An Elevator Speech Made Easy

Telling people what you do is pretty easy if they are willing to intently listen for 5-10 minutes while you give them examples and analogies. Even straightforward professions and products require a bit of dialogue.

Passionate business owners have so much they want to explain that it can be painful to formulate one or two sentences that clearly state what you do along with other aspects of the product/service you deliver. But it’s easier than you think.

Anybody I've ever coached who told me they didn't know how to explain what they do, or struggled to figure out their elevator speech, had the words inside of them. It just took a few questions to put the puzzle together.

Most business owners (and many marketing experts) think that their tagline, elevator speech, or headline on their website has to be perfect in order to get business in the door. I disagree. It just has to be clear enough that people can easily make the decision to find out more.

Forget about nailing your unique selling proposition for a moment. That conversation will just muddle your thinking while you try to "figure it out". You already know what you do! Really …

Try on these questions and answer from your heart:

• What do people get as a result of buying your product or using your services?
• When it comes down to it, why do most people buy your stuff?
• What are they expecting to achieve or experience?
• What is the essence of that?
• What do past customers love about your company?
• What do you most love delivering?

I was recently at a business workshop where we were asked to introduce ourselves in less than 7 seconds. I had to cut out all the fluff about what I do and say it in one sentence.

"I help business owners double (and even triple) their profits by leveraging the power of intention, fun and proven strategies!"

It doesn't matter if I passed a marketing test with that statement — it worked. People either really dug the part about doubling their income or wanted to know more about having fun in their business.

They were interested!

The best part about my one liner is that it rolled off my tongue. It felt good. I didn't have to remember the "right and perfect" words. It was coming from my heart and what I knew to be true.

I have a hunch that many business owners are afraid that if they don't tell people all the things they do, they might be leaving money on the table. Understand that your one-liner will resonate with your ideal clients.

I don't have to tell people that I'm a certified master coach, teach Law of Attraction, use behavioral assessments, or wrote a book. They don't need to know how I get people to double their income … at least not yet.

I just have to give them a snapshot of the results, or experience they will get, when they work with me.

If you try really hard to craft the perfect elevator speech it's going to be an uphill battle. Let it be a fun exercise. Grab a colleague and use the questions above to throw something together. See how it feels when you say it. Notice how your friend responds. It doesn't need to be zippy, sassy or super unique. It needs to be clear.

I asked my friend, PJ Van Hulle, how she does business videos on the first take. "I don't worry about the words, I focus on the connection."

It's the same with your elevator speech. If it feels authentic, it's going to be just fine.