PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
DON ’ TS
Don ’ t interrupt the ES listener when they respond . It ’ s rude and counterproductive .
Don ’ t use jargon ( IPM , wetting agents , topdressing ) with non-industry listeners .
Don ’ t use a lot of gestures — they ’ re distracting .
Don ’ t avoid the opportunity to deliver an ES . The opportunity may never be available again .
Don ’ t badmouth your current employer , even if they deserve it . practice . After setting goals , writing out message points and weaving them together into one piece , start practicing by placing a small mirror on a desk along with the ES outline , then run through it from start to finish . Making small mistakes and using excessive pauses is not a problem at this point ; in most cases , running through it five or six times will eliminate them .
The next part of practice is to deliver the ES to a friend , introducing yourself and waiting for responses . After you ’ ve run through it a couple of times , ask them for their honest feedback . They will most likely notice little things that will be very helpful .
Another piece of guidance is to watch good and bad elevator speeches on platforms such as YouTube . Seeing someone else in this endeavor is also helpful .
ROI AND THE LAW OF DIMINISHING RETURNS As with many aspects of life , the law of diminishing returns applies . Spending too much time explaining your background , your everyday job duties , your hopes and dreams , your challenges and so on greatly reduces the effectiveness of an ES .
In addition , there are many dos and don ’ ts that apply to elevator speeches :
DOS Keep sentences and phrases short and clear . People trust the clear and mistrust the long and unclear . Listen carefully to each response from a communication partner and pause slightly before responding . Maintain steady eye contact . Wear a shirt with your company / stadium / ball club ’ s logo on it . Sit up / stand up straight , smile and relax . , Hit the four central message points and have one more in mind in case it is needed . Be positive .
OTHER APPLICATIONS FOR AN ES In addition to reaping the obvious benefits of an ES , there are at least two other realms where they can be utilized . In a job interview , there will many questions and a lot of back-and-forth discussion , but at the heart of it all are the core tenets of an ES — your name , who you work for , what you do and why you do it . Of course , chances are good that there may have been several employers and various roles for each , but the basics are the same .
Another application is the promotion and justification of sports turf and the green industry in general . These opportunities can range from television interviews to short presentations to youth sports teams and neighborhood groups . These efforts are much like planting seeds that might or might not grow and yield fruit . If they do , the positive outcome will be directly related to you . SFM
John C . Fech is a horticulturist with the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and Certified Arborist with the International Society of Arboriculture . The author of two books and more than 400 popular and trade journal articles , he focuses his time on teaching effective landscape maintenance techniques , water conservation , diagnosing turf and ornamental problems , and encouraging effective bilingual communication in the green industry . sportsfieldmanagementonline . com February 2025 | SportsField Management
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