What is a 30-Second Elevator Speech? What do you do with it? What do you include? When should you use it?
Ken Lazar, Principal/Professional Recruiter at Ability Professional Network, and Co-Founder of the Sales Connection, an Association for Sales Professionals, join us in this episode to go in-depth on the what's, how's and why's of the 30-Second Elevator Speech
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Brett: Let's dive right into our topic for the podcast. The 30-Second Elevator Speech. What is it?
Ken: It's what you say when somebody says "What do you do?" And what you want them to remember you by. How you want to present yourself. It's your signature speech about what you do, what you want to.
Brett: Is it really 30-seconds?
Ken: 30-seconds is a long time. Try holding your breath for 30-seconds if you want to know how long 30-seconds is. I like to get the point across very early, in a matter of 10 seconds, so that you put a label on yourself, or you propose a question, or you start a conversation. Those first 10-seconds are the most important. Then if there is a request for more information about what you do, then it'll go on for 30 seconds. But I like it pretty short.
Carol: I think one of the biggest problems that job seekers have is that they wear out their welcome. You can get a lot in 30-seconds.
Ken: When you're done with your 30-second elevator speech or your 10-second elevator speech, the person that you're talking to should come away with exactly what you are or what you do. And it should be memorable.
Carol: This all leads to my next question. This is critical. A 30-second elevator speech, whether it's 10-seconds or 30-seconds. It's critical in a job search situation. Dive a little deeper in terms of the value of a successful 30-second elevator speech.
Ken: I founded a group called The Scioto Ridge Job Networking Group. Over the years, we had thousands of people stand up and give their elevator speech before each meeting. And several people would get up and give their elevator speech and they would sit down. And then I would say "Who in the room understands what this person does?" And if nobody could answer this question, that person has become anonymous. You really need to be memorable so people can help you. They need to know how to help you. And that will come across in your elevator speech.
Brett: And some of that would be to avoid jargon.
Ken: Yes. People get involved in their profession. That's their natural language. It doesn't mean anything to anybody outside of their profession. And the more technical that they've been in their careers, the more technical their elevator speeches become, and the more confusing it becomes to other people that want to help them.
Carol: One of the problems that I have with elevator speeches, is when they are memorized. It's almost like the person is putting more effort into making sure they are spitting out the speech than they are in terms of getting the information across as to what they can do.
Ken: You've got to be comfortable saying what you're saying. Otherwise, it comes across as artificial. You want the person to understand who you are when you're giving your elevator speech.
Carol: An elevator speech not only tells an...
