Is Your Elevator Pitch a Home Run?
If you’re anything like me, you’ve been procrastinating on coming up with a great elevator pitch. Squeezing a tempting description of how you can help people through your products and services into just a few words is challenging at best.
Your elevator pitch is your 30-second marketing strategy. You need it to tell people on the fly at any given moment who you are, what you do, and help win them over – or at the very least, gets them to remember you so they can refer you to their friends. A good elevator pitch lands new clients, gets referrals, or makes you memorable.
A bad elevator pitch gets you zero. Zilch. Squat. Nothing. No one will want to work with you. No one will remember you. Everyone will pick someone else to do the job.
But let’s face it – if we were good at marketing, we’d all work at some big fancy firm. Most of us work in other fields. That means we suck at marketing.
Well, many of us do, anyways. Getting excited about our work is easy. Getting excited about ourselves is tough. It feels like we’re blowing our own horn. It puts us center stage and in the spotlight. Convincing someone to want to work with us on the spot makes us squirm.
Try this test. Sit up straight. Put your feet on the floor. Now convince me in thirty seconds or less that I absolutely need you to work with you. Shoot.
If you’re an average person, your thoughts right now are probably similar to this:
Oh crap. Now what do I say? I feel silly. I hate this. I have to sound impressive. What if I go over the top? What if the person laughs? Wait, what if it’s not good enough? How the hell do I know what to say? I’m a [insert job here], that’s all.
So you hesitate. “Uhh… I’m a [insert dull and boring description of what you do]. And I’m really good at it.”
Whoopee.
Know What You Do
Most people really don’t know what they do for a living – not in the elevator pitch style, anyways. They know their job title, perhaps, or the common term for their trade. Writer, graphic designer, entrepreneur, salesman… Take a look me, for example:
Hi. I’m James, and I’m a writer.
Interested in working with me? Probably not, because I haven’t told you what I do. I’ve told you my job description. My title. I’ve only told you who I am, not what I do. Try this version on for size instead:
Hi. I’m James, and I’m a writer who compels people to take action.
Get it? Compelling people to take action is what I do. A designer provides visual appeal for maximum impact. An entrepreneur manages an efficient business. A salesman evokes an emotional desire to purchase an item.
Live it, breathe it, be it.
Keep It Simple, Stupid
“Hmmm…” You’re thinking now. “So I’m not a cabinetmaker. I’m a creative woodworking designer!”
No, I’m sorry, you are not. You might feel like one and you may very well actually be that person. To everyone else in the world, you’re just a cabinetmaker.
Fancy words and complex titles mean very little to the average person. Big, important titles are impressive, yes. But if you have to explain what you do after you tell people what you do, you’ve wasted your breath.
It might make you feel good to be fancy, but it won’t bring you more money.
So What?
Now that you know what you are and what you really do, you need to answer the question, “So what?” Because honestly, no one cares that you’re a graphic designer or a writer or a stock advisor or a shoemaker or a photographer. People don’t care about you.
They care about themselves.
They don’t want to know what you can do – they want to know what you can do for them. They want to know how you can make their life better. They may need something, but unless that something is going to make a change for the better, they won’t buy.
Let’s take a look at my example again:
I’m James, and I’m a writer who compels people to take action.
That gives nothing to the potential client. The guy in your elevator listening to your pitch is thinking, “So what? Big deal. What I need is better sales and more revenue. Plus, I don’t write to want my own content. I’m not a good writer anyways. I want to work less and make more money. I want to be rich.”
So tell people how you’ll change their lives.
We can’t make other people rich. Their success depends on them and the decisions they take. We can help them get there, though. If working with you makes them achieve their goals faster, better, and more efficiently, then that’s a winning element to their success.
Now you just have to pitch it:
Hi. I’m James. I’m a writer who compels people to take action, which means I can help you achieve better sales with great content that makes readers want to do business with you so that you can sit back, relax and watch the money pour in.
Make sense?
James
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If you want to learn more on great elevator pitches or just want to know more about improving your writing, blogging and web business, head on over to James’ blog, Men With Pens, where you’ll get more free advice to achieve strong success. Better yet, subscribe to his feed here.
17 Rockin' Comments
February 2nd, 2008 at 9:09 pm
Well said, James. Thanks for taking the ball from the Open Thread and sharing your techniques here!
February 2nd, 2008 at 9:34 pm
(I’ve stunned the crowd speechless ;) )
Thanks for having me; my pleasure!
February 3rd, 2008 at 12:58 pm
Hey James….I feel it’s a little too slick! People have an inherent distrust of slicksters. Guess I can’t talk though, as I have nothing!
February 3rd, 2008 at 1:32 pm
Thanks James, for sharing your views and experience on what makes a sales pitch. Especially the “… means we suck at marketing”… and I thought I was the only one… ;)
What do you think about doing a little research what the client is looking for and then hitting them with the pitch? For instance if the client is looking to set up a blog:
“Hi. My name’s Ravi. I can set up a blog for you in less than 30 minutes, customize it in less than three days, and make sure you’ll see the SEO results less than ten days. Your Google Adsense revenue would then be enough to cover my fee.”
Sounds gimmicky???
February 3rd, 2008 at 2:27 pm
@ Zakman - But an elevator pitch is just that - a pitch you’d supply if you were stuck in an elevator. Between floor one and floor three, you don’t have a lot of time to do research.
However, I personally think that’s a pretty outstanding pitch. That would convince me.
@ Allena - Ha! A bad pitch is better than no pitch at all! It may be too slick because I needed to stress the specific areas that need the most attention, but the idea is clear: Who, What, and Benefits.
Keep in mind that people looking to hire others tend to watch out for expertise, confidence, motivation, initiative and assertive action.
February 3rd, 2008 at 3:41 pm
Well you’ve certainly got the confidence covered my friend. This is twice you’ve showed up on my RSS in the past month. You’re everywhere!
February 3rd, 2008 at 3:45 pm
Ahem. I should be in your DAILY RSS, not just monthly ;)
February 3rd, 2008 at 5:36 pm
Great article and let’s face it, if you’re not able to “sell” your strengths in the first place, you can’t seriously expect others to give you credit for them :)
Alan Johnson
February 3rd, 2008 at 5:59 pm
I think part of the problem is that we’re taught not to brag or to go on about our own greatness. It’s okay when someone else says we’re great, but it’s not okay when we do it.
The problem is, we *have* to do it if we want to get work.
February 3rd, 2008 at 10:10 pm
Thanks James, for share it
February 5th, 2008 at 8:01 am
Not too shabby! That last sentence is a ‘two breath-er’ though.
Zakman: yours is great! Reading it, I even said out loud “10 days? really? wow!”
Here’s what I’ve got:
My name’s Shaun. I’m a photographer who can make anyone look good. Not just in front of the camera, but in front of the client, too. It’s all about listening to the client, meeting AND exceeding their expectations, and being easy to work with. After all, if you don’t get called back, I don’t get called back.
eh? eh? how’d i do?
February 5th, 2008 at 8:27 am
Woot! We have a new critic, very cool!
You did good, Shaun. I especially like that “make anyone look good” bit - though I expect Allena think it’s too slick ;)
But the rest leaves me the impression that you’re one of those consultants that teaches people how to move and act for interviews (can’t think of the job description; need more coffee). I see what point you’re trying to make, and I think just a rewording might capture it.
How about:
My name’s Shaun. I’m a photographer who can make anyone look good. In front of the camera and in front of the client, too. (Drop the “not just” as it’s negative language)
I listen to you and your needs so I can exceed your expectations. After all, if you don’t get called back, I don’t get called back.
The “called back” bit gives me the impression you’re a model photographer (as in, shooting models.) That right? Might be good to specify that somewhere.
Whatcha think?
February 13th, 2008 at 9:07 am
Nice James.. Thanks a lot..
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