Leadership Tip of the Day for Busy Managers and Leaders: Describing Your Business with an Elevator Speech

If you have 30 seconds to win someone over to an idea, a product, or your organization, are you ready to go? Thinking what you should have said after the fact won’t do you a lot of good. Join the Wily Manager guys this week, as they discuss how to make your elevator pitch.

Monday's Tip (Describing Your Business): Move beyond the jargon. Speak to people in everyday language, not buzzwords. Give them layman’s terms so they know what it is you are telling them.

Tuesday's Tip (Describing Your Business): Catch people’s attention right away. Don’t say, “I’m an Accountant”, but instead, “I save people thousands of dollars every year through creative tax planning.” People want to know what’s in it for them.

Wednesday's Tip (Describing Your Business): Discuss benefits not features. Describing GI Joe with Kung Fu Grip is only meaningful for the most nerdy of nerds. Let people know how the Kung Fu Grip will change their lives. Again… people need to know what’s in it for them.

Thursday's Tip (Describing Your Business): Use your own voice. It is good do research, and ask for feedback on your Elevator pitch, but make sure the words you select sound like something you would actually say.

Friday's Tip (Describing Your Business): Write it out. Writing your Elevator Pitch down allows you to better view it critically, and be consistent when you deliver it. It also helps to align multiple people around a single Elevator Pitch.

Three Things to remember about Describing Your Business:

1. Write it out. You shouldn’t improvise your elevator pitch. You must write it out in advance, and refine it over time.
2. Always be prepared. You should have the key points of your Elevator Speech committed to memory.
3. It’s more than a slogan. Your Elevator Speech must leave no doubt what you’re in business to do, and what’s in it for them as your audience.


Improve your leadership skills! Visit www.wilymanager.com for Just-in-Time Management Advice. Get our FREE Management Cheat Sheet Collection!

Watch our video about Describing Your Business.

Join Wily Manager on Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter.

Wily Manager is also on iTunes - Subscribe to our free weekly podcast with management tips and advice for busy managers and leaders.