The ‘Elevator Speech’ – Does Yours Sink You?

Have you taken a hard look at your elevator speech lately?  Ever given that quick pitch to somebody and seen the pained look in their eyes the longer you talked?  This piece from RainToday.com gets right to the meat of the matter with this all-important piece of your overall approach to many potential clients.

“If you succeed in turning your introduction into an opportunity for the client to talk, questions will be your best tool for gaining immediate credibility. You should keep the conversation flowing by asking diagnostic and clarifying questions. Don’t hesitate to let the client know how you’ve faced, and overcome, similar challenges.“

Bottom line in all of this: no matter how prepared you are, you can blow yourself up in short order if your opening comes off weak.  So don’t do it!