Few skills are more important in this age of info-overload than delivering a knock-out elevator speech – on demand.
You have got to have one. You have 30 seconds. Go!
Summing up the unique aspects of what it is that you do – in a way that excites others – is a fundamental skill, whether you are raising funds for the local soup kitchen, speculative capital for a risky start-up, or just selling yourself.
You can have a jaw-dropping logo, the perfect slogan, the most dazzling brochure and hottest Web site … even a great smile. But if your elevator pitch is out of date, you’ll swing and miss.
The tried-and-true elevator speech takes upfront practice to get it right, and ongoing work to keep it sharp.