How many times are you asked, ‘What do you do?” Do you stumble over your words? Do you struggle with what to say in a concise manner? Having an elevator pitch is a must with any business whether you are a business owner, direct sales consultant, or professional. An elevator pitch is a short, concise conversation detailing how your business will help it’s target market. It was coined an “elevator pitch” due to being able to deliver the pitch in an elevator. A typical elevator pitch is 30 seconds; however, there are situations that arise that call for 7 second pitches and 90 second pitches. It’s imperative to have several pitches ready for various situations.
Where to use your Elevator Pitch!
Elevator pitches are used in so many situations.
1. Business networking events (sit-down formal & happy hour social) Most of the time you are given 30 seconds to deliver your pitch during a sit-down formal networking event, but have your 90 second pitch ready just in case you are allowed to talk longer. Ninety seconds is meant to provide more concise information. If you are going off on “tangents” during your pitch, then it will not be effective.
2. Conferences. Have all three pitches ready (7 second, 30 second, and 90 second). Whether you are a vendor or attending a conference, the 7 second pitch and 30 second elevator pitches will be the ones you use the most.
3. When “out and about”. You might find yourself using an elevator pitch at the grocery store, the mall, a children’s event, a sporting event, concert, morning walk, reunion, etc. This starts out as a 7 second pitch and could lead to your 90 second pitch based on their interest.
4. Social Media. Every social media channel has a section to include your elevator pitch
Ask these questions before writing your Elevator Pitch
1. Who is your target market? (Hint: Anyone that has skin is not an answer. Or anyone that has hair is not an answer. That is way too broad.) Narrow your target down to a specific niche.
2. What are you trying to market? Your business, a service within your business, a new book, a new/existing product, new/existing service, etc? Maybe you have a new product, promotion, or service that you are focusing on this month. Be specific. What are the advantages of your product/service? What can you provide? Statistics give your elevator pitch an extra depth of information that potential customers crave because it’s concrete information.
3. Where are you marketing your product – in a particular city, state, country? Online? Worldwide? When some of your audience doesn’t live in a particular city, for example, they can refer your services.
4. How does this product/service help your target market? How will this product service make your target market feel?
5. Statistics provide an extra depth of information within your elevator pitch that can turn your “potential” customer into a customer.
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Preparation & Delivery
Once you write your elevator pitch, it’s imperative to work on the delivery. I have heard fantastic pitches that were executed beautifully as well as pitches that were written well but were delivered poorly. Imagine being at a networking event and one of the pitches given was filled with “um, uh, like”. Then imagine the person says something like, “I’m really nervous” or “this is my first time doing this kind of thing”. I’ve heard it all. And it doesn’t make me want to jump out of my seat and see how their business could help me nor does it make me want to see how I can help them through referrals. In fact, I wouldn’t want to schedule a sit-down based on their lack of confidence and preparation, would you?
Similarly, lack of preparation infers that you are not serious about your business. Fumbling over words gives potential customers the assumption that you lack confidence, don’t know your product/service, and don’t take your business seriously. That’s awful, isn’t it? Because if you are like most business owners, you have spent thousands of hours and thousands of dollars creating your service/product. The last thing you want to do is undervalue or misrepresent your business with a not-so-stellar elevator pitch!
Follow these steps for an impeccable delivery:
1. Practice, practice, practice. Your elevator pitch should roll off your tongue without thinking. Personally, my favorite place to practice this is in the car! I will say it over and over and over until I don’t have to think about it anymore. I spend so much time in the car that this just makes sense.
2. Stand in front of a mirror or video-tape yourself to practice more. This provides body language feedback. Watch yourself before you practice your speech then watch yourself after you have it memorized. Notice how your body language changes!
3. Practice in front of your biggest critics or hire a professional to give you feedback. It is better to get feedback on your pitch before standing in front of potential customers!
4. Lastly, smile and enjoy yourself. People want to work with confident, friendly people. It takes 5 seconds to make a great first impression – start with your elevator pitch and blow their mind!
Above all, business owners have so many decisions to make that it can be overwhelming to decide what to spend money on first! I have worked with incredibly smart business owners that had their product or service ready, their website SEO ready, their office space ready, their home office immaculate, but they needed to fine-tune their elevator pitch to create need, desire, and/or want from their target market. Click HERE to see our pitch service that could potentially change your business.
Are you struggling with your elevator pitch? Contact XMstyle for more information.
