What is the purpose of an elevator speech?
I seem to have a different goal for an elevator speech than others do, perhaps because I work for professional service firms. In a recent post, Glenn Andrew proposes a three-step process for creating one.
In Step One, you pose a do-you-know-how question. Do you know how easy it is to reach over and shut off the alarm clock and go back to sleep in the morning when you should get up?
In Step Two, you pose a solution. My firm makes the Run-Away Alarm Clock that keeps moving just our of reach, when you try to shut it off.
In Step Three, you ask for a referral. Do you know anyone who has trouble getting up in the morning?
I like the first two steps, first getting the client to visualize a problem and stating that you solve it. But I don’t like Step Three, as least for my clientele. Imagine recieving the following answer to your question about what someone does for a living:
Do you know how some people who earn big incomes will try to divorce their wives and leave them almost nothing? I am a divorce attorney who helps the wives get a fair share of the family wealth in a divorce. Do you know any couples who are divorcing?
This lawyer provides a valuable service, but asking for a referral so early in a relationship is highly inappropriate. At least it seems so to me. I could cite many other examples.
In the professions, an elevator speech isn’t a sales pitch or a request for a referral. As I stated in a previous post , Of Water and Buckets, an elevator simply tells the listener what you do in a way she will remember. That is why my description of how to create an elevator speech leaves out a request for a referral, or for a sales meeting or any other advance.
I am not saying that Glenn Andrew is wrong for many businesses. Nor am I saying he is all wrong for the professions. To the contrary, his first two steps have taught me something useful that I will apply when I next get a chance. It is only in the goal of an elevator speech that we disagree significantly, and that is the reason I have a hard time with his third step. This is just another case in which selling professional services differs from selling products.
September 2nd, 2008 at 6:55 pm
Hi Ford,
Thanks for expanding the discussion on elevator speeches. As you may know, there are no hard and fast rules in developing an elevator speech. Each profession/industry has it’s own unique attributes and to make each elevator speech useful and effective, it may require modification.
With regards to your comments on Step 3, I suggest you consider this step as the call-to-action. I used asking for a referral in my example. You may consider something else. If you feel that a call-to-action is inappropriate, then, of course, leave it out. Does this make sense?
Glenn Andrew
http://glennandrew.com/crafting-an-elevator-speech/
September 3rd, 2008 at 6:21 am
Glenn:
Yes, that makes better sense to me. I am having a hard time thinking of a call to action by the divorce attorney. But I can see one for, say, a tax accountant, as follows:
“A lot of people wonder if they are paying more taxes than they need to. I’m a tax accountant who helps them find out and the answer is usually yes. For people paying over $xxx in taxes, it’s probably wise to review your tax strategy from time to time.”
I didn’t use questions, because it makes the statement a bit less liike a pitch. Many professionals have to be careful about being to eager to sell for fear of seeming ghoulish. I still find this call to action a little strong in the context of a first introductioin. but you have increased my interest. Any suggestions?
Thanks for your comments. They have been helpful.
Ford
September 4th, 2008 at 10:39 am
I always have a call-to-action. It must be the coach in me coming out. And it doesn’t have to sound like a sales pitch. That’s where creativity comes in to crafting your elevator speech.
I remember a time when it was taboo for attorneys to advertise because they were professionals and now it is common place. It has become necessary in a world of competition. Interesting how times have changed.
In regard to asking questions, I feel that questions engage the person in conversation; a dialogue can take place. I did a post entitled “Asking Powerful Questions.” See http://glennandrew.com/asking_powerful_questions/ for details.
What are your thoughts?
Glenn Andrew
http://glennandrew.com/crafting-an-elevator-speech/
September 4th, 2008 at 11:21 am
Glenn:
We agree on the need for professionals to actively seek out business in today’s world, in the value of calls to action and the importance of good questioning technique. (I like your distinction between verb-led and nonverb-lead questions in your post http://glennandrew.com/asking-powerful-questions/ ).
We don’t agree on the best timing for calls to action and selling professional services. I still believe that an elevator speech is too small a vessel at the wrong time in a relationship for these things. We use elevator speeches in three contexts:
Social, where selling is usually inappropriate and calls to action may be pushy–afterall we just met the other person. Who are we to be suggesting that they do things?
Informal and Formal Networking (with a seatmate on an airplane or at an association meeting), where selling may be inappropriate or out-and-out discouraged, along with calls to action that are too close to calls to buy or to make referrals.
Sales, when we want to show the client that it is worth her while to share her troubles with us, because we know something about the subject in question. Even hear I would not want to sell anything or call her to any action until I had learned about her situation by means of those powerful questions you recomment.
Still, this is a personal opinion and I learned long ago that what works well for one person doesn’t for another and that there are lots of ways to skin cats–or introduce ourselves. That’s what makes this world fun.
Thanks for your comments. I have enjoyed the exchange and will definitely look at your blog regularly.
Ford