As you return to the office: what’s your elevator pitch?

I’ve heard over and over again to have an elevator pitch ready. If and when you run into a senior executive in the elevator, be ready with a powerful and succinct elevator pitch that briefly describes yourself, what you do and your impact. This concept was first introduced to me in a personal branding course. I was 26 years old at the time and working for a large Fortune 500 company. Determined to have a great elevator pitch, I remember spending a few nights drafting up and practicing my elevator pitch. After a week of prepping, I knew that in the off-chance I ever ran into a senior executive, I was ready.

After a few months of going about my corporate life, the long-awaited opportunity to use my elevator pitch arrived. It was after lunch, and given the usual post-lunch elevator traffic, I was relieved to have caught a half-filled elevator on its way up to the 50th floor. Clutching my cheese quesadilla box, it wasn’t long before I realized that I was in the same elevator as the CEO. Everyone was facing him, and he was standing quietly in a corner. Nobody said anything and of course, my mind raced as I nudged myself “this is your chance! – your elevator pitch!” This was the moment I was waiting for.

“Ummm…uh hi [CEO’s name]” I stammered nervously. Instead of saying my elevator pitch, I was at a loss for words. Instead, I said “So I guess this is the time I should be saying my elevator pitch to you, huh?” And the half-filled room of people in the elevator burst out laughing. The CEO laughed himself. I felt myself relax and the next thing I said was “What’s the best elevator pitch you have ever heard?”

What came after that was a blur. The CEO asked who I was and who I worked for, and we just had a conversation. It wasn’t long before it was time for me to get off the elevator, and other people were asking me if I personally knew the CEO. I was stunned. I learned something new that day. I learned that being yourself was more important than having a polished pitch. I also learned that asking questions was sometimes better than having something to say. And after that day, the CEO knew my name.