Do you have an elevator speech?
You could be at an event, in an elevator, being introduced to a new team, or any other situation where the question “What do you do”” could be asked. How do you answer?
It is easy to start the answer with “I am a (fill in the job title)” and then try and explain what you do. I have also observed people when asked that question by a total stranger completely omit starting with their name. So now you have told a total stranger your corporate title, but they still don’t know who you are and what you really do – missed opportunity!
In the TV series New Amsterdam – a series about the struggles of an inner city hospital – when the new medical director introduces himself to the hospital staff he starts with his first name and a question “How can I help?” He then expands on how he thinks he could help by always coming back to his question “How can I help?
I have had many job titles over the years. Most of them were to fit me into some corporate system but didn’t really describe what I did for the organization. I did work for one company that didn’t have functional tiles on their business cards which worked really well because clients didn’t immediately plug us into a specific level or functional space.
Here is my 30 second elevator speech:
- Hi. <shake hands if appropriate>
- My name is Ian. <offer business card>
- How can I help you?
- Before you answer let me tell you a little about my approach.
- I help people, teams and organizations deliver products and services. I help nurture and grow a culture of Product Ownership and experimentation towards a desired outcome.
- How do I do that?
- I listen to the challenges you have and work with you to identify opportunities and desired outcomes. Then we get to work and choose a path to start down and adjust as we move along.
- I am not the guy who comes in and tells you I am going to change your way of working and your world will be all sunshine and roses. I am not the guy who will come in and try to throw out what you have been doing and replace it with some cookie cutter solution.
- Change is hard and to be long-lasting needs to be organic. Not a prescriptive methodology.
- How can I help you?
I could expand on any part of this introduction if there is curiosity and I get the ‘lean in’ factor. Could be right then in the moment or a follow up later. Don’t forget to hand over your contact information, a.k.a. business card.
First impressions count and words really do matter. You get about 15 to 30 seconds to impress – hone that elevator speech!
