The Elevator Pitch: First Contact

Have you ever met someone at a dinner party and didn't have any idea what they did for a living? Maybe they're a doctor, but you don't really know much more than that.

Maybe they're in marketing, but you don't really know what the company does.

Perhaps they offer therapy services to people with eating disorders, but beyond that...you're drawing a blank.

In these cases, your first introduction likely ends there — unless the person is an incredible conversationalist and can keep up the interaction until each of you knows more about each other's day-to-day life.

The problem is, most of us don't have this skill. It's not that we can't be interesting; it's just that our lives are usually so routine and boring that we're not about to rave about them for hours on end.

Most of us learn early on to keep our big revelations for major life events, and if you haven't had a major life event yet, your secrets are likely safe. But then again, I've seen some incredible elevator pitches in my day. Here are some of the best ones I've ever heard:

Joe: "I do stand-up comedy!"

This was from a guy who said he did corporate stand-up in his spare time.

Lucy: "I'm a business consultant."

This was from a girl who was just starting out, and she looked like she was about 10 years old.

Pete: "I'm 34 years old, and I make my living doing whatever it takes to survive."

He was also an amazing conversationalist (although he never said what he did).

Meghan: "I build furniture in my spare time, and I so enjoy it that I decided to make a career out of it."

 Well, this elevator pitch was actually the result of an argument she'd had with her own boyfriend.

My point is, there are a lot of ways to shake things up and stand out from the crowd, even if you're dull. So if you have a dull job or a dull life...get yourself an elevator pitch! Here are some more examples:

Heather: "I work as an urban planner, but I also run an online writing workshop for people who want to improve their writing skills."

Claire: "I'm a journalist, but I also write short stories and poetry."

Stephen: "I'm an accountant, and I am always searching for new ways to help my clients save money."

David: "I'm a graphic designer, but I also love photography. In fact... [He proceeds to show her his photos.] "

Daley: "I'm a web developer, but I also teach programming at a local community college."

John: "I'm a physicist, and I help people understand the world around them."

Karen: "I do marketing for an environmental group, but I also write crossword puzzles and read suspense novels on the side."

Jordan: "I design websites, but I also make paintings and sculptures out of clay. In fact... [He proceeded to show some of his artwork.]

You'll notice that most of these examples are pretty mundane. When you're giving an elevator pitch, it doesn't have to be unusually glamorous or compelling to be effective. It can be something as simple as "I used to work for the government, but I now work in advertising." Not only is it a vague and boring answer, but people may think that you're just rambling on.

But here's the important thing to remember: Just because your elevator pitch is boring doesn't mean it's a bad one. It means that you're not up to being a conversationalist yet. Your answers might sound like nonsense at first, but after you've practiced them a few times and eventually perfected them, these answers will become your unique personality and are likely to be much more exciting than someone with a completely original story.

So, are you going to give an elevator pitch? If so, what kind of job will it be?

And remember: You don't have to give an elevator pitch—we all have our own lives!  But if you don't think you've got a dull or uninteresting job or life, then give it a shot. It'll be fun!

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"Up Against the Wall" is the first in a series of posts on "The Elevator Pitch" (or "The Elevator Speech"), an interview process I used to get jobs after college. This post is part 1, covering topics like the importance of an elevator pitch and advice on which questions to ask.

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Article Source: http://www.davidcohenden.com/2013/11/the-elevator-pitch-first-contact.html

Author: David Cohen-Denham

Article ID: http://www.davidcohenden.com/?p=113519

Original Article Source:  CLICK HERE

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Published by David Cohen on November 28, 2013 . Rated by 16 and Read a total of 256 times.  This article has been read 256 times.  The average rating is 3.46 out of 5 stars. 

Article Info & Options: Article Stating :

If you have a dull job or a dull life...get yourself an elevator pitch! Here are some more examples:

Heather: "I work as an urban planner, but I also run an online writing workshop for people who want to improve their writing skills."

Claire: "I'm a journalist, but I also write short stories and poetry."

Stephen: "I'm an accountant, and I am always searching for new ways to help my clients save money."

  David: "I'm a graphic designer, but I also love photography. In fact... [He proceeds to show her his photos.

Conclusion: A boring job can be turned into a conversation-starting elevator pitch!

Article Body: Conclusion: A boring job can be turned into a conversation-starting elevator pitch!

You'll notice that most of these examples are pretty mundane. When you're giving an elevator pitch, it doesn't have to be unusually glamorous or compelling to be effective. It can be something as simple as "I used to work for the government, but I now work in advertising." Not only is it a vague and boring answer, but people may think that you're just rambling on.

But here's the important thing to remember: Just because your elevator pitch is boring doesn't mean it's a bad one.