I take pride in being a businessman, raconteur, public speaker and traveler. It certainly gives me an opportunity to get out and meet people wherever I go. Part of meeting people in any country and in any venue is conveying a sense of Likability and Intrigue. As an ambassador for either my country, company or cause putting my best foot forward is the imperative.
You get one shot at making a great first impression, always make it count. Whether you are presenting in front of clients or colleagues, walking around a room at a conference after-party, or introducing yourself to people you want to meet; you are being sized up from the moment people put their eyes on you. Confidence and friendliness are good expressions. To really make an impression, you will have to speak. Ultimately someone will ask you “What do you do?” What will you say? A great Elevator Pitch will open doors like nothing else, but mess it up and there may be no second chance. So, get your pen and paper out now. You will want it handy.
There are two kinds of primary “Elevator Pitches”; the business elevator pitch and the personal elevator pitch. Let’s stick with the business model. In general, the pitch should be 15-60 seconds in length, and the goal of it is to leave a positive impression on your audience or the person you are addressing. To achieve the goal, your pitch and presence has two objectives; Likability and Intrigue.
What’s in a name? Whether your name is common or it is difficult to pronounce, one thing is certain….If you make your name difficult to repeat you may not get another introduction in the room. I may have a difficult name: Ron Goedendorp. No matter. To begin with, everyone should be proud of their given name as I am of mine. Be confident in introducing your name, but give someone something memorable and you will win their attention.  If you have a difficult name try doing these things: Use your nickname, rhyme your name with a common and friendly word, shorten your name to something pronounceable, or use a “Sounds Like” to make your point. Try not to fight gravity by insisting that people learn your name and correct pronunciation. It stalls the conversation and hurts your sense of confidence when people can’t pronounce your name and causes embarrassment in those trying to pronounce it. Adapt to your market conditions. I often tailor my “name” to the region or country I am visiting so that my audience gets my name easily and comfortably. Win-Win!
On the other hand, you may have a simple or a common name. Make your common name uncommon. If there something special or memorable about your name, exploit it. Does your name rhyme with other words, is your last name like that of a celebrity, does your name invoke an image? Use this to make your name memorable and repeatable.
In talking about business your objective is to determine whether your intended audience values you. What can you do for them**? Forget this simple fact at your own peril.
There are many ways to present a value to an audience, but always assume a short attention span on the part of the listener(s). You want to tap a nerve and get a positive response that causes a little “aha” moment within seconds. Speak these carefully selected words to appeal to that person’s potential interest, or strike a nerve that connects your value with someone else they value in their network! Here’s what you need to put together an elevator pitch:

1. What is interesting about you or your name?
2. What about your work do you enjoy?
3. What problem does your work solve?
4. How do people feel when you have done your job well?
5. Why do customers, internal and external, enjoy working with you?
6. What industry are you in?
7. What is a summary statement that would inspire or intrigue the listener?

Write out all the possible answers to these questions and remove any jargon. Write out your pitch be sure to read it and rewrite it. Practice it with everyone! As you read your pitch it must be conversational in tone, confident and friendly. As you repeat it, the pitch should become more comfortable. As you use it, it will flow naturally and increase your value…to others and to yourself.

Here is an example of one of my elevator pitches:
Hi I’m Ron Goedendorp. Over the years my friends have started to call me “Gorongo” with all of my activities, travel and work. I have a lot of fun making business happen for fast companies: internet, sensors, smart grid. The sorts of things that will make power and computing faster and cheaper. On the other hand I like the simplicity of wind power when I am sailing. The whole energy and power thing will have a big impact on our future.

I then ask what they do, unless they ask me for more details. Done well this is a great way to embark on a potentially mutually beneficial relationship!
If my introduction is met with interest, the conversation will flow from this great beginning. I am also prepared to inquire further about them, or to talk about my business or personal interests. In any event I always keep my tone conversational, confident, competent and friendly. I am armed with more facts and more questions, but really that’s all there is to it. You should have some notes and ideas right now. Now it’s time to write your pitch!
Keep these things in mind: This is just a primer to the elevator pitch and an elevator pitch is not an information dump, rather it is an elegant introduction to what is valuable about knowing YOU to Them. Speak the truth, make it short, keep it light, make it memorable and leave your listeners intrigued…and you can’t help but be a success!

**”Them” includes them and their entire network of family, friends, colleagues and acquaintances (Think LinkedIn).