Design Management Group

The Elevator Speech

Focusing on the product itself, this approach aims to encourage the development team to think hard about how the product will be sold and what the selling message will be. This drives attention towards the target market, critical product features and the key differentiators.

Description

The elevator speech gets its name from an imaginary scenario in which you find yourself in an elevator (i.e. lift) alongside someone you'd really like to impress with a new idea. You have a maximum of 30 seconds in which to describe your idea.

Producing a succinct "elevator speech" at the outset of the project forces the development team to focus on the critical product features and understand the product proposition from the perspective of a user or customer. The elevator speech should be produced by the full team, including sales, marketing, production and design to ensure contribution, buy in and support.

Approach

This approach is drawn from Geoffrey Moore's book "Crossing the chasm". Fill in the blanks in the following:

• For (target customer)
• Who (statement of need or opportunity)
• The (product name) is a (product category)
• That (key benefit, compelling reason to buy)
• Unlike (primary competitive alternative)
• Our product (statement of primary differentiation)