Create A Great Elevator Speech
For Your  Life Coaching 

What Is An Elevator Speech?

An elevator speech or pitch is simply a shortcut explanation that defines the benefits of your coaching and captures the interest of the person or people you are addressing. It takes it's name from the goal of being able to get your message across in the time it can take to ride a few flors in an elevator or lift

It should be simple, without fluff or too much information. Ideally it takes around 30 to 60 seconds and is delivered in a way that will arouse the interest of potential clients. 

It is a really useful marketing strategy to craft a concise sentence or two you can use when introducing yourself to any audience - one person or a group or in answer to that question "what do you do?".

However, getting your message across so briefly can be a challenge.

So many times I’ve sat at a networking breakfast or lunch or zoom gathering, nervously awaiting my turn to introduce myself and take advantage of that tiny second window of opportunity to market my coaching! And afterwards, feeling sheepish that I didn't get my message across quite as I intended. 

Though experience as I made the networking rounds I discovered the only way to be heard and understood in that brief time-frame, was to create an elevator pitch that tells:

• Who you help (your niche or specialty)
  
• The outcome you help your clients achieve
• why they should work with you.
• What solution you provide

Elevator Speech Examples To Learn From

Here is a typical example of an elevator pitch that a new life coach might use:

“I’m a life coach and I help people get more out of life. Let me give you some information about my services and about life coaching so you can learn more.”

Do you think this will work as a life coach speech example to engage people? Chances are it won’t, and here’s why

The focus of this approach is on services, titles, and processes. Your potential clients aren’t interested in these things. They don’t care about your industry or your qualifications as this stage (important though they are) or how you run your business. What they care about is how you are going to help them.

This means that, even if you’re an amazing coach, people aren’t interested in buying your coaching per se. What they want to buy are solutions and results for the particular challenges they have.

So here's an example that would work much better to engage and attract your ideal potential client.

"I coach/help mothers who have been at home raising a family to have the confidence to re-define their careers and re-enter the workforce. If this is you I’d love to chat."

or

"I coach/help people who want to start their own business, get clear on their direction and put a workable plan in place towards a profitable and rewarding future. If this is you I'd love to chat".

Get the pichture!

Of course, if you are a generalist life coach, as I was,  you can create an elevator speech to match the focus of your current audience.

How your elevator speech comes across can also depend on how relaxed and confident you are in standing up and speaking to audience - even very briefly.

And this confidence and speaking skill is something it is well worth while taking the time to develop. You never know when you may be asked to make a presentation about your coaching where you will be in direct contact with potential clients. 

So check out some of the content of my eBook How to Use Speaking to Promote Your Coaching which will put you on the right track to becoming a confident and competent speaker. Also on Amazon and a wide range of favourite online stores.

Six Tips For Getting It Right

I’d like to finish by indulging in a few of my pet tips from years of attending networking functions and being on the receiving end of elevator pitches. You can use them tips, where appropriate, when you are literally delivering your message in a lift, in a public group or even in a queue at the airport checkin😀.

1. keep to time

If the networking function host asks everyone to give a brief 30 to 60 second second introduction - stick to it. Don’t go rambling over time with lots of detail. It’s not fair on the other networkers, or your host who is working to a schedule. 

2. Smile

When you stand up at an in person function, or it's your turn online, start with a "Hi" and a smile. It set's the tone that you are friendly and approachable.

The Do's and Don'ts of a great elevator speech.

3. NO Hard Sell

This is not the time to launch into a full sales pitch without pausing for breath. This can be a real turnoff. The elevator speech should be an engaging taster of who you are and what you offer. Let people ask if they want to know more. 

4. end your elevator speech with a call to action

No not a hard sell! Something like "let's chat if you'd like to know more" or "happy to tell you more". 

5. A Thank you is always nice

At the end of your elevator speech a simply "thank you", and another smile 😀 comes over really well and completes the process. 

6. reciprocate

When you’ve given your elevator speech to someone one-on-one, and answered any further inquiries, remember to show interest in them. Ask what they do. You never know there could be an opportunity for an alliance. Successful networking is a two-way street. It's not just a chance to promote yourself and move on.  

In conclusion, the way to get fluent and confidence with your elevator speech is practice, practice, practice until it just rolls of your tongue and you feel really comfortable and authentic with it. Practice on your friends, in the mirror, with a video. It doesn't have to be word perfect each time (it's not a script) but work on it until it flow easily in a way that invites interest.
Happy elevating!

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