Do You Have an Elevator Pitch?

What is an elevator pitch?

An elevator pitch is a :30 second persuasive speech you should be able to pull out at a moments notice about your business and deliver comfortably to a prospect. The term "elevator pitch" comes from the notion of pitching an opportunity to a prospect while taking a short ride in an elevator. However, in today's world or shorter attention spans, it could mean trying to get people to focus on something other than their mobile phone, tablet or other electronic gadget is becoming harder and harder.

What are the key elements?
An elevator speech should focus on three key elements: 1) succinctly conveying what you or your company does. 2) communicate your unique selling position and main problem solving feature. 3) engage the prospect with an open ended question.

How to create your own pitch?

The create you own pitch, start by writing down your goal. What message do you want to convey? Then, write 3 to 4 sentences for each of the key elements listed above. Once completed, put them together in the form of a paragraph and you'll have a rough outline. Now read through the paragraph several more times and delete anything not imperative. Now, grab a stopwatch and attempt to deliver your pitch in under :30. If you're having problems doing under the time limit, cut it down some more. Realistically, you should be able to deliver your pitch in about 5-7 sentences. The shorter, the better! Here's an example to get you started:

My company produces the finest quality pharmacy prescription bags in the industry and count some of the top national and regional chains as our clients. Through our program, we also provide affordable advertising printed directly on these bags which gives nearby businesses repeated exposure to thousands of pharmacy patrons. We put the advertisement directly in the hands of potential customers. How do you target your customers on the local level?

Any performance requires rehearsal
After you've honed down your pitch to a :30 script it now time to practice, practice and practice. The more you practice the more comfortable you will become delivering your pitch. Also, be aware of your body language as you make your pitch. This can tell the prospect more about you than the words you say in your pitch. 

Curtain time
So now that you've got your elevator pitch ready, where should be go to deliver your performance? In a word, anywhere. You never know who you're going to meet at any given moment. Maybe the waiter has uncle who owns a nearby business; perhaps the mom who runs your child's scout troop is a media buyer for a hospital; maybe the person you're sitting next to at the hotel bar manages a local car dealership. The point is, almost everyone knows someone who owns a business. Prospects are everywhere, so be ready, smile, look them in the eye, and show them you know your stuff!

Todd Hollst, Art Coordinator