If you had only seconds to tell someone about yourself, you'd give what's called an "elevator speech" -- because it's brief enough to deliver on an elevator ride.

A well-written (and memorized) elevator speech is an invaluable tool because:

• It describes what you do, for whom and how they benefit.
• It allows you to introduce yourself, quickly and efficiently.
• It emphasizes the Wow! Factors you bring to the table.
• It can open doors and invite new opportunities.

Although there are no "right" or "wrong" lengths, your speech should be short. Just enough to get the other person curious and wanting to know more. That will lead to what's called CONVERSATION!

The main objective is to make every word count...and, by the way, your elevator speech will (and should) evolve. What's perfect today will be different next month - mainly because we, as individuals, change all the time. Also, your elevator speech can be different for different audiences.

Here's the next step:

Elevator speeches include five elements:

1. The "hook" - get the listener's attention with a "hook," a statement that makes them want to hear more.
2. What you do - not the title, not the corporate speak, but clearly and concisely what you do.
3. The Wow! - What makes you special, unique, someone they "must" have on their team?
4. The passion - In today's business environment, successful players are energetic, passionate and dedicated to creating success for their clients. You can't fake passion, so dig down and find it. Use words like "committed," "dedicated" and "devoted."
5. The request - at the end of your speech, ask -- for a business card, an appointment or a referral...and if you make every word count, you can usually get a "yes" for your request.

Your speech should go something like this:

1. Begin with a handshake and a smile.
2. Then the hook - a statement that gets and holds the listener's attention...like, "I'm a team player you can always count on for a winning play in the final minutes of the game."
3. Tell what you do - and be enthusiastic.
4. How does what you do benefit clients?
5. Make your request - a business card, an appointment, etc.

Here are some examples:

"I use my creativity to solve customer issues in our company."

"With a creative flair and get-it-done attitude, I help rapidly growing financial institutions develop unique hiring and retention strategies that ensure they reach their business goals."

"I help solve the IT network puzzles that you hoped might never happen and through analytical assessment, develop systems to ensure they never become your worst nightmare."

Here's my elevator speech:

"I am an author and own a leadership development firm. What that means is we ignite the spark of enthusiasm in people to create a strong personal brand and professional presence that differentiates them in the marketplace and creates greater success for themselves, their teams and their organization."

Now for the second part:

"So we do lots of work in three buckets - executive coaching, training programs and speaking engagements. Here are some good examples:

1. Just last week, we showed a senior manager how to do a painless reorganization that will save $90,000 the first year. In order to do this, he learned how to hire tough in order to manage easy and how to flawlessly execute tough decisions."
2. Just last week, we consulted with the chairman of an international pharmaceutical company to help his senior management team prepare their strategic plan, including a second and third round of funding."
3. Just last week, we helped transform the image of a young female from a college graduate to a young woman executive. Her new personal branding resulted in a new position with more responsibility in her firm."
4. Early last year at a management retreat, we facilitated a team-building session that resulted in moving the management group from a dysfunctional team to a high-performing one with shared vision and purpose. The results? They exceeded their goals by significant numbers."
5. Last year, we launched a new leadership training program for a home building company that resulted in sales growth of 35 percent."