How Bold Can You Go With Your Elevator Speech?

“How LOW can you go?” is what you think about when you do the limbo. Since we’re talking about marketing, I’ll ask you this: How BOLD can you go, in describing what you do?

I was coaching a private client this week about how to turn his Kitchen Designer elevator speech into a conversation that elicits a prospective client meeting, right there at the networking event and in less than 5 minutes! The key? Come up with a claim for what you do that is the BOLDEST thing you can think of (while still being legal, of course).

Your claim should be so bold that the person listening to you will say “Wow, really? How do you do that??” This gives you permission to go into what you do and how you do it (preferably talking about your proprietary system). Now, whenever I talk to clients about this and we start working on this exercise, often the stuff they come up with is kinda bland, stuff we’ve heard before, and that doesn’t elicit that WOW we’re looking for. So, again, I stress, “What’s the BOLDEST THING you can say?” and then the good stuff comes out.

Use, the words below for some inspiration:

* Double in half the time
* A ___% increase over last year
* In less than 10 weeks
* Etc.

Here’s an example of a script I put together for my client:

Stranger: Hi, I’m Jane, we haven’t met yet.

John: Hi, I’m John Smith, founder of Amazing Kitchens.

Stranger: Hi, John, nice to meet you. So, what do you do?

John: I help homeowners increase their home’s value by up to 110% in less than 6 months. (BOLD CLAIM)

Stranger: Really?? How do you do that?

John: Well, you know how some homeowners… (insert CONVERSATIONALLY WRITTEN elevator speech, focus on struggles of the ideal client, and results and benefits they receive after working with you). Would you like to know more?

Stranger: Yes, please!

John: Great…what we can do is set up a complimentary meeting to talk about the approximate current value of your home, your kitchen “lifestyle,” and what we could do to increase your current living experience in your kitchen. We’ll then give you an estimate as to how much your home’s value would increase at resale time. Shall we chat briefly tomorrow to set up a time?

Stranger: Absolutely, let’s do that. Here’s my card.

John: Fantastic. (handshake) Nice, to meet you Jane. I’ll call you tomorrow to set that up, promise. (John made a date, now he’ll circulate and meet more people and do the same thing.)

CHACHING!

Now, granted, this is just a made-up example, but you get the point.

With a bold enough claim, you have permission to start a really compelling conversation, with an invitation to tell them your elevator speech. Not bad for 5 minutes, right?

Your Client Attraction Assignment:

Your turn. What is the boldest claim you can make in the marketplace? If you put your creative hat on, how can you take what you do and transform it into something that prospective clients will be literally WOWED by and will want to know more about, eagerly? Take a pad of paper and brainstorm. Once you figure this out, I guarantee you’ll turn those ‘eyes-that-glaze-over’ into a lot more prospects in your pipeline.