Do you have an elevator speech? You know, that 30 seconds with a captive audience that gives you the opportunity to spew everything you can about your company? And MAYBE come up for air?

Personally, I really dislike the term elevator speech aka your 30 second commercial. It’s all about pitching your goods/services/next great thing to a stranger. In this day and age, people don’t want to hear a super condensed version of what your company is all about. They want to learn about you, what makes you different, and why you’re someone they want to do business with.

So, if your pitch goes something like this, “Hi, I’m Bob with WidgetsRUs and we make everything from nuts and bolts to coffee makers and we really should do business sometime!” the results will likely be less than stellar. At best, you’ll get that blank stare, a polite nod and smile, and the person moves on.

Crafting Your Elevator Speech

Here’s a few things to think about when you’re crafting your elevator speech:

1) Know who you’re speaking to. Are you presenting your business in a networking situation when everyone goes around the table? If so, they’ve probably heard it already a million times. Think about what kind of help you need from them and craft your speech around the topic.

2) Keep it short. Focus on the one aspect of your business you really want to get across. If you’re having a great sale on widgets, you have no idea if the person you’re talking to needs them or not.

3) Have a conversation. Don’t speak in industry lingo, unless you’re talking to someone in the industry! Avoid those TLAs.  Your 30 second commercial should be a conversational introduction to your business. You want them to WANT to talk to you some more.

4) Create an interest. Your goal in a 30 second commercial shouldn’t be selling that great widget, because that will rarely happen. You should be creating an interest in your business and opening the door to future fact finding conversations.

5) Always have your business card available. You don’t want to create interest, and then have no way for them to contact you. Scribbling your number on the back of a napkin is probably not the best first impression!

6) Ask for a follow up meeting. If the situation is appropriate, schedule a meeting then. If not, follow up with a phone call to schedule a meeting. Use that time to really learn more about their business and find out what solutions you have for them.

7) Practice! Don’t underestimate the value of practicing your 30 second commercial. Do some roleplay with a friend or co-worker. They can help you define your goal and refine your speech.

So, say you’re at a networking meeting, and introducing yourself to someone new. Your 30 second commercial might go something like this:

“Good morning, I’m Sonja with Infinite Reach Agency. As a business owner, I’m sure you know how hard it is to convert website traffic into leads.” (pause here to gain agreement).  “As a full service internet marketing agency, we help our clients do just that by increasing their rank in search results and converting their website traffic into leads.”

Remember, your elevator speech might just be the first impression someone has of your company. Make sure it’s a stellar impression!