The idea that you have an elevator trip’s length of time to tell your business story is misleading.

It implies you have 60 seconds or so to explain who you are.

Well…maybe.

If, and it’s a big if, you manage to initially engage your captive colleague’s attention, do you have another 50 seconds to further explain?

Capturing that attention – raising their eyebrows – is therefore key.

Those first few words need to shoulder an immense amount of heavy lifting.

This first statement must inspire an ‘aha’ in the listener’s mind.

Your ‘what and why’ has to provide the momentum to sweep into the rest of your story.

It means the time-frame comparison is not then an elevator journey.

It’s an escalator – with someone going up and someone going down.

It’s a few seconds to express the essence of your business.

It’s the brief opportunity to have someone else say, “tell me more”.