A How To: Crafting Your Elevator Speech (With Examples)

The next time someone asks what you do, be ready to respond with a solid elevator speech, whether at career fairs or legal job fairs.

Key Takeaways

1. Personalization is Key: Tailor your pitch to your audience whether it’s hiring managers, potential employers or colleagues in the same industry. Use their language and examples to make it memorable and sticky.
2. Practice and Delivery Counts: Engage your audience with confident body language, clear speech and a conversational tone. Don’t sound rehearsed by focusing on key points.
3. What Sets You Apart: Use examples to back up your points and show what you bring to the table. Inevitably, someone is going to ask you what you do.

Class reunions. Bar association events. Neighborhood parties. Inevitably, someone is going to ask you what you do. In fact, it probably happens a lot. Yet even when they know it’s coming, many lawyers are not ready to answer the question and give their elevator speech.

People who are unprepared will say things like:

• “I’m a lawyer.”
• “I’m an associate at XYZ law firm.”
• “I’m a securities litigator.”

Giving a minimal or impromptu response is a missed opportunity.

What is an Elevator Pitch?

An elevator pitch is a short, persuasive speech you can deliver in the time it takes to ride an elevator, 30 seconds to 2 minutes. It’s a brief introduction to spark interest, start a conversation and potentially new opportunities. A good elevator pitch should be clear, concise and engaging, leave a lasting impression. Think of it as your verbal business card, a snapshot of who you are and what you do, condensed to grab your audience’s attention.

Why Do You Need an Elevator Pitch?

You need an elevator pitch if you want to advance your career. Whether you’re at a job interview, a networking event or a job fair, a good elevator pitch will help you stand out. It’s a powerful tool to build your personal brand and increase your chances of getting a job or new business opportunities. Plus, crafting and practicing your elevator pitch is a great way to fine tune your communication skills and be more confident in articulating your value and career goals.

What Do You Want People to Know About Your Practice at a Professional Networking Event?

A good elevator speech has the following characteristics:

• Is meaningful and memorable — and provokes follow-up questions.
• Can be delivered in less than 30 seconds.
• Is tailored to the audience or the person, including hiring managers and potential employers.
• Conveys a benefit — how do you help people?
• Distinguishes you from other lawyers.
• Sounds spontaneous.
• Is delivered with enthusiasm!

Four Steps to a Solid “Elevator Pitch” Introduction

What should be in your elevator speech? I suggest you cover these four things.

1. Describe your clients.

It could be your typical client or your ideal client. For example:

• “I work with private companies of all sizes but really enjoy helping family-owned businesses.”
• “I handle a wide range of lending transactions for financial institutions but I have a particular expertise in helping community banks.”

2. Explain how you help clients and the value you bring.

Focus on the benefits you provide clients. That means things like getting or keeping them out of trouble, helping them buy, grow or sell businesses, and the like. For example:

• “I help startup companies secure funding for expansion.”
• “I represent private equity companies when deals go bad.”
• “I help technology companies protect their intellectual property jewels — patents, trademarks, and copyrights.”

3. Explain what makes you different or distinctive from other lawyers in your field.

Points of differentiation can range from personal interests to past experiences to special credentials. Elevator speech examples include:

• “I grew up on a farm so I’ve always been interested in agribusiness.”
• “I am one of only four lawyers in the state with an OSHA certification.”
• “My dad owned a fast-food franchise and I grew up flipping burgers. That gave me tremendous insights into the industry and the pressures involved.”
• “I really enjoy getting to know clients’ businesses. One of the first things I do with a new client is to visit and take a tour.”
• “One of my clients calls me the ‘conductor’ because I like organizing cases with a lot of moving parts and driving them to a successful result.”
• “I have a particular expertise helping owners of family cabins transfer the property to other family members.”
• “I am focused on finding a role in the same industry, which shows my commitment and helps potential employers understand my career direction.”

If you have trouble identifying something distinctive about you, you can mention something about your firm, such as, “My firm has represented more than 20 of the top 50 local general contractors in their disputes with subs.”

4. State a “for example” for a Compelling Introduction.

End with an example to bring your practice to life and make your introduction more memorable. This could be something you’re working on or have handled in the past (without breaching client confidentiality, of course) or even a public scenario that people will recognize.

If you’re a trusts and estates litigator, for example, you could say something like: “I’m sure you read that Prince died without a will. I get involved in a lot of matters where the person who passed away either didn’t have a plan or it wasn’t clear so others are disputing the result.”

If you’re a trademark lawyer, you could use an example like: “I don’t know if you saw this but, a few years back, Adidas filed a lawsuit against Forever 21 for using a ‘three stripe’ design. I’m working on a similar issue now, where my client claims a competitor’s products are similar enough to cause confusion among consumers. ”consumers.”

Additional Elevator Pitch Tips

Delivering an Elevator Pitch with Confidence

Delivering an elevator pitch with confidence requires practice, preparation, and a clear understanding of your goals and value proposition. Here are some tips to help you deliver a strong elevator pitch:

• Practice Regularly: Rehearse your pitch in front of a mirror, record yourself, or practice with a friend or family member.
• Engage with Body Language: Make eye contact and use positive body language to engage your listener.
• Speak Clearly: Use a moderate pace, avoiding filler words and jargon.
• Stay Conversational: Use a conversational tone and avoid sounding too rehearsed or robotic.
• Focus on Key Takeaways: Highlight your main points and avoid trying to cover too much ground.
• Stay Organized: Use bullet points or a simple framework to help you stay on track.

Common Pitfalls to Avoid

When delivering an elevator pitch, there are several common pitfalls to avoid. Here are a few:

• Overloading Information: Don’t try to cover too much ground or include too much information. Keep your pitch concise and focused.
• Using Jargon: Avoid using technical terms that may be unfamiliar to your listener.
• Pacing Issues: Don’t speak too quickly or slowly, and avoid filler words like “um” or “ah.”
• Sounding Rehearsed: Practice your pitch but avoid sounding too rehearsed or robotic.
• Lack of Engagement: Don’t forget to make eye contact and use positive body language to engage your listener.

Customize Your Elevator Pitch

Your elevator pitch should be customized to your goals and audience. Here are a few tips to help you customize:

• Know Your Audience: Think about your listener’s needs and interests and customize accordingly.
• Use Industry Speak: Use language and terminology that’s relevant to your industry or profession.
• Highlight Your Unique Bits: Emphasise your unique strengths and qualifications and avoid generic or boring phrases.
• Use Examples: Use specific examples and anecdotes to illustrate your points and make it more interesting.
• Try It Out: Try your pitch in different scenarios and with different people to hone your delivery and content.

Now you can have an elevator pitch that’s both good and sticky.

A Few Final Tips for Your Elevator Speech and Body Language

As you put together your elevator speech, here are some additional suggestions.

• Tailor to your audience. If you are talking to someone who isn’t familiar with legal terms, saying you are a “products liability litigator” may not register. Instead, say something like, “I help manufacturers when they have problems with their products.”
• If you have a unique credential, be sure to tie it to a benefit. For example, you might say, “With an MBA in logistics, I speak the language of the transportation industry.”
• Use humor, if it’s natural for you. One traditional labor lawyer I know says she “works for The Man.” A client who is a creditors’ rights attorney says he gets called in “when people are fighting over money.”
• Consider virtual elevator pitches. The same guidelines apply whether you are in a job interview via Zoom or at a networking event. Practice delivering your pitch effectively in a virtual format.

Now, the next time someone asks, “What do you do?” be ready to respond!

Illustration ©iStockPhoto.com

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