Personal Elevator Pitch
PREPARE A SHORT INTRODUCTION OF YOURSELF
Almost all presentations start with a personal introduction. But what should you say to make the right impression, leaving the audience trusting you both professionally and personally? Here is the recipe for a “personal elevator pitch”, which you can use as inspiration for delivering a short personal introduction. I have inspired this recipe from Simon Sinek’s “Golden Circle Model”, “Made to Stick” by Chip and Dan Heath.
THE RECIPE
NAME, TITLE and NUMBER of years in the business.
WHY: Formulate a short sentence describing your WHY, meaning the difference you are striving to make in your work.
Example: I’m driven by optimising investments.HOW: Formulate a short sentence describing your most important ability/competency in your quest to realise your WHY. Sometimes you need to present two competencies, but strive to make it only one.
Example: I do that by… / I take pride in… / I do all that I can to simplify / analyse / keep up to date with / be curious about …WHAT: Give a concrete example of a result you’ve just achieved on behalf of a prominent client (name-dropping welcomed).
Example: I recently counselled [Customer] who faced a challenge with A to do X, which resulted in B.ILLUSTRATION OR METAPHOR: Draw an illustration on a piece of paper (or show a drawing) that explains how you approach something. For example: draw how you bridge the gaps or how you make a shortcut…. OR: Present your way of thinking with a metahor: Example: I think of my role as the client’s GPS, suggesting the fastest route to a return on their investment.
MOTTO: Your personal value statement – it should say something about your way of working or thinking.
Example:Work smarter, not harder" - that’s what I want people to do. Or:
My motto comes from Benjamin Franklin, who said: “Investment in knowledge pays the best interest”. I believe that, which is why …
EXAMPLE
My name is Ian. I’m an investment advisor with 20 years of experience. I strive to make my clients think bigger and always think long-term in their decision-making. So I always keep up to date on long-term trends. Last month I advised xx to do yy, which resulted in … I think my role is to make my clients “zoom out” a little – like Google Maps – so that they can see their investment path in a larger context. My motto is: “Whatever you’re thinking, think bigger” – and that’s what I do: Make clients think bigger.
