Elevator Speech
I've included the description below and attached a worksheet I had to do in relation to this.
DescriptionAn elevator speech is a brief, conversational speech designed to gain the attention of an audience with the goal of securing an appointment to discuss the topic in more detail.This assignment requires you to design and present an original 2 minute “personal pitch” elevator speech in which you describe yourself and what you have to offer a prospective employer in your chosen career field/area and what you like about your chosen career/area.
Objectives
- To practice techniques of building confidence as a speaker.
- To apply the key steps of designing and presenting a speech to a real-life speaking situation.
- To observe guidelines for ethical speech.
ProcessAfter completing the reading and viewing assignments associated with the elevator speech, follow the key steps below to complete your Elevator Speech Worksheet and design and present your speech.
1. Consider your audience. For this assignment, your audience is a prospective employer in your chosen career field/area. You must keep this audience in mind throughout the speechmaking process.
2. Select and narrow your topic. For this assignment, the topic is you as a potential employee in your chosen career field/area.
3. Determine your general and specific purposes. The general purpose of a personal pitch elevator speech is to inform. The specific purpose of your elevator speech might be stated as, "At the end of my speech, the listener will invite me for an interview.”
4. Develop your central idea. The central idea summarizes your speech in a single sentence. The central idea of your elevator speech should include the contributions you could make to the prospective employer’s company/area and why you are interested in the employer’s company/area.
5. Generate the main ideas. The main ideas are the key points in a speech; these are derived from the central idea. Your Elevator Speech will have two main ideas. One main idea will be the contributions you could make to the prospective employer’s company/area. The other main idea will be why you are interested in the employer’s company/area.
6. Gather supporting material. Supporting material includes facts, examples, definitions, and quotations from others. Supporting material for your elevator speech will most likely include specific examples that illustrate your strengths and specific facts about the employer’s company/area that support your interest in the company/area. Remember that sources must be acknowledged in the speech.
7. Organize your speech. Every speech, including the elevator speech, should have an introduction, a body, and a conclusion. The introduction gains audience attention, previews the major ideas in the speech, and provides audience members with reasons to listen to the speech. The body presents and supports the main ideas. The conclusion summarizes the main ideas and restates the central idea.
