Your Elevator Speech ? Have You Updated Yours Recently?

Do you have an elevator speech? Does it get people's attention? Do they ask you lots of questions when you tell them what you do?

Every great elevator speech needs to answer these key questions:

1. Who am I? (introduce yourself)

2. What business am I in?

3. What group of people do I service? (be specific ? do you have a niche?)

4. What is my USP (Unique Selling Proposition)? What makes me different from the competition?

5. What benefits do my customers derive from my services?

Instead of saying this:

Hi - I'm Jean Hanson and I'm a virtual assistant. A virtual assistant is an off-site administrative assistant . . . (yawn)

Say this:

Hi - I'm Jean Hanson and I'm a virtual assistant. What I do is give my clients more time so that they can grow their business and make more money!

Here are some ways you can enhance your introduction:

-= A good elevator speech needs to be practiced so it rolls off your tongue and sounds perfectly natural. You may feel funny about doing this at first, but try practicing in front of a mirror. Also practice your speech in the car on the way to the event.

-= Project and speak clearly, but don't drag. Talk with confidence, pride and enthusiasm. Display your passion for what you do.

-= Use clean and simple language your audience can understand. Don't use a lot of technical jargon.

-= Have at least a couple versions of your speech. Many people belong to weekly networking groups, so having several different ways of talking about what you do keeps it interesting, so they don't hear the same thing every week.

-= Personalize it. Use personal stories your audience can relate to.

-= Use descriptive words; paint a picture, using hearing and sight.

-= Tell them how you solve your customers' problems. Give an example of how you recently solved a problem for one of your clients.

-= Talk about Benefits, not Features.

-= Answer their unspoken question ? Why should I do business with you?

-= Eliminate the risk of doing business with you (maybe you could offer 2 free hours of service, or 100% money back guarantee).

-= And finally, answer this question for yourself: What exactly is the role of my business in the life of my customer?

Jean Hanson is a Certified Professional Virtual Assistant. Discover how partnering with a virtual assistant will give you more time to do the things you love to do! Visit her at http://www.vaofficesolution.com. Jean is also the author of the eBook, Virtualize Your Business - http://www.virtualizeyourbiz.com

---

The Real Path To Big Bucks On The Internet!

"Instead Of Wasting Time Trying To Hit The Lottery Of... Read More

What The Heck Is An Eponym, And What Does It Mean For Your Brand?

Today I've decided to share with you a new word... Read More

Heres A Robust, Turnkey, Interactive. Best of Breed, Mission-Critical Solution to Kill Buzzwords

Fellow Publicity Insiders, what does... Read More

Have You Sold Your Internal Customers?

You can make the sale. You know your core message.... Read More

10 steps to promote your business

1) Word of mouth is the most cost-effective, powerful form... Read More

How to Set Up & Organize Your Customer Mailing List For Optimum Results

Your list of customers who have previously bought from you... Read More

Marketing to Women -- Can I Buy You A Clue?

A while back a small business owner paid me a... Read More

Are Keywords Destroying the Flow of Your SEO Copy?

With all the shuffling that's been seen in the search... Read More

Let Your Survey Write Your Business Plan

Most entrepreneurs first write their business plan and then develop... Read More

The Great Direct Marketing Conundrum

Many a home business owner has spent sleepless nights thinking... Read More

19 Ways To Attract Higher Paying Clients

Some people have little difficulty attracting and maintaining clients who... Read More

Small Business Pricing: Setting A Price For Your Product / Service

The importance of pricing can not be underestimated as incorrect... Read More

Incestuous Relationship Between Football and Marketing

Thousands eyes were fixed. Hearts were beating hard against the... Read More

The Beginners Mail Order Opportunity Guide

The "Mail Order" business is not a business of itself,... Read More

How to Handle Jargon at Your Web Site - and Why

If you sell a technical product or service, you probably... Read More

Who is Your Perfect Client

When I started my coaching practice I believed that I... Read More

How to Promote Yourself Or Your Company Through Award Competitions

There isn't a day that goes by that I don't... Read More

Three Alternative Methods On Getting Quality Testimonials with Bonus

Here are three alternatives to increase your testimonial numbers or... Read More

Two kinds of Advertising for a Marketing Strategy

Advertising is the lifeblood of any business. If you do... Read More

5 Steps To Help Fail-Proof Your Growing Service Business

Business startup and failure rates are scary...In The USA...- Every... Read More

Promotional Marketing Products ? Selecting the Perfect Item

People are known to shop on impulse- buying an item... Read More

Target Your Share of the 50-Plus Market

It's quite apparent that Americans are living... Read More

Spike TV - Know Your Audience

What do Klingons, giant rubber bands, and monster trucks all... Read More

How To Bond With Customers So That They Stay With You Longer

How many of your customers are loyal customers? More importantly... Read More

How to Win a Price War

Any economics student can tell you that price is a... Read More

The Biggest Problem With Your Marketing Is...?

What is the biggest problem most marketers have? Who knows.... Read More

How to Run a Successful News Release Program

Marketing public relations gives you cost effective ways to reach... Read More

Top Ten Blunders Exhibitors Make in Expos/Tradeshows

Triple your response from expos by avoiding the top ten... Read More

Why Insight and Flexibility is More Important than Perseverance in Marketing

Marketing successfully requires not only insight into how a product... Read More

Marketing Gurus : Do You Need One?

Its become fashionable to bash marketing "gurus" nowadays.There are some... Read More

25 Ways To Get More Business

Special Requirements for Reprint: we ask only that... Read More

How to Give Your Biz a Boost with a Summer Marketing Makeover

Are you on track for hitting all your business goals... Read More

Direct Marketing Puts Information In The Buyer?s Hands

Direct marketing is advertising from a manufacturer or front-end supplier... Read More