Image courtesy of Pixabay.com
We all know it’s important to make a first impression. We probably know that it takes seconds for those impressions to form, seven to be exact.
Once we’ve successfully made a first impression, we might be asked what we do.
Are you confident in your elevator pitch?
Here are some tips:
1. Don’t make to too long or too detailed.
2. Keep it to thirty seconds.
3. The purpose of an elevator pitch is not to tell the listener everything about what you do or what I call the “spray and pray.” It should be a simplified version of what you do.
4. It is not a sales pitch, but an exchange of information.
5. The purpose of an elevator pitch is to open a conversation and inspire the listener to ask questions about what specifically you do or how you do it.
6. It is more about giving people a flavor of what you do.
7. It should show the value of what you do, the pain or problem it solves and who you work with.
8. It’s a good idea to focus it on the who, what and why of what you do.
9. It takes practice.
10. Remember to relax.
Here’s my typical elevator pitch to give you a real world example:
“I work with business owners struggling with revenue, operations and time bankruptcy™. As you know, being a small business owner can be a rocky and stressful journey. The Alternative Board or TAB gives you an expert business guide and peer advisors to help you through the journey. We becomes part of your team to help you realize more revenues, more operational accountability and more time for yourself.”
Here’s some bonus advice from Richard Branson, founder of Virgin Airlines and a host of other companies: “Of course, facts and figures are important. If you have data that supports your potential business, that’s great – but remember not to drown people in numbers (my eyes tend to glaze over as soon as too many stats are rolled out during a pitch). If you don’t have any supporting data available for your idea, you have to sell people on your vision and your dream.”
And don’t forget to smile and use a person’s name in a genuine way – those both go along way!
Let me know if I can help,
By Blair Koch
