The Elevator Pitch:Bright Ideas in Public Speaking with DR. SUNNY
Channel: Dr. Sunny
Date: 04/05/2017

Elevator Pitch.  What is it?  How do you give one?

ON A MAGICAL CARIBBEAN WONDERLAND NAMED NECKER ISLAND, PEOPLE FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD COMES TO PITCH THEIR IDEAS TO VIRGIN-ATLANTIC BUSINESS MOGUL RICHARD BRANSON.  ONE NIGHT ON THE ISLAND CAN COST ALMOST ONE HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS...BUT PEOPLE KEEP COMING BECAUSE BRANSON HAS THE CAPITAL TO FUND THEIR STARTUPS.  IF YOU HAVE THE CASH AND ARE LUCKY ENOUGH TO BUMP INTO MISTER BRANSON WHILE ON NECKER ISLAND...CHANCES ARE YOU’LL HAVE LESS THAN A MINUTE TO SELL HIM YOUR IDEA.  SELLING THAT IDEA IN LESS THAN A MINUTE IS POSSIBLE…

IF YOU USE THE ELEVATOR PITCH.

AN ELEVATOR PITCH IS A SHORT SPEECH WHERE YOU SHARE YOUR IDEAS IN THE AMOUNT OF TIME IT WOULD TAKE TO RIDE BETWEEN FLOORS IN AN ELEVATOR.  IMAGINE YOU BUMP INTO THE MOST IMPORTANT PERSON IN YOUR FIELD IN THE ELEVATOR--YOU HAVE THEM ALL TO YOURSELF AND THEY CAN’T ESCAPE!  NOW’S YOUR BIG CHANCE TO SHARE YOUR IDEA.

IN FACT, FORBES MAGAZINE SAYS THAT THE PERFECT ELEVATOR SPEECH SHOULD BE ABOUT 30 SECONDS.

LOOKING FOR MORE THAN 30 SECONDS...ONE GUEST ON NECKER ISLAND OFFERED TO INSTALL AN ELEVATOR FOR FREE JUST FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO RIDE IN IT WITH SIR BRANSON AND PITCH HIS IDEA.

THE GOOD NEWS IS YOU DON’T NEED TO BE IN ELEVATOR SALES TO CRAFT AN EFFECTIVE ELEVATOR PITCH.

THE FIRST STEP IN THE ELEVATOR PITCH IS COMING UP WITH YOUR TALKING POINTS.  WHAT ARE THE THREE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS YOU WANT THE PERSON TO TAKE AWAY FROM YOUR PITCH.  REMEMBER THEY CAN ALWAYS ASK QUESTIONS AND YOU CAN ALWAYS ELABORATE AND PROVIDE MORE INFORMATION…. BUT MUCH LIKE A SPEECH INTRODUCTION, WHAT YOU SAY FIRST WILL DECIDE IF THE AUDIENCE WANTS TO KEEP LISTENING...OR IN THIS CASE WHETHER YOUR VIP WILL KEEP TALKING TO YOU.

I LIKE TO USE THE PROBLEM-SOLUTION MODEL OF PERSUASIVE SPEAKING...EVEN WITH INFORMATIVE SPEECH ELEVATOR PITCHES.

FOR EXAMPLE, IF YOU TAKE MY TOPIC OF BACKYARD CHICKENS FROM THE TALKING POINTS VIDEO:

MY PURPOSE IS TO TEACH YOU HOW YOU CAN KEEP HEALTHY BACK YARD HENS SAFELY AND LEGALLY IN CITY OF GAINESVILLE.

MY SPEECH IS THE SOLUTION...SO WHAT’S THE PROBLEM?

MOST PEOPLE WOULD LOVE TO HAVE FREE FRESH EGGS FROM CHICKENS THEY KEEP IN THEIR BACKYARD, BUT THEY DON’T KNOW HOW TO BEGIN...MAYBE THEY DON’T KNOW THE RULES...MAYBE THEY DON’T KNOW HOW TO TAKE CARE OF CHICKENS...OR MAYBE THEY’RE AFRAID THAT THEIR DOGS OR CATS WILL TERRORIZE THE FLOCKS...THOSE ARE PROBLEMS...PROBLEMS THAT THE AUDIENCE MIGHT HAVE AND PROBLEMS I WANT TO SOLVE IN MY SPEECH.

FRAMING THIS PROBLEM IS KEY: MOST PEOPLE WOULD LOVE TO HAVE FREE FRESH EGGS, BUT THEY DON’T KNOW HOW TO GET STARTED RAISING URBAN CHICKENS.

THAT’S THE PROBLEM.
NOW WHAT’S THE SOLUTION THAT’S FOUND IN MY SPEECH?

I WANT TO SHARE THE BEST TECHNIQUES FOR CITY-DWELLERS IN GAINESVILLE WHO WANT TO RAISE CHICKENS FOR FRESH EGGS.

WHY IS THAT IMPORTANT?  BECAUSE FRESH EGGS ARE MORE NUTRITIOUS.  BECAUSE CHICKENS CAN PROVIDE VALUABLE SOIL ENHANCEMENTS--THEIR POOP.  BECAUSE CHICKENS CAN HELP ELIMINATE BUGS IN THE BACKYARD GARDEN REDUCING THE NEED FOR PESTICIDES.

NOW I HAVE A PROBLEM THAT APPEALS TO THE AUDIENCE--I WANT CHICKENS BUT I DON’T KNOW WHERE TO START….
MY SOLUTION--WHICH IS FOUND IN MY SPEECH THAT I PREVIEW AND TEASE IN THE ELEVATOR PITCH...AND I’LL SHARE WHY THE SOLUTION IS IMPORTANT.

LET’S PUT IT TOGETHER IN AN ELEVATOR PITCH.

WHAT COLOR WAS THE YOLK IN THE LAST EGG YOU CRACKED OPEN? PALE YELLOW RIGHT?  WHAT IF I TOLD YOU THAT EGGS WITH THE HIGHEST NUTRITIONAL VALUE HAD BRIGHT ORANGE YOLKS?  IF YOU’VE NEVER HAD AN EGG WITH AN ORANGE YOLK YOU’RE MISSING OUT...AND YOU PROBABLY DON’T HAVE BACKYARD CHICKENS.  I KNOW WHAT YOU’RE THINKING--ME? CHICKENS? I LIVE IN THE CITY!  WHAT IF I TOLD YOU THAT YOU COULD RAISE HEALTHY HENS SAFELY AND LEGALLY WITHIN THE GAINESVILLE CITY LIMITS?

NOTICE HOW I LEAVE AN OPPORTUNITY AT THE END FOR MY AUDIENCE--OR VIP--TO ASK MORE...LEADING TO A CONVERSATION...WITH OPPORTUNITIES FOR ME TO SHARE MORE ABOUT WHAT I KNOW.  AND HOW WILL YOU KNOW THOSE THINGS?  IN PUBLIC SPEAKING CLASS, YOU’LL KNOW FROM PREPARING AND PRACTICING YOUR SPEECH.

SEEING SPEECHES AS NOT JUST A CLASS ASSIGNMENT--BUT AN OPPORTUNITY TO LEARN MORE IN YOUR FIELD OF EXPERTISE IS AN IMPORTANT TIP FOR TRICKING YOUR BRAIN IN PUBLIC SPEAKING.

GIVE SPEECHES ON TOPICS YOU CARE ABOUT.  SPEAK WITH EXPERTISE ON TOPICS YOU’RE PASSIONATE ABOUT. LEARN TO BOIL YOUR IDEAS DOWN TO AN ELEVATOR PITCH THAT YOU HAVE AT THE READY…

FOR YOUR SPEECH
FOR CLASS DISCUSSIONS
FOR BUSINESS MEETINGS

OR FOR THAT OFF-CHANCE YOU MAKE IT TO NECKER ISLAND AND GET TO PITCH RICHARD BRANSON.

Are you looking to take public speaking online while also earning college credit?

This is the place for you.  Try Dr. Sunny!

Dr. Sunny Skye Hughes teaches at Santa Fe College-ranked #1 community college in 2016 by the Aspen Institute.

You can take the class from anywhere as a transient student.
Learn more here: https://www.sunnyhughes.com