Why Every Business Women Needs an Elevator Speech

Nice to meet you… what do you do?

To say that our lives as women are busy is just… an understatement. My best friend and I tell each other that we’re going to look back one day and wonder how in world we accomplished what we did. Every contact we make during our packed-out days of running from the gym, to meetings at the Chamber of Commerce, to the bank, to the kids’ school, and back to the ‘office’ (however we define it) is an opportunity to be evangelists for our business and our mission. When you are asked, “What do you do?” do you have an answer that leaves an impression?

An elevator speech answers the question of who you are, where and what your business is, who your customers are, and what benefits or values they derive from being your customer. Before I went through the exercise of creating my own elevator speech, my standard answer was, “I’m a marketing consultant.” That often left them asking a follow-up question, just as I was about to ‘get off the elevator’… meaning it was my turn at the bank, or my son came running up to leave the pool. By crafting a response that answers the questions above, their follow-up question was more likely to be asking how I could help them or someone they knew.

This is what my “new” elevator speech looked like:

I’m a marketing consultant (who I am) focused on branding, communications, and online presence (what I do) for non-profit and community organizations (who I do it for) in California (where). I help them market their missions (benefit) so they can attract partners and funding to help them serve their customers (value).

Here’s another example for a yoga studio:

I am the owner of Hot Asana Yoga Studio (who I am) in downtown [city name] (where). My teaching staff and I offer yoga classes in all temperatures (what I do) for women and men at any level of practice (who I do it for). People are really recognizing how yoga helps both the body and the mind stay in top form. (benefit/value)

The elevator speech is a jumping off point for other important communications platforms. If you start with a strong definition of who you are and what value you provide, the rest of your customer messaging will flow from there. Ready to create your own?

• Write an elevator speech for you and your business. Make sure it answers the questions of who you are, what business you’re in, where you operate, who your customers are, and what the benefits are of being your customer. If appropriate, mention your business name! Edit until it’s concise and can be said in about 10 -15 seconds.

• Write your elevator speech on an index card and tape it to your bathroom mirror and/or your car dashboard. Practice until it’s fluid and rolls off your tongue. (Yes, it sounds awkward at first. Just stick with it.)

• Share your elevator speech in the comments below!