More and more business owners and job seekers are catching on to the idea and necessity of having a great, impactful Elevator Speech.
After all of the thought and time creating them and practicing them, many people want to get more use out of them than simply waiting to meet someone new. Re-purposing your elevator speech and extending your personal brand is a great idea.
Here are some great uses for your Elevator Speech:
E-mail signature. Most e-mail services give the user the ability to automatically “stamp” the end of any e-mail with what is called a signature. I have seen an array from one that has a simple closing statement and person’s name all the way to multiple links and graphics. Take advantage of your signature capabilities and include your name, phone number, and elevator speech. If you are concerned that it will get old and shop-worn, then simply change your elevator speech on some type of schedule, like every eight weeks. Everyone should have more than one elevator speech and rotating them on your e-mail signature is an easy task.
Business card. Our business cards have much more real estate than we think. What I’m referring to is the back of your card. If your business card is already full of contact information, you should consider having your cards printed up with your primary elevator speech on the back. If you still have room on the front and it won’t make it look unprofessional or cluttered, you could put it under your name or across the top. Many people use business cards to make notes on to help remember things about that person. What’s a better way to help everyone who has your business card to remember you than by referring to your Elevator Speech?
Resume. Keep in mind that your resume is yours to develop; and what you put on it is your decision. We know that there are optional elements to your resume, such as a professional summary or objective usually somewhere close to the top under your contact information. You can use your elevator speech statement, either as your professional summary or as the first sentence in your summary. By putting your elevator speech in your resume, you set the tone for how the reader will view your qualifications.
LinkedIn profile. Similar to your resume, your LinkedIn profile is yours to create and reflects your personal brand. Take advantage of the exposure and put your elevator speech in your profile. The best place to put it is the first comment in the summary section. This is similar in nature to using it in your resume in the professional summary. People viewing your profile will read this first thing and it will “set the tone” for who you are and what you bring to the party. This will give you more coverage than your content alone would provide.
Don’t be limited to just this list. You might have other ideas of where you can use your elevator speech. Keep in mind that an elevator speech is a form of self introduction. The primary point is that you don’t have to limit the use to your saying it out loud to a new person. An elevator speech is far more versatile than you might think. Use your Elevator Speech anywhere you might have a profile that introduces you to new people.
Dorothy Tannahill-Moran, founder of New Chapter New Life, is a life and career coach, speaker and author. She is well known for her unique insights and deep knowledge about people and careers. Please visit her website and download her FREE e-workbook called, “Should I Stay or Should I Go: Get the Most out of Your Job in a Tough Economy!”
Personal brand elevator speech image from Shutterstock
About Dorothy Tannahill-Moran
Maybe it would be helpful to explain what an elevator speech is, to those who don’t know (like me). I have never heard the term before.
It’s when you’ve only got a minute to state your case, as if you were in an elevator with your interviewer (or judge!)