ELEVATOR SPEECH

I need to recruit some help. But before I ask anyone to help, I need to write an "elevator speech". An "elevator speech" is a short explanation of WHO you are, WHAT you do, WHY someone should get involved with you and HOW they can get involved with you. It's also good to tell them WHEN and WHERE to get engaged. It's called an elevator speech because it is designed to be short enough to engage someone in a brief chance encounter. Like an elevator ride.

I did a video about elevator speeches for an Outing Chair Training that you can watch at www.youtube.com/tomlibbyvideos. And there's also a print out that goes with the video for creating your own elevator speech at www.tomlibby.com/elevatortalk.pdf.

My elevator talk will be especially important because I plan to recruit primarily from outside the Sierra Club. That means most people will be like my oldest daughter. Remember the lunch I referred to in the "Pre Ramble"? When I would say ICO (Inner City Outings), she would ask "Kids Outside"?

Here's what I came up with -

“Hi. My name is Tom Libby. I’m coordinating a *Sierra Club* program in Oklahoma City that takes less privileged kids into the out of doors. It’s called Inner City Outings. Our program works through youth agencies and schools. We’re just getting started back up in Oklahoma after being dormant for a couple of years so we have no volunteers, no staff, no money and there are no current affiliations with any agencies. You can find out more information about our program by going to www.sierraclub.org/ico. *Would you like to help?*

About the asterisks: I don't mention Sierra Club, unless I'm talking to someone who knows I'm in the Sierra Club. I do this because I want to get straight to the topic "getting less privileged kids into the out-of-doors". I don't want to spend time explaining what the Sierra Club is and what it does. And I seldom, if ever, say "Would you like to help?" Because I always ask for something specific, like: "Can you help me identify appropriate agencies?" "Can you handle the paperwork for our efforts?" "Can you make a donation, so we can pay for transportation for the kids?"

Although the elevator speech is designed for chance encounters, it's also very usefull for planned encounters.

Next, "My Date With Drew".