Signing Savvy, Your Sign Language Resource

Interpreters often have just seconds to explain what we do to professional people who don’t really care. Say you just entered the elevator with the doctor of the deaf patient on the way up to the appointment.  What would you say? What’s your “elevator pitch?”

Try it out. Time yourself. Can you get it out in 10 seconds?

Here are some examples:

• Hello, I am a certified Sign Language interpreter and I’m here to assist in communication between the hospital staff and the deaf patient. I look forward to working with you.
• Hello, I am (your full name), a certified American Sign Language Interpreter. My job is to facilitate communication between you and the deaf patient.
• Hello, I’m (your full name), I’m a certified Sign Language interpreter.  You can think of my role in facilitating conversations similar to a phone line. Anything I hear will be signed to the patient and anything they sign will be voiced to you.
• Hello, I’m (your full name), I’m an interpreter. Anything you say to the client I will interpret into Sign Language. Go ahead and look directly at the client and I will make sure the message is conveyed.

You will want to tweak your elevator pitch for different audiences – always think about who you’re talking to and how you will be helping them so you can describe what you do in terms they will understand and in a way that relates to them.