I spoke to the Austin Chamber of Commerce several years ago about using an elevator speech to increase sales. The idea was well received. I want to use this blog to share what I know that can help let the world know what you are doing, why you are doing it, and how to reach you when they need you. One of my principles is it must be real: no phony, gimmicky, greasy, cheesy, shticks allowed. Your elevator speech should and will be something you are proud of. I think my first tip is exactly that: make it your own. What might work for some may not work for you.

But let me back up a bit. What is an elevator speech? The idea is having something planned to say when someone says:"so, what do you do?" Once you get good at it, you may find you want to initiate the question to others. It is fun to see whether and how colleagues and competitors respond. And typically, conversations follow the rule of reciprocity. So, by asking what someone else does, you will surely be able to talk about what you do too.

So my charge is to share with you the what, how, and why of elevator speaking. My goal is to help you discover what a useful, comfortable, and profitable tool it can be. Once people understand this, they learn to love the elevator speech.