Here’s a very common scenario: You are at a meeting or training class, and you don’t know anyone. The person leading the meeting suggests that the group go around and introduce themselves. This is your first impression moment, and you have 20-30 seconds – if that. What you say next will determine whether you are someone of quality and value or someone others will choose to forget.

What you need is an “elevator speech”.

An elevator speech is a personal commercial that is a short summary that’s all about you. It lasts no longer than a short elevator ride – hence the name. It’s interesting, memorable, and explains what makes you unique and valuable. And they can be tailored for different audiences and different settings.

At today’s speed of business, and with communications trending towards shorter, 140 character sound bytes, it becomes critical for us to be able to tell our story efficiently and effectively. The role of the elevator speech is actually vital not only for good first impressions and personal presentation, but it could be your key to potential advancement.

The idea behind having a elevator speech ready is that you are prepared to share key information with anyone (especially senior managers) at any time, in the time it takes an elevator to move between floors.

Sophisticated professionals are keenly aware that first impressions are made in a matter of seconds and from moment to moment they have to be at their best. Whether they are intentionally doing so or not, these top performers, who are usually on their game, have a pre-thought, pre-rehearsed, elevator speech handy and ready to give at a moment’s notice.

The kind of information you would include in your elevator speech is as follows:

• Who are you? (Name)
• Where are you from? (States or elsewhere)?
• What is your educational background (studies, school name)?
• What part of the organization are you supporting? (Your division or department)
• What projects or programs are you currently supporting? (Especially any high visibility projects, but only if they are going well)
• One or two unique/interesting facts about you.
• What is something big that you are accomplishing right now?
• Special skills that you bring to the organization
• Why did you pick this line of work?
• What level experience do you have in your line of work? (Past employment, service time, etc.)

Here are some situations where having a elevator speech will be handy:

• Meeting new people in any situation (a company meeting, a networking event, or even a wedding or large personal gathering)
• Anytime you meet with a senior manager (bumping into them in the hall, on an elevator, at a meeting, or as part of your regular one on one with them).
• Anytime someone asks you what you do for a living
• Anytime someone asks you to give an overview of your career (in an interview)
• Anytime someone asks you to give a status on what you’re working on
• Before you give a presentation (if you or your background have not already been introduced)

Effective elevator speeches take practice, and they shift depending on your audience and setting. Depending on your setting, you can close your elevator speech with a:

• Question to the other person
• Your next action or milestone
• A call to action
• An invitation for follow-up

I would say there are three types of elevator speeches:

• The 1-Line Tweet – A single, memorable one-line statement about what makes you unique. An example of this might be, “Hi, I’m Butch. I’m a former Navy Seal turned Florist.”
• The 10-Second Spot – A short story about yourself that can be told in about 10 seconds. Using the same example, “Hi, I’m Butch. I’m a former Navy Seal turned Florist. Instead of killing people and destroying things, after the Seals, I decided to make people happy and grow things instead.”
• The 30-Second Ad – A deeper dive that describes you in more detail. Again using Butch, “Hello, My name is Charles, but my friends call me “Butch”. I was in the Navy Seals for 7 years. After I left the Seals, I felt the need to do something that would continue to make a difference, but one that didn’t involve killing people or destroying things. So I became a Florist. I actually manage a shop in Springfield. The next time you are in the area, feel free to stop by, we’ll take good care of whatever you want. Here is my business card.”

Because our lives are dynamic, it’s okay if your elevator speech changes. As you address different people in different situations. It will certainly change as your career evolves over time.

Your elevator speech is all about you, so take the time to develop and practice it. And have fun with it.

Question: If you had a elevator speech, what would be your 1-line tweet? You can leave a comment by clicking here.