Okay, let me start with where I agree with the author. No, a 30-second, well-crafted elevator pitch will not automatically make someone hire or recommend you. Although, I have received numerous referrals from my elevator pitch alone, so it certainly can have that effect. But Ms. Ryan is correct. Trust is the basis for most business interactions. And not even the best-crafted elevator pitch will automatically lead to trust.

Which brings us the the real issue. What is the purpose of the elevator pitch?

There are two. The first is to make you comfortable speaking about your business in public. Too many people stammer and have a hard time succinctly stating what they do and what kind of referrals they are looking for. I spoke at some length on that subject last month. (If you didn't get last month's newsletter, email me, and I'll send you a copy.)

The second is to get the following reaction from the person you are speaking to: "Tell me more."

And that's it. That's all you can reliably expect from an elevator pitch.

So how do you do it effectively?

Well, here's the part you might not like to hear. It's not enough to have one elevator pitch. You need several. (Thank you, Jay Cohen. You taught me that one!) Because one of the first rules of networking is to honor the event you are attending. I'm not going to walk up to someone I meet at a cocktail party and launch into the same speech I use in front of a group. And if I'm at a BNI meeting, I'm not going to use the 10-second version I use when I meet someone new at an evening networking mixer.

So now you are probably asking, "How many do I need?" Not to worry. You probably have most of them already and are using them without realizing it.

Here's the basic list

1. 5 seconds
2. 10 seconds
3. 30 seconds
4. 45-60 seconds

The first two are easy. The 5-second version is basically, "Hi, I'm Juli Monroe and I'm a networking coach." That should get someone to ask the question "So, what's a networking coach?" I know it works because I get that question all the time. You can do the same. Describe your business in a way that it makes someone ask a question.

The 10-second version is what you do followed by one sentence about who you help or how you help them. But leave a bit of mystery. Make someone ask, "How do you do that?" or "Can you really do that?" My 10-second is, "Hi, I'm Juli Monroe, and I'm a networking coach. I help people build their networks to get more clients or make their next career transition smoother."

And the last two? You'll have to tune in next month to get the structure of those two. That will take more time than I have with you this month.

So remember. The next time you are networking, whether it be an after-hours mixer or the grocery line, your elevator speech is a tool to generate interest and curiousity. It's not a tool to sell yourself in 60 seconds or less. You sell youself by building trust and relationships. But the elevator pitch is an effective first step on that road.

And don't let anyone tell you differently.