Elevator Pitch

In our increasingly fast-paced world, the Elevator Pitch has taken on new importance as part of the small business marketing arsenal.

Elevator Pitch: Knowing What to Say When the Doors Close

The Elevator Pitch refers to what you tell a prospective client to grab attention and pull them in when faced with a time limit of, say, 30-60 seconds (the amount of time spent traveling between floors on an elevator). But if you are like most small business marketers, you haven’t spent much time developing this pitch for your company.

If you were getting ready to launch a brand new business, or even a new product or service within a business, you would undoubtedly spend a considerable amount of time, effort and money to prepare for the unveiling. You would know all about its features and how it works. But are you ready to stand up in front of a group of potential clients and give a compelling one-minute pitch about your company and what sets your products and services apart?

Preparation is the key to success when honing your Elevator Pitch. You know what you do, but you must clearly articulate what differentiates your business from your competitors and how the prospective target can benefit from using you. Here are a few ideas to help you create an Elevator Pitch with impact.

• Step back. While you are intimately familiar with every feature of your product and all the advantages of your company, you won’t have time to cover all of this within the span of a minute. You must hit a home run on the first pitch. Step back from the technicalities and clearly identify the solution you provide.
• Cut the fat. Make your message as simple and compelling as possible. Avoid the typical cliches used by sales and marketing people; instead, emphasize the benefits your company offers and how you can solve a problem for your prospect. Spend some time refining your message until you have perfected the basic pitch.
• Call to action. What do you want your listener to do? Conclude with a request for a business card, interview or permission to call your prospect.
• Practice. Practice your Elevator Pitch out loud until you can deliver it naturally.

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