The elevator speech: what you are vs. what you can contribute

In the past several years, the career coaching industry has pushed job seekers to create and verbalize an elevator speech that articulates the value-add of the job seeker to others – specifically in a networking capacity. The elevator speech seems to have morphed into a hodgepodge of industry terms and lingo that at times, can make little sense and leave the listener confused on what the job-seeker actually does or is. In answer to the question “Tell me about yourself” , what value does “I help organizations align organizational talent with business strategy” have versus a good old-fashioned, “I am an HR professional and focus on ….?” What are your thoughts on the branding elevator speech? Do you find it helpful or of value?