Elevator Speeches - Don't take the stairs!

Most college students, especially those in any of the communications majors, have heard the term elevator speech. Most of us have heard it again. And again. And again......

If you haven't heard this term (regardless of your major or job) then it's something you should learn. Quickly. Elevator speeches have several names, but they are basically all formed around a simple principle. If you only have a small amount of time to speak to someone, and you need them to remember you, it's easy to get caught off guard and flustered.

Enter, the elevator. Speech. :)

Why do I need an elevator speech? I'm a bio-med major, or I already have a job!

Elevator speeches are great for a number of different occasions, each speech can be tailored to the event. This little blurb about you should include: Your name, something interesting about you that sets you apart (as it relates to the event/person), and something that you see as a goal or a challenge.

Examples: My name is Kelly Davis, I call myself "The Beef Queen" because I am an advocate of Florida's beef industry, and my dream job would be serving as Florida's first female Commissioner of Agriculture.

This is an example of an elevator speech for a job interview. There are different examples for different situations. You could have one ready for a job interview, meeting someone at work or at school that you admire, speed dating (even regular dating), etc.

These are great for people who find it hard to "brag" about themselves, which is one way that people describe talking about themselves. This little prepared speech comes in handy in a million different situations, especially when you hear the dreaded "Tell me about yourself".

I speak at a lot of 4-H clubs, FFA chapters, and other types of school and business meetings. This is always something I try to bring up, especially when there are younger people involved. It gives you an edge when you can answer something like this on the spot. Your confident, because you have something to say, and it will help people remember you.

At the last 4-H meeting I spoke at, I had each of the members write down some interesting things about themselves, and what they wanted to be when they get older. After I was done with my presentation, I had some of the students share some of their information as if they were just meeting me for the first time (which was effective, as many of them were!). This is a great way to encourage kids to get confident when speaking about something they love or are passionate about, whether it's drawing, sewing, speaking, cooking, showing cows, politics, or whatever it may be!

Hopefully you have a desire to go figure out your elevator speech, and I know you won't be caught off guard the next time you meet someone! Keep it simple, and keep it YOU. You're pretty great, and everyone deserves to know that!

Thanks for reading, have a great weekend!

The Beef Queen