Okay. You’ve visited the voice coach, studied some great speakers, have that great feeling of confidence and accomplishment ready to well up out of your chest a spew forth…but you’re not quite sure what to say.

Not a problem. Here are some tips to help you put together a great elevator speech or 60 second commercial for your networking group that will entrance, excite and engage.

Don’t talk about yourself

Your 60 second commercial is no different than any other marketing material. I’m sure you’ve heard the saying, “People buy the hole, not the drill.” It means that people don’t care about the features of your product or service. They want to know about the benefits to them.

There are a lot of great ways to get that across. One way is to use the word “you” as much as possible. That actually will force you to think about what the people hearing your speech really want to know. How does your product or service affect them? How can you get them emotionally attached to your product or service?

What not to do

Let’s say you sell cars. When you get up, don’t tell people “I sell Toyotas, Hondas, and Subarus. Our cars come with a great warranty and our service is top notch.” It’s okay to tell them what brands you sell but “great” warranties and “top notch” service are things they expect. Not to mention, like most mediocre marketing, unless you can produce facts to back up your claims, no one will believe you. We’ve all become quite the cynics, you know, and for good reason.

How does this sound instead:

“Hi, my name is Tom Hammond and I sell Toyotas, Hondas and Subarus. Have you ever watched someone walk into a business meeting wearing a shabby looking suit or clothes that were obviously out of date? Did you feel embarrassed for them? Most importantly, did you want to do business with them? Of course not.

Now think about the person who walks into that same meeting with a stylish new dress suit, shiny new shoes and a popular hair style. Are they the person you want to get next to? Do you listen to what they say? Do you want to get your business card in their hand? Definitely.

Well that’s how you’ll look and feel driving a new Camry, Accord or Legacy. If you know someone who wants to feel successful and show it, have them give me a call.”

Another option that I’ve been hearing that is very popular is the “case study”. It’s a great idea because it creates a real world connection for people. It’s a real story of how you helped a real person. Spend the first 15 seconds explaining what the problem was. Spend the rest explaining how you fixed the problem and the happy results. Don’t forget the happy results (real benefit).

Another twist is to explain something bad that happened to someone and how you could have prevented it from happening “if only” they had come to you first. “Don’t let this happen to you or someone you care about.”

There are plenty of other options and I will re-examine this subject again in the future.

To recap:

1. Try to use I or We as little as possible
2. Focus on using the word You as much as possible
3. People don’t believe unsubstantiated claims or hyperbole like “great”
4. Tell a story that emotionally engages your listeners
5. Use case studies
6. Always use your introduction at the beginning and close with your “tagline”
7. Try to come up with a different 60 second commercial every week so people don’t get bored
8. Read my previous blog entry for tips on how to improve your presentation skills

Bob McClain or WordsmithBob, has been a website copywriter in Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota, since 2000. He has focused on developing new, more effective approaches to web writing, web content, web copywriting and Search Engine Optimization. Starting with a BA in Technical Communication and a minor in Creative Writing from Metro State University in St. Paul, McClain has worked diligently to end the use of "corp-speak" and "technospeak" online. His approach is to “humanize” the Web, using real information to guide people to buy rather than turning websites into advertisements that people can easily ignore. McClain is also the creator of Cheap SEO Website Marketing, a website devoted to helping people with the best solutions to DIY SEO at an affordable cost with tips and software reviews. More at Cheap SEO Website Marketing

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Originally posted 2007-09-20 16:06:53. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

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