Photo by Casey Florig on Flickr Commons
Can you count how many times you’ve been asked the age old question, “So what do you do?” If the answer you’ve been giving sounds like this, “I’m in Finance,” your elevator pitch could use a little work. We’re going to give you tips to make your job sound as compelling as a trailer for the premiere of The Walking Dead. –By the way, the premiere of season six is this Sunday!
If your “elevator pitch” sounds anything like the three word answer in the example above, it needs some attention. Why? Because when you bump into or network with someone who you’d like to get to know, you need to give them a reason to want to get to know you.
So where do you start?
1.Figure out what is compelling about what you do.
Even if you don’t spend your days killing zombies, there must be some reason you want to go to work each day. –If you’re saying “I need a paycheck,” there is a whole other area that you need to address related to knowing when to quit your job, read about it here. Think about the praise you’ve received in the last year, the industry-leading projects your company is responsible for, and/or connect your job responsibilities to what makes your company cool, interesting and a desirable place to work.
2.Don’t get caught up in the details.
Even if you have the most technical job in the world, break it down to something almost anyone can understand. In the words of Denzel Washington’s character in “Philadelphia,” “Explain it to me like I’m a five-year-old.” Think about how you can explain what you do in a simple way that highlights the greatest part about your job, not a description filled with technical jargon that no one outside your industry would ever understand. This mindset should help you come up with a great job description. -Something that sounds much more impressive than “I’m in Finance.”
3.Write it down.
Now that you’ve thought through how to explain what you do in terms that a Kindergartener can understand, and you’ve thought about the “cool factor” associated with your job, write it all down. Organize your thoughts, and lead with your most captivating stuff. Get the attention of your elevator pitch recipient from the second you open your mouth.
4.Practice, practice, practice
Once you’ve got all the pieces in place for your pitch, rehearse it. Grab a loved one, neighbor or friend and give them your pitch. If you don’t want a human audience at first, take a brief video from your phone or computer. You can re-record it as many times as you want, send to family or friends for feedback, or just review on your own to see what you like and what you want to improve. Remember, you’ll want to keep it short, only 30 to 60 seconds. If you feel like that’s too brief to give a good explanation, keep in mind that your pitch is going to be so great, your audience will absolutely ask a follow up question.
With a little coordination, and a little practice, your elevator pitch will be as compelling as Sunday night’s premiere of The Walking Dead.