Every Business Needs an Elevator Pitch
An elevator pitch is a short and succinct overview of your business that’s designed to grab your audience’s attention and make them want to know more. It’s called an elevator pitch because you should be able to deliver it within the time span of an average elevator trip, anywhere from 30 to 90 seconds.
Elevator pitches can be useful in a variety of situations where you’re called upon to talk about yourself or your business. This could be in a professional capacity at a networking event, industry conference or workshop, or during an initial meeting with your new bank manager or accountant.
Business opportunities can also arise during more casual situations such as the lineup at the bank or local coffee shop, your kid’s sports game, or your cousin’s wedding where you’re introduced to someone who turns out to be your perfect target client.
Being prepared to introduce your business in a way that sparks interest and makes people curious to learn more about what you do increases your chances of making meaningful connections that could translate into future business.
Creating Your Elevator Pitch
It’s important to recognize that an elevator pitch is not a sales pitch. People don’t like to be sold, particularly when meeting you for the first time. Your objective is to create curiosity so that after hearing your elevator pitch, people ask you to tell them more.
A great way to do that is to talk about the types of problems you solve, how you make people’s lives better, and how you do that differently from other similar businesses. People who identify with what you’re describing will often ask you to elaborate on one or more points. The conversation can then evolve naturally from there.
While there are many ways to construct an elevator pitch, here’s a simple formula you can use as a starting point:
I help <describe your target audience> get/achieve <describe the benefits you offer>. I do this by <describe how you do it differently>.
For example, here’s my elevator pitch:
I help entrepreneurs and small business owners raise brand awareness, connect with their target audience and generate more leads and sales. I do this by teaching them how to develop a personalized content strategy that attracts their ideal buyers and influences them to buy. Then I give them the tactics and tools to implement that strategy.
If my elevator pitch is sufficiently interesting and relevant to someone, they usually ask me about how my program works. This gives me permission to talk about my SAGE methodology without fear of alienating them. Conversely, if they don’t ask questions, I let the conversation move on to something else. Though I won’t make an immediate sale, my elevator pitch may have planted the seeds for a future opportunity.
When developing your elevator pitch, don’t try to sound overly fancy or sophisticated with your words. The simpler the language, the less rehearsed it will sound and the more powerful the message will be.
Though you do not want your elevator pitch to sound rehearsed, I recommend rehearsing and polishing it so that it slips out naturally whenever the need arises.
Where to Use Your Elevator Pitch
While many people are familiar with the idea of using an elevator pitch to introduce themselves during face-to-face conversations, elevator pitches provide a similar advantage in the online world.
In the fast-paced digital universe, attention spans are short. A well-crafted elevator pitch allows you to introduce you and your business swiftly and captivate your audience before they scroll away.
Here are a few ways to integrate an elevator pitch into your online communications.
Social media bios
Website home pages
Email signatures
Introductory or promotional videos
Direct messages to potential customers
Incorporating your elevator pitch in multiple places will help ensure a consistent online presence that tells a great story about who you are, who you help and how you help them.
The Bottom Line…
Whether online or face-to-face, an effective elevator pitch can help you make a great first impression that draws people in and makes them want to know more about your business.
Think of your elevator pitch as a short, concise explanation of what makes your business unique and special. It should include the types of problems you solve, how you make people’s lives better, and how you do that differently from everyone else.
