lowe & Associates, which offers consulting and communications services focused on presentation development and meeting design. He established his business in 2000, after more than 30 years with Ford Motor Co., where he held a variety of leadership positions in the United States and Mexico. He can be reached at .

Copyright Jeary, Kaiser and Lowe 2005.