What is an elevator pitch?  Is it the most important 30 sec chat you can have?…I think so!!!!

When people ask, ‘What do you do?’, they are really asking ‘What can you do for me?’”. An elevator pitch is a brief, planned opening statement about yourself or your brand, which is designed to be delivered in approximately 30-60 seconds (the duration of an elevator ride). When done well, an elevator pitch can be a very powerful networking tool for yourself or your business. If you are already using one but it is not making the desired impact, here are a few reasons your approach may be falling short:

1. Too formal/ too rehearsed

While it is a good idea to practice and perfect your pitch, be mindful of it becoming too formal and over-rehearsed.  Depending on the situation you may need to make small tweaks, but always keep it genuine and conversational.

2. The focus is on “who you are” instead of on the problem you are trying to solve

Stick to just a few core points about yourself or your company, instead. Emphasise your unique selling proposition (USP), and why your business offers a solution to their problem. Where possible, try to introduce the problem first, as a means of capturing the attention and interest of your audience from the beginning. Engage with open-ended questions.

3. Your pitch is too long-winded

Your pitch needs to be interesting enough to grab the attention of your audience right from your introduction, but it also needs to be concise and to the point. Keep it simple and try to focus on one main advantage that your listeners would receive from your business.

4. You ramble

You want to think about exactly what it is you are going to say. If you do not have a pitch, or it is under-rehearsed, you may be inclined to spend too much time talking about yourself or your business (although there is nothing wrong with a bit of excitement and enthusiasm for your product!). Rather, practice enough so that you have a well-formed and succinct opening statement that will keep your listener engaged.

5. Neglects the market

Let people know who it is you are out there to serve and where your business fits in the current market, what sort of competition you currently face, and what the market research says about the potential for your business to grow. Without data to support your pitch, your audience may not take it seriously.

Practice, try it, practice again, refine, use it again. It will change how you think about your business so it will change how others see you…