Master the Elevator Speech
ProTalk
By Rick Welling, USAREC, Doctrine Division
Jan. 23, 2015
If you’re like most recruiters, you think an elevator speech is a one- not to exceed two-minute sales pitch you could give during a long elevator ride telling the listener how great your product or service is.
This approach can alienate you from the people you want to recruit. Instead, have a conversation that creates real opportunities for success.
Let us start with a basic fact. Nobody listens to pitches. Do you listen to them? I don't. Especially if they are coming from someone I just met.
Have you ever seen those sales people who give away free prizes for listening to their sales pitch? Normally you find these people in large department stores with on-the-hour presentations. Sit through one of these and you’ll learn you don’t get much for free.
To make matters worse, those giving elevator speeches, talk really, really fast to cram as much information as possible into a very short amount of time.
This is known as spray and pray marketing. It's ineffective and irritating, especially if your listener didn't sign up for an information dump.
That being said, have an elevator speech, but realize it's not a sales pitch, but a way to turn casual conversation into an opportunity for further development.
What It Should Really Be
The original idea behind the elevator speech was to have something to say to potential customers you just happen to meet. While the elevator scenario is a bit absurd, there is no question that chance conversations can result in business opportunities.
A real elevator speech presents you the opportunity to interact in a casual, socially acceptable manner. That means no sales pitch - period. Instead, you introduce yourself and the Army in a social conversation. Here's how to do it.
Position the Army
Carefully construct one sentence that describes the benefits of joining the Army. Here are some examples:
All these responses are pithy enough to be socially acceptable.
When you position the Army in this way, the person with whom you are talking will express either an interest or disinterest. If it’s disinterest, the person is not a potential applicant, so let the matter drop.
If the person shows interest, then proceed to Step 2.
Differentiate the Army
The person you have just met has shown some interest in the Army. Your job now is to present examples of how you and the Army are unique and different from the competition.
Note that the examples match the positioning statements in Step 1.
Open a Conversation
If there are still signs of interest, ask an open-ended question to find out whether or not the person is a potential applicant or just being polite. Examples:
No need to get fancy. Be sure the question is open-ended rather than something that can be answered with a yes or no answer.
Ask for an Appointment
If you're following the steps, you've now spent about 40 seconds in a conversation, during which the prospect was speaking half the time. If it makes sense to have the conversation continue, ask for an appointment.
There are two basic approaches. If the prospect seems skeptical or hesitant, ask:
If the prospect seems interested or enthusiastic, ask:
It's that simple. No sales pitch, just regular conversation.
ProTalk
By Rick Welling, USAREC, Doctrine Division
Jan. 23, 2015
If you’re like most recruiters, you think an elevator speech is a one- not to exceed two-minute sales pitch you could give during a long elevator ride telling the listener how great your product or service is.
This approach can alienate you from the people you want to recruit. Instead, have a conversation that creates real opportunities for success.
Let us start with a basic fact. Nobody listens to pitches. Do you listen to them? I don't. Especially if they are coming from someone I just met.
Have you ever seen those sales people who give away free prizes for listening to their sales pitch? Normally you find these people in large department stores with on-the-hour presentations. Sit through one of these and you’ll learn you don’t get much for free.
To make matters worse, those giving elevator speeches, talk really, really fast to cram as much information as possible into a very short amount of time.
This is known as spray and pray marketing. It's ineffective and irritating, especially if your listener didn't sign up for an information dump.
That being said, have an elevator speech, but realize it's not a sales pitch, but a way to turn casual conversation into an opportunity for further development.
What It Should Really Be
The original idea behind the elevator speech was to have something to say to potential customers you just happen to meet. While the elevator scenario is a bit absurd, there is no question that chance conversations can result in business opportunities.
A real elevator speech presents you the opportunity to interact in a casual, socially acceptable manner. That means no sales pitch - period. Instead, you introduce yourself and the Army in a social conversation. Here's how to do it.
Position the Army
Carefully construct one sentence that describes the benefits of joining the Army. Here are some examples:
- "Soldiers receive a minimum of 18 weeks of extensive training that focuses on core skills and leadership from day one to graduation."
- "Within a year, new Soldiers typically earn twice or three times as much in income and benefits than their peers who directly enter into the work force."
- "The U.S. Army and Army Reserve defends the constitution of the United States and our way of life through extensive training and by following the constitution which we defend.”
All these responses are pithy enough to be socially acceptable.
When you position the Army in this way, the person with whom you are talking will express either an interest or disinterest. If it’s disinterest, the person is not a potential applicant, so let the matter drop.
If the person shows interest, then proceed to Step 2.
Differentiate the Army
The person you have just met has shown some interest in the Army. Your job now is to present examples of how you and the Army are unique and different from the competition.
- “I recruit Soldiers who receive guaranteed training of choice and the most job choices in all the military."
- “Soldiers receive full medical, dental, and eye care free, no questions asked and get a minimum of 30 paid days vacation per year."
- "We have extensive challenging training opportunities that can be combined with normal job training, such as Airborne training, Air Assault training, Ranger training, and jobs in Special Forces."
Note that the examples match the positioning statements in Step 1.
Open a Conversation
If there are still signs of interest, ask an open-ended question to find out whether or not the person is a potential applicant or just being polite. Examples:
- “Just out of curiosity, what priorities might you have in these areas?"
- “You seem intrigued. Of what I just said, what might be of interest?"
- “Hey, enough about the Army. How does your school or business train you?"
No need to get fancy. Be sure the question is open-ended rather than something that can be answered with a yes or no answer.
Ask for an Appointment
If you're following the steps, you've now spent about 40 seconds in a conversation, during which the prospect was speaking half the time. If it makes sense to have the conversation continue, ask for an appointment.
There are two basic approaches. If the prospect seems skeptical or hesitant, ask:
- “If we really could do (insert something of value to the applicant), what would your thoughts be on having an initial conversation with me to hear more?"
If the prospect seems interested or enthusiastic, ask:
- “I would like to have a conversation with you about (insert something of value to the customer). What's the best way to get on your calendar?"
It's that simple. No sales pitch, just regular conversation.