Here’s an interesting little training video by Ed Gandia from the International Freelancers Academy, fitting this week’s topic very nicely. It’s called “How to Create a High Impact Elevator Speech – How to craft an elevator statement that sparks conversation“ and is part of a free new online training series for freelancers.

Here is a short summary of what Ed talks about:

• An elevator speech is a statement that succinctly describes what you do.
• Keep it to 15 seconds or less (it’s a statement, not a speech, despite its name).
• The 3 big elements: What do you do? For whom do you do it? Why are you different?
• Simplicity is key! Focus on your core value and your main differentiator.
• Relevance: Have different versions for different audiences.
• Talk like a human, don’t sound like a walking, talking brochure, be conversational.
• Remember: It’s a conversation starter, like a food sample in the supermarket.

He closes with an assignment on how to go about drafting an elevator speech, which I think is really helpful.

So go ahead, listen and learn and find new customers – maybe even in an elevator! 🙂