The scene begins with Seinfeld and Costanza standing in front of a newsstand:

GEORGE: On an elevator? You met a woman on an elevator?

JERRY: Impossible, right?

GEORGE: You got less than sixty seconds. That's like dismantling a time bomb. What got into you?

JERRY: I don't know…it was like a pure reflex. The words just came out of my mouth.

As George so eloquently alluded to, the chances of making a meaningful connection with a fellow elevator passenger are next to nil.  However, an effective elevator speech can serve as a more powerful business tool than a fancy PowerPoint Presentation or a new suit from Saks. 

Because while it may take a month of unreturned phone calls just to speak to your next biggest client, the two of you may end up sharing an elevator at your next industry tradeshow.

How prepared are you for such a chance meeting in an elevator?  What would you say?  Unless you have the ad-libbing skills of Jerry Seinfeld, I would not leave your chances of success to reflexes.

In addition to preparation, effective elevator speeches demand two things: clarity and brevity.  Yet the process for developing one is grounded in exactly the opposite.  It is as follows:

1. Purchase a Digital Voice Recorder (DVR): A good DVR can be easily obtained at any electronics store or online retailer for around $75.

2. Schedule, conduct and record half-hour meetings with members of your company's Senior Management Team.  Include executives who can speak to all of your company's solutions, in addition to those who are involved in all aspects of the sales cycle from initial prospect contact through final implementation...

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