I was in the lobby of one of the high-rise office buildings in center city Philadelphia, waiting for an elevator when a man in jeans and a gray t-shirt walked over and stood next to me, and hit the button for one of the express elevators to the higher floors.
I glanced over on reflex, then did a double-take: The guy looked like… could it be? Yup, it was Jon Bon Jovi.
Now remember, I’m a Jersey Girl, born and raised, and a child of the ‘80s, so I just might have had a poster or two of him on my wall and seen a concert or two back in the day.
I didn’t want to gush, and I’m sure he likes his privacy, but I figured it never hurts to hear that people still appreciate your life’s work.
AND I knew I had about three seconds before an elevator came for one of us and the moment would be gone. So I went in:
“Jon?” (After all, I had to be sure.)
“Yeah,” he smiled his still-rockstar smile back at me.
“Hi,” I smiled and extended my hand. “I won’t make a fuss, but I just wanted to say thanks. I’ve been a fan since the beginning and your music was a big part of my life growing up.”
He shook my hand and said, “Thanks a lot, I really appreciate it.”
Then, as if on cue, the express elevator came, he got on and waved goodbye as the doors closed.
I didn’t make any power-impressions, get an autograph, arrange any “networking” opportunity, or even take a selfie. But I’m glad I took the chance, and got a great memory out of it.
(Plus, it was really fun afterwards to call one of my best friends, who I’ve also known since the ‘80s and who is still a huge fan, because when I told her, she reacted exactly how she would have when we were back in middle school!)
There are lots of those moments in life when it feels like time stands still as my brain spins, looking for the right words, but I know that I really only have about three seconds to find them before the moment is lost.
One of the most important ones is when someone asks: “So, what do you do?”
That’s when you need to have a clear, concise, and compelling elevator pitch ready to go, so the other person responds with:
“That’s interesting; tell me more.”
If you don’t feel like you have that down pat, where you’d be ready to charm and intrigue someone who asked you that key question at any given moment, then I’d stake a wager that you’ve missed out on multiple opportunities in the past, and are poised to miss out on even more.
So I invite you to take advantage of this last opportunity to register for tomorrow’s free “Elevator to the Top!” live pitch practice workshop.
You’ll get:
- My top secrets for crafting and delivering the perfect elevator pitch
- Live coaching demos where I’ll work with volunteers so you can see and hear massive pitch transformations in just minutes
- Breakout practice rooms where you’ll get to apply what you learn to your own elevator pitch (even if you’ve never had one before)
- Structured feedback on what’s working for you and how to tighten it up
- Confidence that your personal elevator pitch is better than ever!
The recording will NOT be made public, so clear the hour from your calendar. Trust me, the time flies by, and you won’t want (and realistically, can’t afford) to miss this, so take 30 seconds now to register here.
Jon Bon Jovi and I were literally waiting for an elevator. I didn’t pitch my business, but I did successfully manage to introduce myself, and have a meaningful conversation, all in about 30 seconds.
So what does all that have to do with Warhol, Kissinger, and the King of Spain?
They’re all people who this week’s podcast guest, Reed Phillips, CEO of Oaklins De Silva and Phillips, saw at conferences, galas and other events, and wanted to meet, but didn’t know how to approach.
Of the three, what is unique about the king of Spain (and relevant to this conversation)?
He’s the only one with whom Reed found the courage and the words to initiate the conversation. Earlier in his career when he’d had the chance to meet Warhol and Kissinger, he let fear take over and lost both opportunities.
Reed shares those experiences and many others on this week’s episode of the Speaking to Influence podcast.
Some other topics Reed dove into include:
- What happened when a prior employer thought M&A conversations were confidential, but they weren’t
- How he handled a new hire who had his own ideas for how he wanted to spend his time at work that didn’t match the job priorities
- How he changed his perception regarding negotiation, recognizing that it’s necessary in most areas of life, but that negotiation does not have to mean confrontation
- Why he was so shy in high school, and how he found his voice (and even figured out how to strike up a conversation with the King of Spain!)
- How to turn a negative into a positive… like when he scheduled an outdoor dinner event at a venue only to realize too late that it was right next to train tracks!
And more.
Listen to the full conversation here or watch the video on YouTube here.
Success in any of these contexts requires taking initiative.
Learn how to do it right, and join me on tomorrow’s Elevator to the Top!
Register here.
