Why Your 3-Sentence Elevator Speech Helps You Communicate Effectively
- JD Solomon
- 3 days ago
- 2 min read
Early in my career, one of my political mentors took me to meet the number two person in the state House of Representatives. After my mentor made his short, concise “ask,” the House leader turned to me and asked what I wanted. I froze. I had no answer, just a stutter. In that instant, he looked at me like I didn’t belong in the room. I walked away knowing I had missed an important opportunity. From that day forward, I promised myself I would never step into a meeting again without being able to explain who I was and what I wanted in three sentences or less.
That experience taught me the importance of the "elevator speech." The concept is simple: if you had just a short elevator ride to introduce yourself, could you clearly and confidently state your identity and purpose? Your speech doesn't need to be flashy or rehearsed word-for-word. It just needs to capture the essentials: who you are, what you do, and what you're looking for. Three sentences are often enough to earn respect, keep attention, and open the door for deeper conversation.
Opportunities rarely give us time to prepare. Someone important might turn to you unexpectedly, and that’s when a short, thoughtful answer makes all the difference. Having a three-sentence elevator speech ready won’t just help you avoid awkward silence. It shows that you respect people’s time and know your own value. You never know when the moment will come, but you can always be ready for it.
JD Solomon is the founder of JD Solomon, Inc., the creator of the FINESSE fishbone diagram®, and the co-creator of the SOAP criticality method©. He is the author of Communicating Reliability, Risk & Resiliency to Decision Makers: How to Get Your Boss’s Boss to Understand and Facilitating with FINESSE: A Guide to Successful Business Solutions.