| |
| |
|
Advertising Information |
|
|
|
Create Your Dynamic Elevator Speech
So, what's an elevator speech, and how do you get one? What Is It? An elevator speech is a short (15-30 second, 150 word) sound bite that succinctly and memorably introduces you. It spotlights your uniqueness. It focuses on the benefits you provide. And it is delivered effortlessly. Elevator speeches are intended to prepare you for very brief, chance encounters in an elevator. But elevator speeches are not just for elevators! You should use it whenever you want to introduce yourself to a new contact. That could be in the supermarket, waiting in line at an ATM or when you get your morning latte. So, who better than you to describe with passion, precision and persuasiveness what you do? A great elevator speech makes a lasting first impression, showcases your professionalism and allows you to position yourself. And if you want to network successfully, you need an elevator speech! How to Prepare an Elevator Speech, or What's My Line? Now for a short course in preparing your elevator speech, or unique selling proposition. First, and most important, think in terms of the benefits your clients or customers derive from your services. Trust me, no one is going to be riveted if you say: "Hi, my name is Stanley Manly, and I'm a public relations executive with twenty years of experience." Or: "Hi, I'm Sally Hopeful, and I'm an executive recruiter. Two big yawns. What's In It for Me? Do you recall that old radio station, WII-FM: What's In It For Me?! If you remember that people are always more interested in how you can help them, you're on the right track. Keep that top of mind when composing your speech. Here's how to improve the two examples mentioned above: "Hi, my name is Stanley Manly, and I help inventors tell the world about their inventions." "Hi, I'm Sally Hopeful. I partner with companies that need to find talented people to help their business growth and become more profitable." Now, you've got my attention! Let's use my elevator speech before and after as an example: Here's my before version (and I wondered why people looked at me with a frozen smile!): "Hi, I'm Dale Kurow, and I'm a career and executive coach. I hold a Master's Degree in Career Counseling and have been trained by a master level coach. (Who cares!) I've been an HR director for a multinational cosmetic company, run a PR agency and taught college-level business courses. (So what!) I believe that coaching can be the catalyst to change your life. (Are you asleep yet?) See how that was all about me, me, me? Now for the revised version: "Hi, I'm Dale Kurow, and I help people become more successful at their work. For example, I've helped a client change jobs with a 40% salary increase, I've helped a client develop the skills to deal with a difficult boss, and I've helped a manager devise new ways to keep her staff motivated." Here are a few more examples: I know an Avon representative who says: "I help women look beautiful." Or a business coach that says: "I help you get more clients than you know what to do with." And here's my favorite, one that is used by an IRS agent: "I'm a government fund-raiser." Action Steps So, here's what you need to do to craft your elevator speech. First, write down the "deliverables" -- the services or features that you provide. Then, think in terms of the benefits that your clients or employer could derive from these services. You could use several successful client outcomes, as I did. Once you've got that written, create an opening sentence that will grab the listener's attention, as our Avon representative did above. The best openers leave the listener wanting more information. And you do not have to include your title, especially if you think it has a negative connotation (an IRS agent, for example). Finally, your elevator speech must roll off your tongue with ease. Practice your speech in front of the mirror and with friends. Record it on your answering machine, and listen to it. Do you sound confident? Sincere? Is it engaging? Tweak accordingly. Then, take it on the road. Dale Kurow, M.S., is an author and a career and executive coach in NYC. Dale works with clients across the U.S. and internationally, helping them to become better managers, figure out their next career moves and thrive despite office politics. Visit Dale's web site at http://www.dalekurow.com/newsletter to sign-up for her free monthly ezine "Career Essentials," chocked full of useful career tips and strategies you can use immediately.
MORE RESOURCES:
Advertising - Google News |
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
LED Moving Message Displays LED's are becoming more and more popular in all kinds of lighting fixtures. For simpler, slimmer design, moving message displays utilize Light Emitting Diodes (LED's) as the display technology. The Truth in Advertising Most of us have seen at least a dozen different toothpaste commercials that claim, "Three out of four dentists recommend.. Take Your Radio Ads to the Next Level Most small businesses do not have a high powered advertising agency to produce award-winning radio commercials for them. Most award-winning radio commercials win for the wrong reasons anyway. Cable Ads 5 Bucks! Cable has grown from 13 houses connected together in 1948 to coverage of nearly 70% of all households in the U.S. Vinyl Banners for the Right Occasion The sinage marketplace is competitive! Consequently, some companies are going to focus on price and neglect quality. To complicate the situation, companies that produce stock vinyl banner material offer a bevy of different materials based on weights/thickness, color, reflective properties, ink absorption properties, etc. Double the Effectiveness of Your Company Brochure Let's face it - most brochures go straight into the bin. But if you know the big mistake to avoid, as well as the secret to make people keep your brochure - and read it, over and over again - you're laughing. Online Classifieds Choosing a Classified Website and creating your advertisements.The internet has opened a vast number of doors for people to market their products and services. Media Savvy - How To Manage Your Time To Gain The Best Media Coverage Did you know generating positive media coverage is four times more effective than advertising? Getting exposure in the media is far-reaching, utterly credible and free. As an added bonus you may well attract an audience that you never anticipated. If You Want To Get More Customers, Heres 10 Powerful Stories To Improve Your Ads Remember, as a child lying in bed and listening to stories. Remember how engaged you were. Change, or Reinforce? Do you know about the distinction - and it's a useful one - between communication that tries to reinforce and communication that tries to get change?If you follow politics you'll already be familiar with this idea: Incumbents send messages that reinforce existing voter behavior, while challengers call for changes.Any thoughtful marketing communication (and political communication is marketing communication) will be strongly influenced by this distinction, which affects not only the content, but also the presentation, and perhaps even the medium. Organizing Business Cards for Effective Contact Management Now that you've had colorful new business cards printed, and have been distributing them diligently, what do you do with the cards you collect from other people?If you're like most people, you have a stack of rubber-banded cards floating around you desk. Or you have been using them as bookmarks, toothpicks, and used gum wrappers and they are all over your office, car, wallet and purse?Without a good filing system, the information on those cards is useless. Juice - Scam of the Decade or Opportunity of the Century If you are an ardent web surfer and MLMer like I am, then I am sure you would have seen the sales pitch "Give away free broadband and earn £27 GBP each time". Depending on which side of the fence you are, this product is either God's gift to freebies enthusiasts, MLMers and all paying ISP subscribers or it is the biggest scam yet, bar none. Wheres Me Pot of Gold and Lucky Charms? We already know this from our history books. If you want to make money today, you must first look back in time to the first time in history that a large portion of our country all tried to get rich at the same time in the same place. Direct Mail Catalogs & Brochures: Write Captions That Sell Many prospects skim through catalogs and brochures, glancing at the photos and reading the accompanying captions only when a particular image arouses their interest. That's when you have their attention. Online Advertising: 10 High Impact Psychological Triggers To Super-Charge Your Ad If you knew these 10 high impact insider's hidden psychological triggers and plug them into your Ad and website content, you can empower them and ignite a tornado of sales at your website.Read, understand and use them and burst open the floodgate of sales. Advertising 101 Advertising has truly become a part of all of our lives as consumers, as business owners, as parents, as concerned citizens. We simply cannot escape from its presence no matter how hard we try. 7 Tips for Better Ads The content of advertising is basically the same no matter what the media. It is good and it works, or it is bad. Should Your Small Business Hire an Advertising Agency? So, you own a small business, sales are down and you've come to the conclusion you need to start advertising. Questions: Where do I advertise, how much do I spend and do I need the help of an advertising agency?The answer to this question is really very simple. Media Savvy - Media Skills For Rural Women The ability to lead, persuade and influence are integral skills for effective leaders. The capability of telling a story that inspires, motivates and informs is an essential part of this process. Brochures - The Ultimate Sales Tool "How brochures can help you stand out from the competition, close the deal, and even build repeat business."Most brochures are nothing more than a collection of a few pictures and a few details about a business.
|
| home | site map |
| © 2006 |
