PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

All photos by John C . Fech

By John C . Fech

Whether you know it or not , you need a good elevator speech to succeed in the sports field management industry . Whether it ’ s to benefit from short conversations with stakeholders , to open a door with someone you just met , or to have a good answer when asked what you do for a living , a well-constructed elevator speech has a lot of benefits .

Much of what makes a good elevator speech centers around making a good impression . Being able to communicate concisely who you are , who you work for , what you do and why you do it will deliver positive results . Whether it ’ s creating a fresh one for a newly hired worker or dusting off an existing one for a veteran , putting forth a little effort on an elevator speech is well worth the time .

WHAT IS AN ELEVATOR SPEECH ? An elevator speech ( ES ) can be thought of as a tool , a skill or both . As a tool , it ’ s a ready-to-go , front-of-mind set of phrases and factoids about yourself and your job . As a skill , it ’ s the ability to smoothly and succinctly explain to another person what you do and why you do it .

You never really know who you might meet that could do you a favor or provide you with some guidance , or where a short conversation with a new contact might lead . It could be a dead end , or it could be an introduction to the hiring professional at the facility that you ’ ve been salivating over since you graduated . It could be a sales representative who has the inside track on the latest and greatest product that will make your life easier . The bottom line is having one in place when you need it , and you never know when that will be .

12 SportsField Management | February 2025 sportsfieldmanagementonline . com