Going to a job interview is (usually) not fun. You are nervous, tense and slightly sweaty. But at least you have had time to prepare and somewhere in the back of your head you know you can actually be self-confident.

Different situation: You go to pick up some groceries and run into a college friend and her parents. While being introduced to them you learn they are working for some hotshot company you would almost die to intern with. Now: Ready, Set, Go! Knock yourself out with an elevator speech that will make them remember you! In order to do so, you have to have a good one already set up. The key to a successful elevator speech is to KISS. No, this is no kind of hippiesque, just love one-another advice, KISS stands for “Keep it simple silly;” according to Harry Urschel, it is the principle to model your speech after. In his blog post on CareerRocketeer, he dives into the secrets of coming up with a rocking elevator speech.

If you stick to his two simple rules, you’re half way there! 

I.  Your goal is to make the complex simple.

This way you ensure that the person you’re talking to will understand what you’re saying even if s/he is a layman. If you stay broad and more general, they might come up with more people they can get you in touch with. So don’t limit the number of people your conversation partner might refer you to by being too specific and complex for them to think of anyone.

II.  Brevity is a virtue.

Let’s be honest, you only have your conversation partner’s attention for a few seconds. So your ultimate goal is to keep your speech as short as possible. That’s why an “elevator speech” is often also referred to as a “30-second resume.” Another advantage of a short elevator speech is that you will be more likely to remember it and ready to recite it at the most surprising and random times.