STAYING FOCUSED: What Elevator Are You In?

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By Ed Han
Have you ever gotteninto the wrong elevator? In skyscrapers, the buildings are so tall theelevators serve only some floors and it’s easy to get into the wrong one.Heaven knows I have. It’s frustrating to look at the buttons for floors, notsee the one you need, and realize you’ll need to go all the way back to thebeginning to reach your destination.
We all knowwhat an elevator speech is: it’s your 60 second commercial, designed and givenin such a way as to invite follow-up questions. In job search circles, onehears about elevator speeches often, and there are myriad resources addressingthe subject: a quick Google search produces 1.64 million results. Among thoseresults are examples of elevator speeches, touted as models.
But often overlookedis the need for elevator speeches to remain living, breathing things. There isa sense that an elevator speech is a static thing: once created, once“perfected”, it does not change. But nothing could be further from the truth.In fact, the failure to adapt or optimize an elevator speech to suit thesituation could in fact harm your ability to make the desired impression.
So ask yourselfthis: what elevator are you in?
Are you in an elevatorwith the hiring decision-maker? Is it an elevator with other job seekers? Is ityet another one?
The elevatorspeech for meeting a prospective employer in a job interview is fundamentallydifferent from the one for a networking event. The audience is different:therefore, the message should be different, too. And in a job search, there aremany types of meetings in which you may find yourself, many differentelevators.
So doesn’t adifferent elevator call for a new elevator speech?
Let me beclear: I am not suggesting creating a whole new elevator speech on the fly forevery instance. The goal is to customizeand optimize: not to go back to thevery beginning.
Many use anaccomplishment story as a hook to spark a listener’s interest. A lot of sourcesI trust and respect describe having one as a best practice for elevatorspeeches. But most of us have several significant accomplishments. So be readyto swap in another one if it will grab someone’s interest or is more relevantto a listener.
All I amsuggesting is picking & choosing the most appropriate or relevant such hookand allowing the rest of your elevator speech to grow to fit with it. Byadapting your elevator speech—by knowing what elevator you are in—you will helpkeep your listener interested.
Your elevator speechcan be a powerful icebreaker. So use it powerfully by making sure it reallydoes speak to your listener.
At the end ofthe day knowing what elevator you are in will help you stay focused onconnecting in a powerful way with your audience, and thereby forming the kindof authentic connection that will help you land your next opportunity.
Ed Han is theformer Chair of the PSG Executive Committee