Nov 5, 2019, 08:00am Sandra
Hill Forbes Councils Member CEO
of New Horizen Coaching & Professional Growth
Advancement, LLC, serving as a Life/Business/Career Coach
Did you know that you can (and should) have
more than one elevator pitch to use when different opportunities arise?
An elevator pitch can be short (10 seconds) or
long (up to three minutes). Regardless of how short or long it is, though, the
purpose is the same: Provide a short synopsis of who you are, explain what you
bring to the table and — in the case of career advancement — state why you want
an opportunity.
You see, one of the best times to use your
elevator pitch is when you are wrapping up an interview and you get the
question, "Do you have anything else you'd like to add?"
As soon as you apply for a position, you
should start crafting and practicing your elevator pitch. You might already have an elevator pitch
that you can work with. But if not, you can start from scratch by writing
a powerful message that reinforces what was stated in your interview, as
well as a summary of qualifications that were identified on your resume.
You might be wondering, why is this
crucial? For a number of years, I served as an interviewer. I also
scanned (yes, scanned) thousands of resumes to narrow down the number of
potential applicants to those who were best qualified to move forward with an
interview. When you interview 20 or so people a day, the messages can become
convoluted and diluted.
However, when you hear that one powerful
pitch, it resonates with you. You think, "That's a keeper!" This is
why, if you want to advance your career, it's critical you master your elevator
pitch and become that "keeper."
In your pitch, explain who you are and what
you bring to the table. In other words, explain why you are the best candidate for the
job. Your interview might have been so-so; however, your elevator pitch can be
an opportunity for you to showcase the knowledge, skills and abilities you can
offer the company.
For example, during the interview, you might
have just identified your program management skills. During the elevator pitch,
you could now say something along the lines of, "Using my excellent
program management skills unique to the government sector, I want to support
the company's strategic goal of acquiring 10 government contracts of $1.1
billion or more, just as I did with XYZ corporation."
Ensure your statement serves as a win-win for
both you and the organization. Continuing with the previous elevator pitch example, add,
"I’m considered a leading expert in negotiations and have the highest
certifications, as well as the necessary connections, that are a game-changer
when it comes to working top-clearance-level contracts."
Sounds easy enough, right? However, a caveat
to all this is that to truly have the best elevator pitch, you must practice it
over and over. Don't memorize it so that it sounds too rehearsed; simply say
the pitch with meaning and have passion in your voice. You want to be in
control. By mastering your pitch, I believe you can set yourself apart in your
next interview and become the master of your destiny.
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