PROView - June 2008 - (Page 19)

You Have 30 Seconds to Prove Your Value: Essential Tips on How to Craft an Effective Elevator Speech by Mathias Bergendahl, Director of Marketing & Communications It’s Saturday morning and you are standing on the sideline watching your child score a goal during a soccer game. Another parent walks over to congratulate you. After discussing the game for a few minutes, you’re asked what you do. This is the moment you have waited for. A chance to build an advocate, maybe even a new customer. What you say in the next 30 seconds is your opportunity to present who you are, whom you serve, and what makes your business stand out in the marketplace. Have you ever been in such a situation, yet unsure exactly what to say? Here’s how you can prepare yourself for the next time someone asks what you do: craft your elevator speech. unique in the marketplace and what major benefits do you bring to prospective customers? One test is to ask yourself what you would you like for them to remember about you one month later and then incorporate that message into your statement. Develop short and brief phrases based on the perception you want those you communicate with to have of you. Create Your Speech Next, combine your phrases and taglines into a flowing speech. Make it compelling and easily understood. Go over the words you have used and replace any unusual or hard-tosay words. Once you have narrowed it down to the length you need, read it over and over to make sure you have covered the major points. Rehearse Once you have your speech ready, read it out loud. Count how long it took and shorten it if needed. Did it flow naturally or did you stumble? Read it to your spouse, a colleague or maybe a friend. Ask them if your elevator speech made a compelling argument for your business. While all the marketing and advertising efforts you may employ will help bring prospects to your doorstep, the way you initially communicate with them will most certainly determine whether they will want to work with you. Having a well-prepared elevator speech will increase the likelihood of immediately building the desired perception of who you are, what you do, and most importantly what you do for your customers. What my elevator speech sounds like? So what should a powerful elevator speech look like? Here are three examples provided by Katerina Gasset, REALTOR® with Wellington Florida Real Estate in Wellington, Fla. Green building niche: "I turn the world green. Short sales niche I: "You know all those people who invested in properties right at the bubble in real estate here? Well, I help them save their homes from going into foreclosure, who do you know that could benefit from my services?" Short sale niche II: "I save the American dream. I specialize in short sales for the homeowners that got caught in the bubble. I help them save their credit the most that we can and help them to move on." The opportunity to present yourself and your business may come when you least expect it. You may stand in line at the grocery store when someone sees your name tag and asks a question about real estate. You may be in the middle of pumping gas at the gas station when someone sees your company’s bumper sticker on your car and wants to know your thoughts on the current marketplace. You may even find yourself responding to a question about your business while riding the elevator and we all know how brief such a moment typically is. The term elevator speech refers to the powerful response you need to be prepared to give when someone asks you about your business. What you say should grab the attention of the listener, be brief and concise and evoke additional interest. Your quick introduction has to sound natural, be easy to understand and not being perceived as selling. Define Your Target Audience Your brief presentation should be targeted to the individual or group of people to whom you’re speaking and likely to grab the attention of those who may need your services. Is there any specific problem you typically help consumers solve? Consider the common needs of a specific audience and focus your efforts on crafting a message directed at meeting those needs. Since you are likely to move in different circles in your prospecting efforts, it’s probably a good idea to develop a couple of different angles to your elevator speech, ready to use appropriately. Create Your Positioning Statement Define what you offer, your expertise and experience. Try taking an objective look from the outside: what makes you PINELLAS REALTOR® ORGANIZATION June 2008 19

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of PROView - June 2008

PROView - June 2008 Contents Chairman’s Notes Sustainable Lifestyles Greening the Not-So-New House Green Renovation Checklist Green Building Tips Going Green PROActive You Have 30 Seconds to Prove Your Value Marketplace Analysis Home Sales Report PRO Biz Calendar of Events & Programs New Members and Affiliates

PROView - June 2008

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