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In selling circles, the scenario that I just described is often called the elevator speech. The idea of the elevator speech is to make an impact with a suspect even if you are only in the elevator together for a short ride. At Griffin Hill, we call this speech the Case Open. Now that you have written your Case Open, answer the following questions.
1. What was your objective? What did you want to accomplish?
2. How many words did it take?
3. If you were the suspect, how would you respond to the introduction you just wrote?
4. How confident are you that you would accomplish your objective?
5. How frequently have you used this same approach?
For many people, including experienced sales professionals, writing a Case Open is a challenging assignment. Some argue that it is much easier to actually engage the conversation than to write it. While it may be easier, it is far less effective. When you write your Case Open, you have the opportunity to clarify your objectives and choose your language in advance. Research shows this is far more productive than acting in the instant. Additionally, preparation does not diminish your ability to be spontaneous – it enhances it. When the time for action comes, the time for preparation has passed and if you are not prepared, you are not likely to be as brilliant as you would like to be.
With SMARTcon in just a few days, now is the perfect time to refine your Case Open in order to make your networking more effective! Download the free PDF below for more tips of how to elevate your elevator pitch!