Bravo! You knocked these speeches right out of the ballpark this morning. I was impressed with the strong effort that went into the thought, practice and application. It was quite was evident the time that was devoted to preparing these speeches. Great job! Use this blog post to leave a self critique comment on your performance this morning. Do you think back and wished that you had done something differently? What are you proud about looking back? What did you learn about this important skill? Or about communication skills? Share your thoughts on this assignment. What was so nerve wracking about getting up? What are your thoughts on using impromptu skills in networks and interviews?
Have a Happy Thanksgiving! Take time to enjoy a rest while working on those virtual portfolios!
For my elevator speech I thought I did very well over all. I don't think I would change anything about it because I got to speak about my career and I like doing that. There were a few things I did well for this speech. The first thing was practice over and over to know my speech. I thought I had good eye contact the whole time I was speaking. I was upbeat about my topic. I thought I gave good background about myself and I promoted myself very well. By doing this speech I learned that you will not just have to promote yourself to someone in a elevator, someone may come up to you know matter where you are so you have to be ready to introduce yourself no matter where you are. The only thing I found nurses about doing this speech was I thought I might forget what I wanted to say, but I did very well with it and that made me happy. I think this is a very good skill to have because if you are able to talk on the top of your head at anytime it will help you in any job that you have in the future. Also if you are in a interview I believe this skill can help you as well because you never know what the interviewer ask you, so you have to be ready to answer anything. Over all I really liked doing this assignment and I will take the skills I learned by doing this speech know matter where I am in life.
ReplyDeleteWhen preparing for our elevator speeches, I wanted to use a situation I was very familiar with. I chose to direct my speech to Eunice Liriano (the director of marketing for LeSportsac) since this was an internship I had wanted at one time. Overall, I think I did a nice job providing examples from past work experiences to show my knowledge of the position in which I was applying. I also showed a lot of enthusiasm in my vocal tone and facial expressions. I feel that this would have helped show the person that I was indeed excited about the internship position and being a part of their marketing team. Additionally, I thought I maintained strong eye contact and really engaged the listener. In terms of weaknesses, I feel I spoke at a very fast rate. Perhaps I could have spent more time asking questions and creating a two way conversation.
ReplyDeleteI feel that this speech was a very useful skill to learn and practice since you never know when you will meet someone of influence in the company in which you are applying. Also, this skill is useful in various situations outside a business perspective. For example, one can use an impromptu speech when attempting to get a letter of recommendation, or trying to get signed into class that is full. With this in mind, it is important to always have something roughly prepared.
Overall, I feel this speech made me very nervous when it was time to present. I kept thinking that it was going to sound too scripted therefore weakening my ability to carry on a casual conversation. I also feared forgetting vital information such as examples and experiences. I feel if a networking opportunity were to come up I would be able to ask questions to calm my nerves and collect my thoughts then proceed with what I wanted to say.
Although I was nervous, I really enjoyed taking opportunity to practice this skill. As previously mentioned, you never know when you will receive an opportunity to network with a potential employer which is why you should always have something prepared.
When I think back on my performance for the elevator speech there are many things I would have done differently. I believe I prepared a little too much and tried to memorize all the points I wanted to cover. I now know this was the wrong way to approach the speech. When I got up in front of the class I started my speech strongly when I complemented the person I was talking to and stated my main purpose. I know in a real life situation, I do not have control over what the other person is saying. However, because this speech was for a grade and in a controlled environment, we had some control over how the conversation was going to progress by talking to our partners. My partner and I agreed on two questions that she was going to ask me within the conversation. I should have been able to adapt and get back on track when she asked me the second question first however; instead I froze and got caught off guard. I was too set on what I wanted to say that I could not get my thoughts back in order. In retrospect, I would have treated the speech more conversationally.
ReplyDeleteAlthough I let my sickness and my nervousness get the best of me when I was giving my speech, I was still able to get in some solid points. I let the person know my educational background and how I had helped her company in the past with my community service background. It was a great way to show how dedicated I was to her company. I also mentioned my PR experience, which was important because I was looking for an internship in the public relations department. Lastly, I gave her my contact information and relayed how excited I was to talk to her further. While I was up there I tried to overcome my anxiety but I could tell I was about to have a panic attack, which as many people know, come unexpectedly and are hard to control once they begin.
I learned how truly important it is to be able to sell yourself quickly and effectively because you never know whom you might meet. If you can connect with an individual on a personal level, it makes getting a job or internship that much easier. A notable first impression will stick with the important individual and give you a great advantage in the job market. I have learned that good communication skills will come in handy when I am searching for a job. It is very nerve wracking because you want to make a good impression and there are so many points you want to address before the conversation is over. It is also intimidating talking to someone with more power and authority. In the end, the impromptu skills I have learned are going to help me create networks. The more people I talk to, the larger my network becomes and the more connections I have in the job market. I am excited to get back out there and successfully hold an elevator conversation with all my new skills and knowledge.
I was really nervous and uncomfortable about the elevator speech. I know that it probably should have been the most comfortable one so far because we were talking about a topic we know very well, ourselves! But I don't like to talk about myself. I find it very difficult to find the middle ground between bragging and not being enthusiastic enough. I also am not a fan of scripts so I was nervous about having to pretend to be someone else for the sake of the conversation, but overall it went much more smooth than I thought it would and I think my partner and I did very well.
ReplyDeleteI didn't know what topic to pick because other than wanting a part time job for winter break and a real one for when I graduate I am set as far as immediate career needs. So I went with the American Cancer Society, and organization I know very well and wouldn't mind getting the opportunity to work with. I think this was what made my presentation strong because I knew my stuff, and I am passionate about the organization so I had no problem translating that to the person I was trying to network with.
The only thing I would have done different is elaborated more on what I did as opposed to just the events that I worked on and what I learned doing these tasks. I also need to keep an eye on my eye contact. I get nervous about staring people down when I am talking one on one that I wonder, but I need to make myself more focused.
I have been to a number of resume, networking, cover letter, etc etc workshops and tips and what not and I think that its always good to go. Communication will continue forever, even after you land a dream job you still will have to be an effective communicator and networker. I think it was good to do these presentations in front of others because now when put in that real life situation we will be able to remember the advice and tips were given in class.
When preparing my elevator speech I knew I wanted to do something that I was comfortable with and that had a reasonable chance of happening in real life. I knew exactly what I wanted to get out of the situation and had background knowledge on the person I was running into in the elevator.
ReplyDeleteI thought that I was extremely calm in my delivery. I had thought the presentation fully through and knew the kinds of things I wanted to say. I broke the ice in the introduction with a conversational comment about the weather. I tried to stay speaking in a conversation tone and to keep a slow pace so that my speech came out clearly. I maintained eye contact the entire time and when I shook hands I made sure that my handshake was firm and portrayed confidence. I also was proud of myself for including the past, present, and future in the speech. Another technique I used was to comment on something the person I was speaking to had accomplished. I used a training session I had attended and commented that the speakers were well chosen and the training effective. I made sure to back everything up with reasons and examples.
Something I would have done different in the speech would have been to add in at the end something along the lines of " I look forward to meeting you and continuing this conversation." I had planned on saying something similar to that however when the moment came to say it I had forgot.
This speech was probably my favorite to do. I felt extremely prepared and calm. Although there were many little things to remember I think everything came together really well. Another great help was having Kevin as a partner because he really make the speech go smoothly with his responses. This speech was also one of the most important speeches because a situation such as running into someone important in an elevator could happen anytime and it's best to be prepared and have your little commercial for yourself thought out. Now I have learned how to conduct myself in that situation.
Giving the elevator speech was one of the weirdest assignments I have had to do in my school career. In a way, it reminded me of writing those “About Me” essays for colleges. In one way, you want to try to say all the great things about yourself, but you also do not want to come off as trying to talk too highly about yourself or as a jerk. For that reason, I thought the actual writing of the speech was hard, because it is hard to talk about your own strengths. It reminded me a little of a job interview I once had. The woman giving me the interview asked me for a weakness. I thought that was hard, not because I do not have any, but just because I did not know what to say without it coming off bad upon myself. Basically, I feel like anytime someone has to talk about themselves, it is incredibly hard.
ReplyDeleteHowever, I also feel like this was the most important speech we have given this entire year. To get comfortable in that situation is very important, because it is something we are all going to have to do in the future. It is better to be nervous now than in that situation. I felt like this speech was great practice for going forward. Oddly, I felt more comfortable going into this speech than my others. I much prefer improvisation to memorizing and giving speeches. I feel like when there is improv, you flow better because your brain is not wrapped around trying to memorize every line. Therefore, the actual delivery of the speech I thought was easier than the other speeches, even though writing it was harder.
If I could go back, there are a few things I would change. First, I do not think I practiced as much as I should have for this speech. I did a few times, but a couple more would have made me even more comfortable up in front of the room. Second, I cheated slightly by making the person I was talking to Conan O’Brien. Had I used a more realistic choice, the speech probably would have been slightly harder to give. I was helped immensely by Jess Virga doing an amazing Conan impression. Finally, I feel like a fidgeted a little too much when I was talking. I feel like I just need to keep my posture a little better when I talk.
Overall, I think my speech went well. There are a few things I would work on, but overall, I feel like practicing this speech was incredibly beneficial to me. I feel like a learned a lot about myself and giving speeches in general. In the future, I now feel like I will have an easier time introducing myself to new people, in addition to possible employers.
Even though I was most nervous for this speech, I am glad that we did this exercise in class. While working at my internship I would always plan out what I would say before I spoke to my supervisors because I was scared that I would freeze and sound unintelligent when I spoke in an impromptu manner. I am glad we learned this important skill because this exercise gave me more confidence and I actually used my elevator speech scenario the other day when I asked my internship supervisor to write me a letter of recommendation.
ReplyDeleteThinking back to my speech I wish I practiced a little more beforehand so that it went a little more smoothly in class. However, the fact that I froze at one point and messed up made my speech more “real” and spur of the moment. Messing up made me realize that it is not the end of the world and I am proud that I followed your motto, “fake it until you make it.”
I think the main reason I was so nervous was because I normally have note cards in my hand when I speak in front of people in fear of forgetting things. But I learned that straying from my outline or planned out speech is a good thing even if I forget a piece of information. I am now more confident when I have to speak to my boss or supervisor and plan to use these impromptu skills in the future to network and during interviews.
After brainstorming on what I wanted to do with my elevator speech I decided to do something I was comfortable with and familiar with. This assignment was very difficult and uncomfortable because of the situation dealt with. I knew exactly what I wanted to get out of the situation and had background knowledge on the person. I also made sure I research on the company and the person I was running into in the elevator. I choose to speak to Luis Carlos Calil (The CEO of Caterpillars) because that’s the company I want to work for after I graduate from college.
ReplyDeleteI practiced a lot with my partner to fill comfortable with the speech and also helped me with my mistakes so that I don’t repeat it. During my elevator speech I was comfortable and had good eye contact. After breaking the ice I was able to introduce myself and give past work experiences to show my knowledge about the position I was pursuing for. I also talked about the company and what they have accomplished for the past years and their standards in the world. I supported this point by talking about their projects in West Africa and how been from Africa and speaking four different native languages will give me an advantage relating to the people.
The only stuff I would have done differently was after breaking the ice I should have acknowledged Luis Carlos Calil presence instead of just jumping into my speech. Also I should have asked questions instead of just making it one way conversation. Overall the speech was great and learned a lot from it because you never know who you could run into for a job opportunity.
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ReplyDeleteFirst off, the most important thing I took away from this assignment was that it is useful to plan what you are going to say for a situation that may occur spontaneously. At first this idea seemed too fake to me. I could not visualize how being prepared for a conversation you were not expecting to have would come across. Now I realize that what is important is to have key points and messages to get across, and then to focus on working that into casual conversation.
ReplyDeleteIn real life, I hope the networking conversation I would be having would go differently. In class, I spent too much time talking at the person. What I mean is that it would seem obvious to someone that I was making a speech at them, and not trying to engage in normal conversation. In the future I would try to make sure to interject a question or two and keep the back and forth going, without wasting time and still making sure I get my point across.
I felt like in this assignment I really turned a corner in my ability to speak in front of a group with confidence and poise. Often time I attribute my nervousness to not being prepared, but that has not been the case recently in class. What I think was different was that I was speaking directly to Gideon the whole time, so it did not feel like I was giving a presentation. For tomorrow’s presentation, I am going to try this approach again, and make eye contact with people in different areas of the room individually, so I do not get lost in the maze of eyes staring at me.
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ReplyDeleteI am not going to lie, I was really proud of how well Lisa and I did during our elevator speeches. Now i know this is a critique of me so I am going to stick to only talking about myself. I was very nervous for this speech, much more so than for any of the other speeches. When I went up i was very afraid that I was going to forget something since it was a lot of info. I definitely let the fact that it was an impromptu (a little) speech freak me out, it is just not the type of speech we are all used to.
ReplyDeleteI thought I did a really good job remembering everything and I was also really happy with the fact that I managed to remember to say everything in the right order. I wanted to make sure that I emphasized how I could help them first and foremost and I am just so happy that I actually did. I think that the body of my speech, meaning my selling points were the strongest part and that they really helped "seal the deal" for me. I also was proud of how I tied in my knowledge of her and her offices recent achievements directly into what I could do for them. I thought that the best way to go about selling myself would be to establish a need that I could satisfy.
I feel like my main issue in this speech was my body language, I did not do a great job smiling and looking happy, but I hope that was just because of how early it was and how nervous I was. I am going to keep that in mind next time so I don't forget to smile! Also I was a little nervous about how I used my hands to animate what I was saying, but no one in the class mentioned it so I guess it was just the right amount.
All in all i think that this speech was the final step in putting my public speaking fears to rest. I feel that if I could do that successfully I can just about do anything. I am going to try to apply everything I have learned to this speech and keep it in mind so that whenever I do come into a situation similar to this one I will be able to ace it and land the job. Anyway, good job everyone!
Being the first ones to present our elevator speeches made me very nervous. Phil and I practiced our speeches together in the library an hour and a half before class started, and I still feel like I wasn’t ready. But I guess that’s my case for every speech so far? However, I felt far more comfortable doing the elevator speeches than any other speeches this semester. The reason I felt comfortable is because I was talking about myself, and there was no memorizing and forgetting what I was saying. The whole speech just came out naturally.
ReplyDeleteOne main improvement for next time, or an actual elevator speech situation, is that I should organize the things I want to say. I feel like I had so much to say, but because I didn’t organize my thoughts well, I only said a couple of things before I wrapped my speech up. I also need to get my experience priorities straight. I need to consider what past experience would this employer be really impressed by. I also need to add more detail about my experiences and sound more enthusiastic when speaking
Overall, I think I did well. I was smiling and giving great eye contact. I feel confident in impromptu talking to a possible future employer. This was a great way to practice and get ready for the “real world” and all the opportunities that come along with it!
I think I performed well in my Elevator Speech. I am very proud of my ability in the impromptu assignment. Reflecting back on the experience, I wish I had stumbled over my words a little less, but it was only because I was nervous about messing up without any notecards. However, I was proud of my ability to remember and then say everything that I wanted to get across to the employer.
ReplyDeleteFrom the experience, I learned that it is important to really know yourself, your strengths and past experiences, to be able to speak in an impromptu situation and show to the employer that you are capable. I also learned that having good communication skills is essential in creating relationships and networking to potentially attain a position that you want.
This assignment was much more nerve wracking than any of the previous ones, because you could not rely on note cards or powerpoint. It was completely off the top of your mind and that is what made me nervous. Also, in this type of situation, you are not completely sure what your partner will say in response to what you say. So, if they said something unexpected, you would have to respond quickly.
Even though the assignment was nerve wracking, I am glad we did it because I can transfer the skills we learned to my networking and interview situations. Because of my practicing, I think I would be better prepared to discuss my strengths and experience in an interview or networking situation.
The most important thing to understand about is life is that it is not scripted so when I had to do this assignment, I knew this was just preparation for the real world, not just for a grade. As a Junior, I’m starting to prepare for internship interviews and am nervous about that first impression so I enjoyed the opportunity to practice that “bump-in” with a key network person.
ReplyDeleteAfter the impromptu speech, I felt I could have definitely slowed it down! I was too worried the “elevator door would open” that I felt I had to get everything important about me out in the open as soon as possible. However, as I have already mentioned, life is not scripted and the elevator may not even open until five minutes after I’m done speaking and then I’ll have to find other topics to talk about to fill in the gap. Then again, the doors may open within the first second and even if I only get to say hi, I can still walk out the elevator with them and pretend I meant to get off that floor. Understanding this now makes it easier to just remain calm and speak slowly because it’s all about going with the flow and expecting the unexpected.
Personally, this was my favorite speech assignment out of all the others because I hate having to rely on material other than my head for I find note cards and powerpoints to be too distracting. For one of my finals, the other day, I had the option to use a powerpoint or not and after spending so much time on my powerpoint, it was my turn to present and I announced in the middle of class I wasn’t going to use the powerpoint. Needless to say the presentation was absolutely a hundred times better than I knew it would have been with the powerpoint.
Without any material to rely on, as well as my background with customer service, made me more comfortable with the assignment. As a waitress and secretary I have to start conversations with new people or important people, like TCNJ Administrators, everyday so I know it’s important to mention key traits about oneself. Leaving a good impression with administrators and faculty help me in the long run should I have academic or school finance concerns and need an answer or a favor; also, leaving a good impression on customers will usually leave me with good tips and I hope eventually, regulars. It is my comfort in the situation through my background experience that made me proud of how I handled this assignment - I just wasn’t happy that I spoke so fast because I know I tend to speak fast with administrators or customers and I know this could be a potential problem.
In summary, the limited time for this impromptu speech caused me to tense up because I knew this was a carbon-copy of a real-life situation. However, this speech reminded me the importance of networking through communication with others. Interview questions and networking conversations are not at all scripted and there is no right or wrong answer, just the answer that will leave a lasting impression. It is so important to be able to hold a conversation anytime, anywhere because the right person could come along and if you can’t even get the word “hi” out, then a moment of opportunity has just walked away. Moments of opportunities are constantly presenting themselves and it is only through communication that we can call their attention towards us.
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ReplyDeleteI believe the Elevator speeches are a great way to practice a potential real life situation. Although I was not able to do the assignment in class, I used a situation that is realistic. I acted out the situation of meeting Ms. Stangeby, the Community Relations director for the New York Giants. Overall, I am proud that I was able to communicate my passion for Community Relations in sports. I felt I was able to explain my past work in sports and how I would be a good fit for the Giants. I believe mentioning past programs she has implemented showed my knowledge of the organization. I also feel my nonverbal was good with my facial expression and open welcoming stance. I made sure to maintain eye contact and listened.I still wish I would slow down more when speaking. I get worked up sometimes and just need to remember to breath and relax. I also felt like I was the only one to talk, I should allow for more discussion as oppose to me speaking at someone.
ReplyDeleteI know what I am capable, my skills, and that I possess attributes that can be beneficial to a great organization. It is always nerve-wracking approaching professional and established individuals but if have prepared a little summary about yourself, it can go smoothly. There is always the possibility to bump into someone that can help network or even launch a career for you. Although you don’t want to sound too scripted, it is crucial to know what you would like to say. As long as I can easily communicate my skills, leave a good impression, and just RELAX – anything is possible!