How effective is your elevator speech?

How do you respond when someone asks you what you do? When you answer them, do their eyes glaze over or do they just say "Oh," and walk away? If your elevator speech isn't concise and intriguing, you're losing out on a very big opportunity to sell your company's products or services.

Hey, I used to give what I thought was a very good answer for the "Who are you and what do you do?" question. I would tell them how I am a marketing consultant that works with small business owners. I would add that when they hire me, it is just like having a marketing person on staff without the high costs of salary and benefits. I thought that was a great answer. It was very concise and to-the-point, but I have to admit, I got the "that's nice" answer and then nothing....

Then, I realized I needed to develop an elevator speech that was motivating enough for the person to want to find out more. Now when I'm asked what I do, I respond with "I help business owners get more clients than they know what to do with and increase their profits by 30% in six to nine months." See the difference? Now, if you were a business owner, wouldn't you want to know how I could help you do that? I know I would!

So, how do you craft that unique elevator speech? It's simple. Think of how your product or service solves a problem for your client and focus on what the end result benefits would be to them. Then, try it out on some people and see how they react. If you've crafted the right elevator speech, you are certain to get a great response.