Tom Pfeifer's Blog

The Five Elements of a Successful Elevator Speech

February 7, 2018

I led a training session a few months back on developing an elevator speech for about 140 staffers at a local non-profit. An elevator speech is designed to sell yourself and your product in the time it takes to take an elevator up one floor, generally 30 to 45 seconds.

Most elevator pitches sound like this (which is

ironic, because no one would actually talk like

this in an elevator encounter):

“I’m Tom Pfeifer with Consistent Voice

Communications. I was asked at a recent

workshop where I presented if it is possible to

be a better writer or speaker if you don't consider

it one of your strengths. Yes. You. Can. I help

people to discover that the only obstacle to being

a better writer, speaker, or communicator is

themselves. If you want to write, speak, or

communicate more clearly, concisely, and

consistently, I can show you how. Book me for a half-hour complimentary session to explore how I may help you to communicate better. Tom Pfeifer, Consistent Voice Communications, where we help you to Communicate for Success!”

That elevator pitch is designed to be delivered at a networking event. Very few networking events are conducted in an elevator, however, and most of the staffers I was training are pitching their organization in the field, not at networking events. For one-on-one encounters, I would change it slightly to make it more conversational:

“Hi, Tom Pfeifer. Consistent Voice Communications. I help people to discover that the only obstacle to being a better writer, speaker, or communicator is themselves. I’ve been asked if it is possible to be a better writer or speaker if you don't consider it one of your strengths. Yes. You. Can. If you want to write, speak, or communicate more clearly, concisely, and consistently, I can show you how. I offer a half-hour complimentary session to explore how I may help you to communicate better, because I’m on a mission to help you to Communicate for Success!”

While slightly different, both versions contain five key elements.

Who am I?
What do I do?
How do I do it (with an example or two)? This is the meat of your pitch.
A call to action
Tag line

Let’s identify them.

Who am I? Tom Pfeifer with Consistent Voice Communications.

What do I do? I help people to discover that the only obstacle to being a better writer, speaker, or communicator is themselves.

How do I do it? I was asked at a recent workshop where I presented if it is possible to be a better writer or speaker if you don't consider it one of your strengths. Yes. You. Can. If you want to write, speak, or communicate more clearly, concisely, and consistently, I can show you how.

My call to action? First, let me define a call to action. A call to action (CTA) is a marketing term that means, simply, that you are asking your audience to take an action. In the first networking event example, my CTA is, “Book me for a half-hour complimentary session to explore how I may help you to communicate better.” I state it more subtly in the second one-to-one version because it’s the beginning of the conversation and I don’t want to scare off a potential client by boldly declaring my CTA in the initial statement.

Your tag line is—hopefully—a pithy catch phrase about your business. Mine is “to help you to Communicate for Success!” My friend Maribeth Decker is an animal communicator and healer. Her tag line is, “Where humans and pets heal and connect.”

Want to know more? Book me for a half-hour complimentary discussion to explore how I may help you or your team to communicate more clearly, concisely, and consistently. Consistent Voice Communications, where we help you to Communicate for Success!

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