Small Message, Big Impact

June 11, 2012
In this age of 140 word tweets and five-minute dinners, the ability to put forth a message, make a proposal, or give an on-the-fly three-minute presentation is a required skill. In this wonderfully concise book, communications expert and consultant Sjodin (coauthor of New Sales Speak) provides a blueprint to create and deliver “Elevator Speeches.” After explaining this concept, she guides readers toward developing their intentions and crafting the speech itself, based on Monroe’s Motivated Sequence (itself based on the work of Alan H. Monroe, who was a Purdue professor in the 1930s). In addition to a section on networking, there are worksheets and examples throughout, with a collection of additional worksheets at the end of the book and a URL where these can be downloaded. The concepts and the chapters flow smoothly, the ideas are constantly reviewed and developed, and the book is brought to a strong conclusion (followed with a chapter on FAQs and other odds and ends). As she makes clear, an Elevator Speech is not meant as a complete presentation but rather to initiate a “Butterfly Effect”—to “intrigue and inspire a listener to want to hear more.” To that end, Sjodin succeeds in giving readers the necessary tools. Agent: Margret McBride, Margret McBride Literary Agency.

July 1, 2012
At first glance, most experienced business folks will dismiss Sjodin's latest book (New Sales Speak, 2000, is one of her previous ones) with a comment along the lines of I really don't need this; I know how to draft and deliver messages. Such an attitude will change as readers progress through the text and realize how many times they may have been thwarted in getting the attention of a potential buyer; or stymied when a newfound acquaintance probes them with Why do I need your product/services?; or just plain tongue-tied when opportunities to persuade arise. These points are the essence of this speaker-coach-consultant's philosophy, honed through years of training others in how to persuade, entice, and intrigue. Her process is based on sound psychological principles; she divides her instructions into achievable steps, reinforces each one with examples and exercises, and, at the end, repeats her point for memory's sake. What will differentiate individual three-minute elevator speeches, whether inside a moving staircase or in front of a crowd, are three things: the case being stated, the solid and persuasive reasons to buy, and a delivery that is authentic.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2012, American Library Association.)