The Formal Elevator Speech

Last week we talked about the informal elevator speech; the one that you can use with friends, family and acquaintances at an informal event such as a party, reunion, barbeque, etc.  Today we'll focus on constructing an elevator speech for professional events such as specialty meetings,  professional networking events, a chamber meeting, a focused lunch or dinner or other similar events. The same elements that are in your informal speech are in your formal speech including your name, industry, specialty, why you are the best, a call to action and a repeat of your name.  The speeches that I have included are short (15 - 30 seconds) and are appropriate for the round robin welcoming remarks during the introduction portions of a meeting.

This speech sample is particularly helpful for job search networking opportunities such as professional networking groups.

“My name is Catherine Jones and I am returning to the job market where for 10 years I specialized in writing and editing communications in the global pharmaceutical industry.  My work has been featured in the New York Medical Journal.  Tonight I am interested in networking with many of you in order to assist with my job search. Again, my name is Catherine Jones.”

Should you be attending a professional meeting, you should change the wording of your elevator speech to reflect the audience and topic.  This type of speech can be worded something like this:

“Hello! My name is Catherine Jones and I am delighted to be here this morning.  I represent ten years of writing and editing clinical trial publications for the ABC Company.  For three consecutive years my articles on microbes and cell division were featured in the New York Medical Journal. I am currently in the market for a similar position and would appreciate any contacts for my job search. I am Catherine Jones.”

There a number of Elevator Speech links on line that can help you create a personalized speech. Whether you use choose to use the internet or create your own, an Elevator Speech is a critical tool for networking success.  Once you have decided upon your wording, you should practice it until it you are comfortable with it, it is sincere and it becomes a natural part of your speech.