However you verbalize your answer, do so in a way that comes from your nature. You'll want to come across as respectful, professional, loyal, and hardworking.

Regardless of how venerable a person may be due to their status or profession, they're all people with similar basic wants and needs. Put yourself in their shoes. Imagine you're incredibly busy, looking at an elevator ride as a brief escape from your mounting pressures. Now imagine how you'd feel if a stranger who wants something from you were to approach you in that elevator.

"I assume that he has no idea who I am. If I said anything at all, I'd simply try to anticipate his needs. Maybe I'd tell him about the weather or something worth knowing that he'd likely not already know. If he hadn't hit the button already, I'd ask him what floor he was going to and hit it for him. If he were to strike up a conversation with me, I'd ask him what advice he could offer, knowing that he too had to start his career somewhere."