The quarterly publication of the International Legal Technology Association
Issue link: http://read.uberflip.com/i/4983
www.iltanet.org 26 Peer to Peer SmART mOVES W e all strive to respond well to the tried and true "so, what do you do?" question that is so often used as a conversation starter. For most of us who have conducted a career search or simply want to improve our marketability, we have been coached to create a "30-second elevator speech" that can be used to convey our greatest employable qualities and a compelling reason why the person who listens to our personal sales pitch would like to engage us further. These 30-second snippets are akin to a television or radio commercial in which a retailer has a finite period of time to capture a consumer's attention, generate interest in the product and be compelling enough to motivate the consumer to strike for the sale. In this case, you are selling a phenomenal product … yourself! SELLING ThE IT GROuP So you have a marketing pitch solidly in place for yourself, and you are confident that your message develops a strong value proposition. Now, can you translate your 30-second pitch from selling you as an individual and sell the value proposition of your team? If you were given 30-seconds to dynamically summarize the attributes of the IT group, could you do it? As IT leaders, we have the utmost confidence in the projects we undertake. We believe the value we bring to the organization is positive and that IT plays a significant role in the strategic success of the business. If you asked your lawyers or support staff whether they understand the value proposition of IT, however, would there be congruence with how the business and IT groups define IT's business value? I would say that in most cases understanding IT's value is skewed on both sides. More often than not, there is a gap between IT and the business, whereby lawyers and support staff do not fully understand the capabilities of IT. They know that IT is pervasive in every area of the business whether it is the BlackBerry used by a senior partner or the network integrated digital copier that produces closing binders for a legal assistant. For some people, however, IT is the "necessary evil," and there are many that believe IT is simply fulfilling its own operating objectives through the projects and initiatives they undertake. I think we have all been subjected to the "There goes IT again, making life more complex," attitude when a new project is kicked off. What if we could swing the pendulum the other way and have the business view IT not as a necessary evil, but as a group that gives the firm a competitive advantage in the market through improved business processes, simplification of tasks and tools that differentiate the firm among its rivals? In this case you are marketing a phenomenal product … your IT group! ThE TEAM ELEVATOR SPEECh A well crafted elevator speech can pay dividends in moving the firm or business perception of the IT group out of the backroom and into the spotlight of actively contributing to the success of the business. Inevitably you will be in an elevator, coffee room or perhaps providing deskside support when you are asked "So, what are you and the team working on these days?" You need to be tuned in to the opportunity to put the IT team into the limelight. The Elevator Speech dO collaborate with your colleagues. Together you can hone your message to the important essentials. If you work together, you can all be prepared when opportunities for the elevator speech pop up. dON'T let too many cooks spoil the soup. With more input, you run the risk of finding more points that need to be included. Work together to keep the message simple. dO rehearse your speech. The words you speak should come out naturally, and the best way to present them smoothly is to repeat them out loud and repeatedly. Practice with your family or in front of the bathroom mirror. dON'T resort to checking your notes. If you don't feel comfortable with your speech, keep it to yourself until you do.