Tool No 22: The Elevator Pitch
HOW? Come up with a single sentence that describes what drives you (your WHY), and one that describes your strongest competency (your HOW). Make them short, sharp and tangible. Add a metaphor that supports this image of you. Finish with a personal tagline. Put it all together in a well-oiled sentence. This is your elevator pitch.
If you chair a meeting of people who don’t know you, it is important to get off to a strong start and make a good first impression. Listing fancy titles you’ve held over the past 20 years won’t earn their trust. Present the engaged and committed individual you are today. Start with an attractive WHY – a phrase that describes your motivation. Your WHY casts you as someone working for the greater good.
An elevator pitch might look like this:
WHY: I am driven by optimizing workflows.
HOW? I use LEAN principles.
Example: Last year, I halved the time we spend writing reports.
Metaphor: I cut holes in maze walls.
Tagline: I am all about working smarter, not harder.
- Share an experience where you were in the zone.
- Give an example of an outcome of which you are proud.
- In those two examples, what drove you? Why is it important? What are you trying to achieve?
