When people are looking for a job, common advice is to make sure you can introduce yourself, your background and what sets you a part in 30 seconds or less - much like if you met someone on an elevator and you had the elevator ride to ‘sell yourself’ to that person for consideration. Individuals appreciate someone who can communicate well, sound articulate, can describe them self easily (know them self) and carry on a conversation.
Even if you aren't looking for a job, I challenge you to have an elevator speech ready about yourself - who you are, your passions and what you are excited about in life... just for whenever you have the chance to meet someone new... whether you are standing in line at Starbucks, waiting at the post office, mingling at church, sitting on an airplane or attending a party - being able to introduce who you are and share enough about yourself that starts a conversation without sounding overly inwardly focused is an incredibly powerful skill!
Your elevator speech is easy to come up with - it’s really just a few sentences that can tell someone enough about you to start a conversation... while each person’s may be different, some topics you might consider including are:
1.) what you are passionate about
2.) how you spend your time
3.) what you do
4,) what your mantra is
5.) what qualities are most attractive to you/do you admire the most
Keep in mind that when talking to strangers, you'll want to shelter personal information - so you may elect to speak in more general phrases than you do with someone who is an acquaintance or in a setting where there are common friends and/or colleagues.
The idea isn’t to have a memorized speech for when you meet people, but to help you to have something to say without feeling awkward, to show your confidence without sounding too overly ego-centered, and to speak easily and welcoming to others!
So how would you introduce yourself? Sometimes you only get one chance to make an impression. Make sure you are ready!