Why Your 30 Second Elevator Speech Does Not Work And How To Fix It

I am fortunate to attend many networking events and get to meet some really impressive people. Problem is the 30 second elevator speech/commercial. You get 30 seconds. There are 15 people at the event. Simple Math: 15 x 30 seconds = 450 seconds.

How do you stand out from the crowd?

By the time the last person is done you can't remember anything about the first person or what they do. I'll admit it happens to me. One of the big problems I face is not having any idea about what people actually do and how I might be able to connect them. They lost me in the "jargon".

Does this happen to you?

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Should we just give up on the 30-second elevator speech/commercial? I don't think so. Here are some example of really good 30 ones:

Greetings, my name is Dustin Miller and I’m a Solutions Consultant with Intrust IT, and we’ve been helping small to medium sized companies conquer their business challenges with trusted IT solutions for more than 25 years.

There is one common factor in all of the solutions I’ve implemented for my clients and that’s their desire to take their business to the next level. IT is about more than computers and servers, it’s about progress. If you’re not sure how technology can take you to the next level let’s talk about it together.

My name is Dustin Miller with Intrust IT and my passion is in your progress.

Dustin does not use a bunch of geek speak to convey what he does even though he provides a very sophisticated service. His commercial is disarming and if you are having IT problems you would be comfortable approaching him. I have seen him in action at several networking events and what he does works.

Here is another great example from my friend Betsy Kent.

Hi, I am Betsy Kent and my company is Be Visible.

I have a disability that can be a curse or a blessing. It's that I'm an empath, which means that I pick up on and feel the pain and joy of other people. I've learned how to make it a blessing in my work as a marketing consultant and copywriter. I help businesses discover the words and phrases that will make an instant emotional connection with their ideal customer. And this has a huge positive impact on the success of their marketing and networking. 

It is very common for people to approach Betsy and ask for a meeting after hearing her 30-second speech.

If you struggle with what to say, think of your 30 seconds like a meta description on an internet search: Interesting enough to make people want to learn more.