How do you get people interested in you when you only have 30 seconds?
Whether you're at a job interview, networking at a cocktail party, or run into Warren Buffett in the elevator, quickly persuading others to think you're the most interesting person they'll meet is no easy task.
当你只有30秒的时间，怎样才能引起别人的兴趣呢？无论是面试，参加鸡尾酒社交派对还是电梯偶遇沃伦.巴菲特，想快速招揽别人探索的目光可非易事。
"Most people can't present what they've done effectively," Paul McDonald, a senior executive director at staffing firm, tells Business Insider. "They're not used to giving sound bites of what they do."
“多数人都不会出彩地展现自己，”某人力资源公司的高级执行董事保罗.麦当劳告诉小编说，“人们对于所做的事情都不太习惯知难而进。”
Below, McDonald gives us eight steps to crafting the perfect elevator pitch:
下面就是麦当劳给出的8个步骤，教你制定完美的电梯演讲：
Know exactly where you want to go.
明确自己的目的。
Your elevator pitch should answer three questions: Who are you? What do you do? Where do you want to go, or what are you looking for? You need to know exactly what you want to achieve or no one can help you get there.
"Take your resume and LinkedIn profile and go through it thoroughly," says McDonald. If you're unemployed, focus on where you want to go and what you want to do.
电梯演讲需要涵盖这三个问题：你是谁？你是做什么的？你想干嘛，或者说你在找寻怎样的机遇？你需要明确自己想要达何种高度，否则没人可以提携你。
“带上你的简历和LinkdeIn的资料，仔细通读一遍”麦当劳说。一旦你被聘用了，你就要专注于自己的目标和工作。
Bullet point it.
突出亮点。
After studying your resume and LinkedIn profile, write down four bullet points that explain why you're great, advises McDonald. Discuss your work history, background, skills, accomplishments, and goals. Keep out any irrelevant details that take away from your core message.
麦当劳建议道：研究完你的简历和LinkedIn资料后，给出4个亮点来证明你的优秀。可以谈及你的工作阅历，背景，技能，成就和目标。省略与主要信息不相关的细节。
Tell them a story.
用故事阐述。
People love stories, says McDonald, so tell them a story. It also makes it easier for others to remember you later on.
Self-improvement guru Dale Carnegie said in his book "Public Speaking and Influencing Men in Business" that our minds are essentially "associate machines," which means we remember things better when there's a story or association attached to the subject. In other words, if you want people to remember you, tell them a story and make sure it's good.
麦当劳说，既然人们爱听故事，那就给他们讲个故事。这个方式同样能让别人过后更好地记住你。
自我修养大师戴尔.卡耐基在《公共演讲与魅力口才》一书中写道：我们的思维在本质上就是一个“联想机器，”这就意味着当我们用故事或相关的事物来记忆时，效果更好。换言之，如果你想人们记住你，那就给他们讲一个深刻的故事。
Eliminate jargon.
避免行话。
You need to be able to explain what you do and who you are in a way that appeals to most people. This means avoiding acronyms or terminology that wouldn't be understood by someone outside of your industry.
Dumbing down complex ideas is a "real art," says McDonald. A good strategy is to imagine explaining what you do to your parents and using a similar formula in your elevator pitch. Making sure your pitch is in layman's terms is especially critical for those in accounting, finance, and technology.
你要用一种大众的演说方式来吸引别人，让别人明白你的意思，知道你是做什么的。这就说要避免非专业人士不懂的那些缩写词和术语。
麦当劳说，“简化复杂的想法是门‘真正的艺术’”。有一个优良的策略就是，将演说的对象想象成是你的父母，并使用与电梯演讲类似的公式。当谈及会计，金融和科技方面时，演讲从外行的角度出发至关重要。
Make sure it invites conversation.
确保演说能引起交流。
After telling your story, the listener needs to be left wanting more. Is your story compelling enough to do this? If not, you need to change your pitch.
在讲完故事后，得把聆听者带入意犹未尽的状态。你的故事足够打动人心吗？如果不够，那你需要修饰改造一翻。
Time yourself.
计划时间。
While practicing your pitch, you should time yourself to make sure you can tell your story in 30 seconds. If you can't, cut down details and try again.
当在练习演讲时，你应该计时确保故事能在30秒钟内讲完。如果不能，那就减少细节重新来过。
Record yourself on video.
给自己录像。
You need to know what you look like to others while you're telling your story. Are you interesting? Are you believable? People will come to their own conclusions while listening to you so make sure you give off a good impression. Relax, act natural, and get comfortable with your story.
你得知道别人眼中那个讲故事的自己是什么样。你看起来有趣吗？可信吗？人们在倾听的同时就会得出自己的结论，所以务必给别人一个好印象。放轻松，动作自然，故事也要合适惬意。
Pitch it to your friends and colleagues.
在朋友和同时面前练习。
After you've got your story down, practice your elevator pitch with friends and colleagues. Ask them to give you feedback. Ask them what you should do to make it better. Keep practicing and tweaking your pitch until it's natural for you to say aloud and convincing to the listener.
当你完善了故事后，接着就在朋友和同事面前排演一番吧。请他们给你点建议，告诉你应该怎样做效果才会更理想。反复不断地练习你的电梯演讲，直到你能够自然大声地讲出来，说服对方为止。
