All of us have been there – the Chamber of Commerce meeting, the medical convention, the cocktail hour networking event or even the chance encounter at Home Depot. At some point, someone will ask, “What do you do?” Caught off guard our minds race – what to say? Unprepared we usually babble, only later to realize that we should have said something else. Anything else!

The antidote to the babbling disease is the elevator pitch – a brief description designed to put your best foot forward.

A good elevator pitch, while it may sound simple, is really an art. It should tell a story about your patients and how you helped them in a quantifiable way. All in 30 seconds or less.

I help people see the world clearly. I am an ophthalmologist with a specialty in cataract and refractive surgery. Every day my patients tell me they can read fine print, watch TV and drive at night again. If you know someone who has cataracts, a simple procedure can change their world. I’m Doctor Vance at Vance Eye Care on Euclid Street.

A good elevator pitch has 4 parts:

• A statement that sparks curiosity and interest from the audience. A customer success story is a great opening.
• A description of an outstanding result or benefit of your product or service
• A call to action to gauge the interest of the audience. Invite them to take the next step. Offer a demo, an appointment or a whitepaper.
• Your name and company name. This is especially effective at the end of your pitch after you have bewitched the audience.

Draft your own pitch and on or off the elevator, you’ll be ready the next time someone says, “So, what do you do?”