Time to say bye-bye to the famous elevator speech

By Limor Shiponi

Observing many narratives for quite a while now, not much good has come out of those speeches, although I’m sure there are people who will swear by them. Sorry, the next time you meet me, save it for yourself. I would probably be interested in much more.

Besides, I don’t like you placing me in a position of defining whether you are “worth my while” or not in 30 sec. I don’t like to degrade people and I find this path of so-called communication very degrading. I don’t think people shortened their attention span lately, I do think they are overloaded with too much information they are required to make sense out of. If I hear 30 elevators speeches in a conference and two stories, I’m more likely to continue communicating with the people behind those two stories than with the 30 “flash cards”.

Better tell me a story that will start helping me figure out who you are. Yes, take care that it is a story and not a blurb of information you think is important or impressive. Even better – ask me what I want to know, what I want to listen to, what I’m curious about. It will help you find another piece of your story in any case.

Almost every business card I have ever been given found its way into some sort of file… every elevator speech discarded in a matter of seconds. Stories stay with me and go everywhere I go. Parts of them pop-up when relevant, I rephrase your story when it can help me or the person I’m talking to, your story lives and expands.

I think it is time to admit elevator speeches have caused much damage to the human race. On my behalf it is time to say bye-bye.