The easy guide to developing an elevator pitch
So, what do you do?
As a small business owner, how prepared are you to answer this question? Often, it goes one of two ways; either you give so much information about your passion for your business that the person you are talking to is nodding and smiling and making desperate eyes at the door, or you underplay what you do and miss an opportunity to have a great conversation, and perhaps make a network contact.
This is where the elevator pitch comes in. This is not a sales pitch, it’s a persuasive 30–60 second speech that you use to spark interest in what you do.
Before you begin…
Identify your goal:
What is the outcome you want to get from this conversation? What do you want people to remember about you?
Show excitement:
What is it about your business that excites you? Your business should make you smile and accelerate your heart with excitement. People might not always remember what you say, but they will remember your enthusiasm.
Write your elevator pitch:
- Explain the pleasure or pain:
Businesses exist to either provide pleasure or solve pain. Describe what outcomes your clients receive by doing business with you. Focus on the problems you solve and how you help people, rather than how you do it. Most people are more interested in the destination rather than the transportation used to get there.
- Identify your audience:
What is the group that typically benefits from your services or product? Who is your ideal client? The better you are able to articulate this the easier it will be for the other person to know if that’s them, or someone they know.
- What’s your vehicle:
Now it’s time to let people know what tools you use to achieve your outcomes. Be clear on how you achieve your results.
- Communicate your uniqueness
What do you bring to the table that makes you unique in offering this business? Why would customers go to you, rather than a competitor?
Examples:
I am a life coach and a counsellor. I help people who are in-between stories in their lives discover their authentic selves and move to the next chapter with confidence and strength in knowing their true selves. My focus is on providing a safe and empathetic space for people to learn and grow, and I do this in both an in-person and online environment.
Caroline Jones — Ninth Koi Coaching
Hi! I’m Sally Eberhardt and I’m a copywriter.
I help business owners get the right message to the right people at the right time.
The best part is that I often help them uncover what is unique about themselves and their business so they attract their perfect customer.
If it’s words, I’m your woman.
Sally Eberhardt — Copy Writer
Additional tips…
Engage with a question
An elevator pitch isn’t about dumping information on someone and leaving them in an uncomfortable silence. See if you can engage them on your topic with a general question and this will help you connect.
Practice
The easier this elevator pitch slips off your tongue the more confident you will appear, so practice is key. Practice in the mirror, in the car, to your partner, kids, and dog, to your family, friends, and anybody else you can think of. Video yourself doing the pitch — turn it into an unconscious reply when someone asks you “So, what do you do?”
