What does it take to deliver a great speech? Well, first and foremost, you’ve got to come up with an “elevator pitch.” Let me tell you why.
Let’s say you’re going to deliver a speech at a five-star hotel with a world-renowned golf course. You meet one of the audience in the elevator. He looks at your name tag and asks,
“Hello, Mr. Speaker. Give me one reason why I have to listen to what you have to say, instead of going out for rounding at this fancy golf course?”
Your answer will determine the golfer’s chance of listening to your speech. That’s what I mean by “elevator pitch”–a simple summary of what you have to say and what’s more, why the audience have to listen to you in the first place. The answer should clearly show what’s in it for the audience.
So, next time you prepare for a speech, forget PowerPoint and focus on your elevator pitch and storyline. You’ll see the difference!
5 responses so far ↓
Pau // July 22, 2007 at 9:05 pm |
Completely agree! If you can not summarize your value proposition in one sentence, maybe you don’t have a business..
lovelyauer // July 23, 2007 at 9:57 am |
Hi Pau,
Thanks for leaving me a comment. Yeah, you’re right on the money. No simple value prop, no business. The message has to be in tune with the audience. And time and attention is getting harder and harder to get. That’s why timing and messaging becomes more critical these days. Focus on the audience and what they want to hear.
20 Outstanding Links to Answer “What Do You Do?” - Liz Strauss at Successful Blog - Thinking, writing, business ideas . . . You’re only a stranger once. // August 17, 2007 at 12:46 am |
[...] Get your “elevator pitch” ready! [...]
Randy // November 10, 2007 at 10:13 am |
I agree…An elevator speech is crucial to hook them in!
Randy
http://www.golfmindpower.com
Anonymous // May 29, 2008 at 1:47 pm |
How to say sthg without saying anything really!!!