You probably know the definition of an elevator speech. You describe your business to a stranger you met in the elevator. You have ten seconds to communicate your value and generate interest.



Elevator Speech 1: "You know how stressed-out people get when they're moving? Well, I have a three-step easy-move system..."

Elevator Speech 2: "I work with solo-preneurs who are struggling to sell themselves without sounding sales-y."

As a copywriter, I view these elevator speeches as in-person variations of sales letters. You write a headline like, "Are you struggling to..." or, "How a sressed-out mover can look forward to a peaceful relocation."

But once you get past your headline, what do you say next? You need to tell everyone how amazing you are without coming across as bragging, boastful or obnoxious. So do what copywriters do when they want readers to go through a long sales letter. Start telling stories.

Once I heard financial consultant introduce herself with, "I help clients who are struggling to get out of debt and manage money. For example, one client was a recently divorced woman who had suffered a devastating financial loss. She was afraid she'd have to declare bankruptcy. Two years later, she's living in her own home and buying investment property."

Wow. We were hooked. Everyone in hearing distance leaned over to ask, "Can I have your card?"

So I went home and, just for fun, created some examples from my own experience. Here are just two that I came up with:

"For example, one client had a beautiful calling card website but all the revenue came from face-to-face networking events. We overhauled the website, added an e-course and created a section to showcase her services. Now the website brings in serious inquiries -- and occasionally a sale after a single phone call."

"For example, I wrote a press release for an arts group's annual seminar. The story got picked up by the big city papers and a couple of suburban weeklies. They tripled attendance rates from the year before."

"But," some of my clients say, "I am too new to have success stories. What can I do?"

Of course you can't make them up. But you can say, "For example, suppose a client hasn't worked for 3 years and needs to get a job right away. I know what HR managers are concerned about, so I would teach him interview techniques to present his background favorably. He would get a job faster and be back on a payroll in just a few months."