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Perception
is Reality: Creating and Executing A Good Elevator
Speech
& Other Successful Marketing
Techniques
April
23, 2003
Stamford,
CT
One
day, it will happen. You’ll be stuck in the elevator, in the
line at the cafeteria, or on the way in from the parking lot,
and you’ll be side-by-side with a senior executive. You’ll
think “I wish I could tell her how our Library saved the
company over $100,000 with that contract we put in place”,
but you fumble for the words. You trip over your tongue,
become red-faced with embarrassment, and sulk for the rest of
the day.
Sound
familiar? It’s happened to me more often than I care to
remember. But I’m happy to report that I’ll never be in
this situation again, thanks to Anne Caputo, Director of
Factiva's Information Professional and Academic Programs.
Following
a wonderful reception and dinner, both hosted by Purdue Pharma
LP and sponsored by Wiley and InfoCurrent, Anne
led
a lively, interactive session to help us prepare for
opportunity’s knock., “It’s all about communication”,
said Caputo. The goal is simple: Create a 30 second impression
by delivering a brief, sincere and concise message, also known
as an Elevator Talk.
Use
an elevator talk to request approval to move forward on a
project, obtain an appointment, even establish a relationship
with an executive you’ve never met before. But don’t
expect to do it on short notice. As Anne said, it’s a
“seize the moment” opportunity, therefore preparation is
crucial. Know what you want to say; even have a few speeches
ready for different situations. This is your chance to promote
your library, to make it known that your department is a
valuable component of the organization.
An
effective elevator talk has three simple elements: The
Introduction, the Body, and the Close. The key is to convey
what you do, whom you serve, and what resulting impact your
actions have on the company in about 30 seconds.
 |
 |
| Speaker
Anne Caputo |
Wiley
Publishers generously donated several books for our
raffle. |
For
example, you find yourself waiting for the elevator with the
Vice President of Medical Research, whose signature is the
only one holding up a vital contract. Your Introduction, or
attention getter, might be “The Library helps scientists
discover viable drug candidates in non-traditional ways”.
Follow this with the Body, the clear and concise
message you want to communicate – “right now, we’re
looking at a database that runs 80% faster and contains
information that is 95% more accurate than any resources we
currently have. It means our searchers will have more time
for more research support.” Finish with the Close, which
is your suggestion for action – “The contract has been
signed by everyone except you - can I bring it down this
afternoon?” It took you less than a minute to get the
person’s attention, convey your message, and close the
deal.
Remember,
be prepared. Plan your speech and practice it on your
friends and coworkers, so you’ll be ready when opportunity
knocks.
Anne
was kind enough to allow us to post her slides on our website.
If you missed this meeting, you can
view
her slides here. |
