marketing & sales: The Incredible Power of an Elevator Speech

Why should someone spend time with you?" That was the question I asked the six salespeople who were the subjects of an intense week-long training session. The response? Blank stares. Some uncomfortable fidgeting. Nothing anywhere close to a coherent, persuasive response.

That experience made me realize the need for what I call a "value-added proposition," and what many people refer to as an "elevator speech." It is a well-thought-out, meticulously prepared and memorized set of ideas that ultimately answers the question above. It should exist in several different versions: