The Elevator Pitch
How do you start taking responsibility for assuring your work gets noticed? How do you draw attention to what you contribute without feeling like a self-centered jerk? You might start by articulating a vision of where you would like your job to take you so you can give people a context for what you want in your future. Then prepare yourself to take advantage of any opportunities to share what you see.
This is an approach advocated by Dong Lao, who in addition to being a world-class banker, works with the women in his organization to identify how to secure the resources they need to get ahead. During a recent conference at an off-site in Switzerland, a participant asked him during the large plenary session what one thing he thought you could do to better position themselves for leadership in the organization.
He responded with a story about finding himself in the elevator at the bank’s London headquarters a few months before. A young male analyst who had recently joined the organization was standing next to him when a high-profile senior official stepped inside.
“The official had no idea who the analyst was since people at headquarters don’t connect much across levels. But as the elevator started to move, the executive asked the young man what he did at the bank.
Without a moment’s hesitation, he responded with three clear and succinct sentences. He mentioned his present job, said his goal was to lead a telecom investment team in south Asia, and noted ties between his country of origin and the region he hoped to work in as well as two key relationships that would be useful.
The little speech took less than a minute but was packed with information. He’d clearly given thought to every word and thoroughly rehearsed it.
When the spiel was finished, the analyst stopped speaking and handed his card to the official, who then held the elevator door open as he got off. “I’m going to pass this along to the head of our subcontinent investment team,” he said. “If you don’t hear from him, let his office know I personally told you to call.”
“Why am I telling you this story?” Lao asked his audience. “Because I believe many of you can learn from it. Having a clear, concise statement ready to deliver at any moment—one that says what you do now but emphasizes what you want to do in the future and why you’re qualified to do it—gives you a huge advantage in terms of visibility and positioning. It sets you apart from the pack and enables you to make the case for yourself at the highest level when the chance presents itself. In my experience, great careers are often built on chance encounters. So it always pays to be prepared.”
Lao noted three advantages to having an elevator speech memorized and ready to go. “First, it shows you’re ambitious, and that your ambition is focused on something specific that you’re working to achieve. Second, it gives you an opportunity to talk about your skills or background in a way that aligns with what could be useful to the organization, not just now but in the years ahead. You’re not blowing hot air, you’re telling a story about why you have what it takes to move up and, by implication, how the organization can benefit from that. Third, it gives you a chance to show that you’re thoughtful, reflective, and concise—the last being important to executives who are always pressed for time and in the habit of asking people to bottom-line it.”
What was particularly impressive, said Lao, was how the young man stopped speaking once he had said his piece. “He didn’t ramble on or try to fill the time. He came to a full stop and handed over his card. Mission accomplished.”
Lao suggested each participant at the conference work on developing an elevator speech, a clear and concise summary of what they do, what they want to do in the future, and why they believe they are the right person to do it. He said, “The most important things are that it’s real, a true statement of what you could see yourself doing in the future and have a desire to do. And that it’s as brief as you can possibly make it. No background, no extra details, no explanations, justifications, ifs, or hedges. You want to keep it as short and clear and strong as you can.”
Lao also advised not worrying that what you have to say might change over time. “If that happens, you’ll develop a new elevator speech. The goal is to be prepared to stake a claim for yourself and your future so that when the chance to connect with a senior leader falls in your lap, you can seize it. You want to get noticed and create opportunities for yourself. If they change over time, that’s all to the good.”
Source: Sally Helgesen / Marshall Goldsmith, How Women Rise, Random House Business Books, 2019 (pp. 82-84)