--- title: Make an Impression with Your Elevator Talk description: To differentiate your group from others, it is important to demonstrate your training program to candidates. LIMRA tells us that today’s candidates, especially millennials and female recruits, are heavily swayed by the ongoing training and educational programs that organizations offer, as well as the technology by which they will deliver it. They see education as the pathway to growth and new opportunities. image: https://info.hoopis.com/hubfs/0%20(6).jpeg --- [![FSEDNet](https://info.hoopis.com/hubfs/FSEDNet_June2018_v2/Images/logo-sized1.png) ](https://hello.fsednet.com) - Who We Are - [![Schedule Demo](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/4570472/162dd7e4-98c0-4297-85d6-465bc5e71a26.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/4570472/162dd7e4-98c0-4297-85d6-465bc5e71a26) - [Sign Us Up](https://hello.fsednet.com/sign-us-up) CLOSE X # Make an Impression with Your Elevator Talk # Make an Impression with Your Elevator Talk Posted by [Richard "Dick" Cleary](https://info.hoopis.com/blog/author/richard-dick-cleary) on Oct 22, 2019 9:44:32 AM - [Tweet](https://twitter.com/share) ![0 (6)](https://info.hoopis.com/hs-fs/hubfs/0%20(6).jpeg?width=1691&name=0%20(6).jpeg) An elevator talk is one of the most important 30-second conversations you will ever have. The short explanation which you give to tell others what you do is commonly referred to as an “elevator talk” because it is meant to capture the interest of your prospect in the amount of time it would take you to take a short elevator ride with someone. This is a follow up article to my recently published "A Six-Step Guide to Writing an Effective Elevator Talk". You have only a short amount of time to persuade a prospect to want to learn more about what you offer. It is important for you to have an elevator talk prepared in advance, so you will be ready to make an impression on a prospect at any time and in any place, even in an elevator. Here are seven tips for making the best impression with your elevator talk. **1. Keep It Short** Did you realize that the average person has only a 30-second attention span? After that, their mind starts wandering. You can see the challenge; you only have a short time to make a powerful first impression. The key is to make sure that you have a clear, brief message—essentially a commercial about you. Your elevator talk should never be more than 60 seconds, which equates to about 90 to 180 words. You need to gain the prospect’s attention quickly or lose them forever. **2. Tell a Story** Always start your talk by getting your prospect’s attention with a statement or question that piques their interest. In other words, hook them into wanting to hear more. Most elevator talks also tell a brief story. A good story could be someone with a problem who either finds a solution or faces obstacles. Here you want to illustrate that what you do can help people and their situations. Here is an example of an elevator pitch with a compelling hook and interesting story which was recently shared with me. “I have an unusual business in a not-so-unusual industry. Every day, I get the opportunity to meet with people who have chosen to protect the financial future of the people they love or their own retirement, and, unfortunately, sometimes those who have not. The most rewarding part of my job is knowing that I help people avoid common mistakes while improving the quality of their future. Let’s find a time to have a cup of coffee together so I can explain what I do and learn more about you. **3. Be Relatable and Memorable** Don’t talk *at* your prospects; talk *with* them. No one is interested in a speech, but many people are willing to get to know you and what is important to you. You also need to be clear. Use language that everyone can understand. Avoid using fancy words or industry jargon - thinking it will make you sound smarter. If you do, your prospects will likely lose interest, and you will miss your opportunity to engage them. It is important not only to capture the attention of the people you are speaking to but also to gauge how interested they are in the conversation. If they seem interested in why you asked them the question you did, you can tailor your message to their interest level. When the content of your talk is relatable and memorable, your prospect is more likely to want more information. **4. Convey Your Value** Your elevator talk should give your prospect a sense of your value. Include scenarios that evoke sympathy or empathy that they could picture themselves experiencing. This is not a sales pitch or a brag fest. You want to show prospects the types of problems you can help solve in their lives, not just a summary of what services you provide. **5. Speak with Passion** If you are not excited about what you do and how it affects the lives of others, then why should they be excited? Your talk must contain energy, enthusiasm, and dedication. Above all, your elevator talk needs to excite you first of all. The bottom line, is if your not excited about what you are saying, then either will be your audience. If you are not smiling and getting more and more excited, then ask yourself how boring you are sounding. Remember that they might not be able to recall everything that you say, but they will likely remember your enthusiasm. **6. End with a Request** Design your elevator talk with a specific outcome in mind. Always end your talk with a call to action. You must decide upon the desired result of my talk. You might want to write different talks to apply to different types of prospects or situations. For example, do you want to begin a new relationship, set up a meeting, grab a cup of coffee, gain a new prospect, enlist a new nominator or get a referral? **7. Practice Your Talk** Once you have written your elevator talk, practice it until it sounds natural and you can repeat it without thinking. It needs to slide off your tongue naturally. Say it out loud and record it. Perform as many dress rehearsals as possible in front of colleagues, friends and family members, and get their honest feedback. Remember your communication is more than just words, it's also what your body language is conveying. So, it’s critically important to pay close attention to your body language and not just to memorize words. Always be listening for new phrases that you think could make your elevator talk clearer and more impactful. As your practice changes over time, you will want to update your talk or do a total overhaul. If you can give a compelling and intriguing introduction to what you do, you are on the right track to finding more prospects who will want to continue the conversation about what you can offer. 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Learn More CLOSE X # What People Are Saying “FSEdNet is a game-changing strategy to help with the education of new advisors in the business.  The key to any training is to focus on being brilliant on the basics.  Dick Cleary and his team have created a turnkey educational program that helps leadership teams implement an easy to deliver training system for the fundamentals of success.”      **J. Christopher Noonan, CLU, ChFC Regional President & Divisional Executive VP, Equitable-Advisors LLC** "FSEdNet's delivery process and information will help your advisors become more confident in front of clients." ###### Garry Kinder, CLU, ChFC, CSA, Kinder Brothers International “NAIFA is excited to partner with FSEdNet to create the NAIFA Learning Center. We value the breadth and depth of educational content relevant for all practice specialties and the ease of access on multiple devices to the online video content. Core to NAIFA’s mission is delivery of critical training and professional support to our members—this program is a key component in meeting that objective.” ###### Kevin M. Mayeux, CAE, CEO, NAIFA "The best I have ever seen. Clear, concise and relevant - a platform that really makes a difference." ###### Paul E. Vignone, JD, LLM, CLU, ChFC, VP of Advanced Markets, Empire Wealth Strategies, Penn Mutual Life "FSEdNet is a comprehensive online resource that is filled with practical and actionable content. It provides its user with the fundamentals, as well as advanced learnings, for a successful financial services career." ###### C. Richard Weylman, CEO & CDO, The Weylman Center for Excellence in Practice Management "FSEdNet will engage your new advisors and staff in a new innovative way. Associates will absorb the basics and master the fundamentals through this connected learning platform." ###### Bonnie L. Godsman - CEO, GAMA International" "LIMRA research has found that young advisors integrate technology into all aspects of their practice. FSEdNet provides basic "blocking and tackle" training in an innovative and contemporary way, which resonates with today's financial professionals. Not just for agents and advisors, it's an invaluable part of my onboarding of new LIMRA research professionals - FSEdNet really delivers." ###### – Patrick Leary, LIMRA Corporate Vice President - Research #### "It's Time To Turn Potential Into Reality" "The Financial Services Educational Network, from the genius of Dick Cleary, is something this industry has needed for a long time. It is for many advisors, the missing piece. FSEdNet provides the educational background needed, in a myriad of topics, to give advisors the confidence to engage in meaningful financial discussions." **Harry P. Hoopis, CEO, Hoopis Performance Network, Hall of Fame** “FSEdNet is a game-changing strategy to help with the education of new advisors in the business.  The key to any training is to focus on being brilliant on the basics.  Dick Cleary and his team have created a turnkey educational program that helps leadership teams implement an easy to deliver training system for the fundamentals of success.”      **Mark Rooney, CFP, ChFC, CLU Equitable-Advisors, LLC, Hall of Fame Recipient** “FSEdNet has allowed us to focus on what we do best: find, recruit, select and train the future of our industry.  It provides excellent education, so our leadership team can do what they do best and that is joint work with our newest advisors.  I would strongly encourage any firm to embrace this as it will impact productivity.” **Ed Deutschlander, CLU, CLF, CEO, North Star Resource Group** "Bring back the basic training our agents need is the passion and commitment that Dick has made to the industry. As a long-standing professional in our business, he is well positioned to deliver the right product at the right time. FSEdNet is a perfect solution to the training needs of today." ###### **– Jim Kerley, Chief Membership Officer, LIMRA and LOMA** "I have been in the industry many years. FSEdNet is one of the most comprehensive educational tools to help new reps get off to a successful start and for developing reps to build and grow their business in years 2, 3, 4 and after. The ability to have this information at your fingertips, anytime, anywhere, on any device, 24/7 is truly a must-have for today's financial professional.” **Fred Walker, VP of Professional Development, Transamerica Agency Network** “At the Great Basin Agency of American National, we use FSEdNet faithfully. We find the product they have, and the support of Dick Cleary and his team is amazing, this is one of the best training tools we have or have ever had. The sales training and education are for agents and staff at all levels of their careers." **Ken Gallacher, CLU, ChFC, FSS, LUTCF, LACP and Thresa (Terry) Cochran, CLU, ChFC, CLF, FSS, LACP - General Agent, American National** "A revolutionary strategy to help train and develop your producers, regardless of experience. To make an impact, it must be simple to understand and use, and that is exactly what FSEdNet does. This turn-key educational platform will add true value to your value proposition, and will separate you from the competition." **Dan LaBert, CEO, NAILBA - National Association of Independent Life Brokerage Agencies.** "Opening Up the library of videos offered on FSEdNet for our agents provides an immediate resource that supports the new agent experience after initial training and adds to that knowledge base in all areas. Not only do the new agents benefit, but veteran agents can add to or be reminded of information that helps them focus on improving results." **Mike Catania, Ph.D., Director of Learning Management Field Development, Bankers Life and Casualty Company** “Having been in the industry over 30 years, I can honestly say that FSEdNet is a game changer for improving retention, growing rep productivity and developing a highly trained sales force.  I was exposed to Dick Cleary and FSEdNet in another life prior to being with AAA Life and I was very pleased to have the opportunity to introduce an entirely new field force to this awesome tool!  We have used it as the foundation to build our training program.  I would highly recommend FSEdNet to anyone!” - **Allen Jackson LUTCF, FSCP, Vice president of Agent Distribution, AAA Life Insurance Company** “FSEdNet has been the game changer we needed for our General Agents. It is the perfect tool they needed to make their training programs A+.” **Todd Scott, Manager Practice Management & Development, AMERITAS** “We needed to completely update our agent and management development and training platforms. FSEdNet was a perfect fit that did not take additional resources to write, develop and implement the changes we needed. We now incorporate the management training program of FSLEdNet into our weekly development calls with all our entire field leadership team and incorporated FSEdNet into our new agent training program” - **Damian Salvi, Senior Vice President ****and Chief Distribution Officer, The Baltimore Life Companies** "Just a quick comment of appreciation for your FSEdNet. We have been so pleased and impressed with your training program. It has helped our advisors at all different levels in many different areas of your curriculum. It is concise, effective, and easy to use. And you and your team have been incredibly responsive whenever we have a question or a thought."  **James Meehan, Managing Partner at 1847Financial, Penn Mutual** "FSEdNet has provided us with the foundation we needed to strengthen our Field Force training programs.  The courses have provided us with the basics that would have taken us a very long time to develop on our own. The structure of the videos and worksheets helps to improve retention and develop a skilled workforce. I would highly recommend FSEdNet!" ***Beth Jones, Director of Field Force Training Development, First Command Financial Services.*** ![FSEdNet](https://info.hoopis.com/hs-fs/hubfs/FSEDNet_June2018_v2/Images/cleary-pic.png?width=500&name=cleary-pic.png "FSEdNet") - Download Our App - [![New call-to-action](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/4570472/1454e9fc-640c-4dd3-9678-a66d16a7b477.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/4570472/1454e9fc-640c-4dd3-9678-a66d16a7b477) - [![New call-to-action](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/4570472/3006a79f-73fd-497e-867a-f7e34856bca5.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/4570472/3006a79f-73fd-497e-867a-f7e34856bca5) Copyright © 2021 All Rights Reserved FINANCIAL SERVICES EDUCATIONAL NETWORK, LLC.