What do elevators have to do with writing…much less marketing? Maybe not much…but then again maybe everything—they could allow you the opportunity to access the Agents and Acquisitions Editors you need, so you can be discovered by one of the big presses. The term Elevator Speech came about because when an elevator is moving from floor to floor, you have a captive audience…and an chance to tell them all about your book. There’s little reason for your hostages to politely complain…they just have to wait until the doors open, then they can escape, but until then, you have their attention.
Now, think what could happen at a writing conference…one of those folks trapped in the elevator with you could be just the person who has been ignoring your attempts to contact them. Too bad you don’t have a brief and pithy way to convince them that your book is worth their time…unless you’ve perfected your Elevator Speech! The idea is to give enough details, so they want to continue the conversation after they exit the elevator. Sometimes they truly have someplace to be and can’t continue right then and there, but if you’ve caught their interest, you can offer to exchange business cards, so the two of you can re-establish contact later.
How Long Should Your Speech Be?
Although these days Elevator Speeches are seldom actually presented in an elevator, but with speed pitching becoming the way to contact Agents, the concept remains: keep it short enough to avoid boring your listener. An average time for an elevator to go from one floor to the next is about 30 seconds, so your Elevator Speech shouldn’t be much longer than that.
Considering that the typical person speaks from between 100 and 150 words per minute, you need to keep your Elevator Speech to between 50 and 75 words. For more accuracy, count the syllables and divide by 4.5 to get an approximate number of seconds it will take.
In order to focus on the proper details, there are some facts you can, and should, leave out. As surprising as it may sound, you really don’t need the title. At this point, they don’t even know what your story is all about, so they don’t care about the title. After you capture their attention, they will ask you for more—that’s when you give the title and your name. The easiest way is with a business card that has your contact info and a Logline, so they’ll remember which one you are and why they’re interested.
What All Do You Need to Include?
So what do you put in? Similar to creating a Logline but with an emphasis on verbal expression, you need to include the same items:
- The Main Character—description not name (as with title, irrelevant here), as an outsider would see him
- A bit of Setting—just enough to set the general scene, time period, genre
- The Inciting Event in Act I—no detail, just why things have changed
- The Stakes—what could happen, what the risks are
- Why the listener should care—the impact the book will have on readers or how they’ll feel after reading it
That covers all the facts, but it probably sounds a bit brusque…like a list. To make it more conversational, you should now fluff it up, improving the flow. Here you can add some style, so the reader will recognize you when he gets his hands on the book.
If we expand on the example we created back in Loglines, we could have something like this:
- This book is about a former boy scout who wants one last great adventure before going his way in the adult world. Now in his early twenties and just about to finish college, he plans the ultimate campout with some fellow scouts. Using experimental technology, they travel far to experience a new world where they discover more about themselves than they expected and have to make some crucial decisions to ensure that all return safely.
At 75 words it’s right at the top end of the range where it should be, and with a speaking time of 36 seconds, if this is your Elevator Speech, you’d best talk just a bit fast (which shouldn’t be difficult!).
Practice to Perfection
Practice your Elevator Speech aloud a few times, so it becomes second nature. If there are any parts that make you stumble, fix them now before you go public with it. Let your friends and family get tired of hearing it. That way when the topic comes up, you can launch right into it without thinking.
Offer to share your speech with your local librarian. They have to consider thousands of books with only a few seconds to decide which to stock—take any suggestions they offer. Remember, you’re seeking advice, not compliments.
On a plane or a bus, you have a captive audience of one, so ask your seatmate what they think of the idea. Start with your logline, then move on to your Elevator Speech…one caveat: if they seem interested, don’t start unveiling all the details, scene-by-scene. Just thank them for their input and offer a postcard (with Logline and front cover).
Speech or Advert or Blurb?
The nice thing about creating this speech is that you can reuse it in different ways. Besides spoken, you can print it on postcards or bookmarks to use as adverts. Turn it into a Blurb by adding a few quotes from folks who know you or have read the book, showing why you are the only one who could have written it.
When someone you don’t know reads it and want to know more, you’ve succeeded!