This will be short, but I want to give you some tips on making your first impression. We have to come back to this as a reminder every so often; the elevator pitch. Your elevator pitch, being able to talk to somebody in a minute to get across what you do, sets the first impression tone. Sometimes it’ll be two minutes, but sometimes it’ll be only 30 seconds. In his Investopedia article, Will Kenton states that “An elevator pitch is a slang term used to describe a brief speech that outlines an idea for a product, service, or project. The name comes from the notion that the speech should be delivered in the short time period of an elevator ride.”
As mentioned in the blog about communication skills in sales: “All salespeople know about engaging people. We all call on other people to agree with our objectives and agendas and compel them to advance. Salespeople appreciate these things, but sometimes we lose it on the communication side. The real skill isn’t the basis of understanding the parts and the forms. It’s in communication about the whole.” This is true in your elevator pitch as well.
Know When
You have to know when you’ve got it and know when to stop. Notice when to add more. Appreciate when to pause. Whatever the length, there should always be an invitation to take part with you. Relay what you do and invite them to become an advocate and to be a scout. They can become an advocate and a scout for you.
Being an advocate and a scout means being an extension of your eyes, ears, and voice in the community. So, you’ve got to engage them with that ask. And you should always exchange information with them.
Like-Minded 
People like you can fit into your network. Every citizen in your community, whether in your industry or not, is valuable.
For me, it’s health and senior services and people stressed out and doubling as caregivers. I’m a help for somebody connected to every individual who’s got a family member, a friend, a neighbor, everybody who has somebody in their life who’s dealing with caregiving stress.
I look for those caring for somebody with a disease or dealing with and around an actively aging individual trying to preserve their independence. I search for those caring for somebody who is aging and trying to maintain independence.
So, in my case, during my elevator pitch, I make sure that I get the message across to my scouts, those being my eyes and ears out there, that they are surrounded by people that need the services I provide. I have a great referral program because I get it all in my address book and ensure we share information.
Your Angle; You Becoming a Scout
Consequently, it would be best if you always remembered that you should never get so caught up in expressing what you do and your ask that you don’t take a moment and ask what other people do. What are they looking for? Determine what kind of connections they need so you can be a scout for them.
You could become somebody that can be a conduit or a point of connectivity to them. And if you express that articulately and pay attention, you’ve shown them the sincerity and authenticity of your question.
Take Note During Your Elevator Pitch
Take a note on your phone or have a little notebook where you can write down their information. You can even include your own first impressions of this person because we, as humans, all have them. They’ll be a good reminder for you later about this conversation. And honestly, it’s impressive during your pitch.
It’s as easy as “What do you do? What kind of connections do you need to make in our community? Because I’m always networking my own business.” That simplicity is about relationships and community networking with private citizens and professionals.
Always be on the lookout for people that are participating and being advocates.
I’m trying to reciprocate and help as many other people as I can in their professions, so I make sure that they let me know what kind of people they need to make those connections.
What? Is it Not About Sales?
A lot of the time, it’s not about sales and customers but other things they do for ancillary income. Ask about their family if it doesn’t sound like there’s a professional avenue to go down. Start thinking these things out because you’re developing relationships. Relationships need to be honest, and a two-way street is always beneficial. You can’t be all about yourself and what you do.
Always ask them about their needs even when they are interested in helping you because sometimes they say they will, but for many reasons, they won’t.
I try to type in this commitment on my phone, check my network, and offer something to them. They realize I’ll be a lookout for them. This builds trust and reciprocal agreement in honesty and sincerity, rooting this in the foundation of meaning and purpose.
The Successful Elevator Pitch 
The well-prepped and sincere elevator pitch offers something more important than our billboards, Tick Tock streams, and Facebook and Twitter.
Social media and our text messages, all these personal and entertaining things, are spending trillions of dollars to try to capture people’s attention and steer them into a variety of different consumer transactions and endeavors. Subsequently, we’ve got to do something that provides such a vision and mission, and purpose that people take notice and say, “Wow!”.
The Final Pitch on The Elevator Pitch
Jacinda Santora’s article on InfluencerMarketingHub gives 12 elevator pitch examples + how to write your own. Jacinda defines an elevator pitch as “An elevator pitch is a short — 30–60 seconds — description of who you are and what you do. It’s not a sales pitch but rather an invitation to continue the conversation.”
I agree! Everyone needs something that fills up their heart and mind. Encourage others that their work is meaningful too. Include all that in your elevator pitch; you will see sales results skyrocket, build relationships, and engage your community in a new way.
You will grow into being a contributing, trustworthy member of your community, and they will trust that your product will never be less than a quality answer to their needs.
“First impressions never have a second chance.” ― Charles R Swindoll