Did you know more than 7 billion elevator journeys take place every day? However, according to a recent survey by thyssenkrupp Elevator and YouGov, there is not much conversation taking place in them as more than two-thirds (66 percent) of people won’t speak a word during their journey.  Contributor Luis Ramos, Head of Communications at thyssenkrupp Elevator.

With many UK businesses located in high-rise buildings today, office workers are missing a trick if they don’t grab this opportunity to strike up a conversation, as they will never find out who they are sharing the lift with and what contacts they could meet to grow and expand their network and careers.

The survey revealed the reason almost a quarter (23 percent) of people said they wouldn’t talk in an elevator is because they don’t like speaking to people they don’t know, and almost a fifth (17 percent) admitted to actually actively avoiding the lift all together and take the stairs if they spot someone they didn’t like in there.

It’s so important to build and expand your network as you’ll never know what doors it might open to you, and a quick one minute conversation might potentially change your career path all together.  It takes us back to the age-old skill of elevator pitching. After all, the time spent in a lift is limited – and it is getting even less with modern technologies.

Key to having a good elevator pitch is thinking about the main message you would want to get across to a potential business partner or client. Think about the characteristics which are unique to you or your business. When your message is clear to you, it will come across naturally and it be easy to adjust to specific situations.

With those living in urban areas more likely to feel lonely, elevators can also provide an interesting space to bring people together and create a shared experience that benefit society in a more convenient way – going some way to eliminating this loneliness that people may feel in a built-up environment. So, when you next step into an elevator – think about striking up a conversation. You never know where it could lead in opening up a great career opportunity or path.