If someone approached you, introduced themselves, and asked you “what brings you to this networking event?”, would you freeze? Or would you be prepared with a thoughtful, thorough, and concise elevator speech?

If you’re unfamiliar with the idea, an elevator speech is a brief, personal commercial you deliver to introduce yourself. Depending on your needs, you can use it while on the job hunt, looking for potential referral partners, or expanding your customer base at a networking event.

In preparation for your next networking event, or simply a passing encounter say… in an elevator… be prepared to pitch yourself with these tips:

• Be thoughtful. What is at the heart of your business motivations? Take a look at your business goals or mission statement for inspiration. Also, consider the strategies you have in place to reach those goals. Your elevator speech should be constantly changing to reflect your current business needs and to bridge the gap between goal and result.

• Be thorough. You only have about 10 sentences to make your point, so make them count! In that time, make sure to cover who you are, what you do, what you offer and what you are looking for. Also, be sure to communicate what the benefits of working with you are and how you do it.

• Be concise. Keep it simple, but impactful. You need to have your elevator speech memorized and deliverable in about 30 seconds! Review it carefully and remove any information that isn’t absolutely necessary to your message. Remember, this is just a snapshot - the following conversations will allow you to expand. It may feel awkward in the beginning, but stick with it and try a few approaches to see what feels genuine. It will take time and focus to perfect your elevator speech, but the reward is worth the effort!

Need help perfecting your elevator speech or overall networking strategy? Give us a call at Piccolo Marketing at 615-348-7768 to get started today!

Ready to test out your elevator speech? Join us for our next networking event with Nashville Locals.