Elevator Speech: a brief (2 minutes or less) synopsis of a key item you are handling or your perspective on a key challenge being faced by your organization that demonstrates your (real) leadership or thought leadership capabilities to a more senior leader in your organization; may be referred to as an elevator pitch. ~Rex Guerdon
The opportunities you have to give elevator speeches will probably vary based on many factors including: your physical proximity to your organization’s senior leadership, the frequency of your interaction with leaders (including meetings), and how good your prior ‘elevator speeches’ were. That’s right — if you bomb on an elevator speech, a leader may choose to ‘tune you out’ no matter what you are saying. Recognizing that you may have limited opportunities to deliver your elevator speech, the substance of your elevator speech becomes even more important. With regards to substance, ask yourself the following questions:
- What is the main point I want to get across?
- How can I concisely showcase how I impacted the situation?
- Why does this senior leader care about what I have to say?
- Did I demonstrate how I add value to the organization?
- What key impression should I leave with this senior leader?
Remember, you only have about 2 minutes of your audience’s time. Make sure you make it count!
Let Us Endeavor Toward Excellence Together!
Hopefully the tips listed above will help you with your elevator speeches. Should you have any questions, comments, or suggestions, feel free to contact me at rex@excellenceendeavor.com!
