Imagine it’s nine am and you are in an elevator with ten people in an office building downtown in a large city.

You have twenty floors to rise, with three stops on the way. The man next to you introduces himself and asks your name, and then,

“So, what do you do?”

In your next sentence, you have the opportunity to captivate the attention of everyone in that space…but will you?

What, exactly, is your Elevator Pitch, and why does it matter?

I’ve been studying this question lately as part of my growth as both a professional as well as a person. How do I articulate who am I, and what I “do,”?

More importantly, can I purposefully share why I do it?

What I say about myself and about my work can inspire or diminish. It can invite, or it can close. It can light up the room with enthusiasm or reek of discomfort and dissatisfaction. It can do all of these things for me, and for others. 

I am not just me, the mother.

I am not just me, the writer.

I am not just me, the yoga teacher, the marketer, the team member.

That is not my elevator pitch.

The ability to speak with purpose, using an economy of words in the explanation of your own reality is a not just a business skill, it’s an essential life skill. It is both grounding and invigorating to stand in your own power and make an “I” declaration.

I am.

I do.

I can.

Can you state who you are, what your purpose is, and what you’re up to in a way that communicates confidence and ease to yourself and others?

Why? How? When?

Is what you say engaging enough to catch the attention of someone long enough to spark something bigger—a connection, a resource, a network, an associate, a friendship?

Can you do it quickly and articulately?

What opportunity lies within that, for you, and for others?

If you work on a team, can every member of your team explain who your organization is and what you do? If you work alone, can you tell me in a few sentences why I might want to hire you? If you do something amazing, why would I want to do it too? 

Who are you, and what do you do?

You’ve got my attention for ten seconds. Ready? Set?

Fire.

Relephant: 

How Important is That Elevator Pitch?

Author: Michelle Sweezey

Editor: Renée Picard

Image: Wiki Commons