10 Tips for Crafting the Perfect Elevator Pitch

You only have one opportunity to make a good first impression.

So, visualize that you’re in an elevator – the door opens at the next floor and a very influential person in your sector steps in. You recognize that this is the chance of a lifetime – this particularly person would be able to open a lot of doors for you – but first, you’ve got to impress him/her. Do you have an elevator speech prepared and rehearsed?

An elevator pitch is actually a short overview designed to get a point across swiftly and efficiently. Like the name suggests, the overview should be as long as an elevator ride – you have roughly 30 – 60 seconds to produce a superb impression. Why only 30 – 60 seconds? There are two top reasons: Often the person you want to impress only has a minute of time available. Moreover, the attention span of an average person is just half a minute... Unless you make it appealing obviously!

The intention of the elevator pitch is certainly not to inform the individual every single small element of your business. The aim is only to get them interested – to want them to find out more about you and what you have to offer. A successful elevator pitch should ideally leave them wanting much more.

The elevator pitch may be used each time you meet a prospective client, investor, and so forth. It also comes somewhat handy every time an individual inquires of you: “What do you do for a living?”

The following are 10 helpful tips that you can use to craft the perfect elevator pitch:

1. What makes your business unique? What makes it different from rivals? If you happen to describe your business, does the individual you're describing it to think to him- or herself “so what?” They shouldn't. Answer the “so what” concern before they even think of the question.

2. Inform potential clients all about the problem that your business is solving. If they don't immediately understand what problem your business is the solution to, they'll likely see your business as having hardly any purpose.

3. Keep your company's pitch uncomplicated. Make use of plain, normal words which 13-year-olds can fully comprehend. Do not strive to sound clever by using big, elegant words. Keep the gobbledegook for yourself.

4. Write your elevator pitch down. First write a rough copy, thereafter perfect and shrink it to 30-60 seconds, and / or 100 – 200 words. Rehearse your elevator pitch and recite it to a few of your colleagues or good friends or family and aqcuire their opinion.

5. Aim to create different elevator pitches for different groups of people. A different approach would possibly be necessary for investors (just how do they benefit monetarily?), potential clients (what problem would you like to solve?), journalists (what precisely your business distinctive from others?), etcetera.

6. Allow your love for your business show in your pitch. When people see how excited you are about your business, chances are, they too will be.

7. Use words which may allow your listener to visualise what you are telling them about. Let them see it in their own minds and make it unforgettable.

8. Conclude your pitch with a clear call to action. For example, tell them where they could purchase your product; tell them to visit your website; ask them to consider investing in your business; set-up a meeting; and so forth.

9. If you've got people working under you, be sure that they too, rehearse the elevator pitch. This might make certain that you, as well as your personnel, make best use of any opportunities that might come your way.

10. If you're using an elevator pitch to sell a product, provide your potential customer(s) two choices. The majority of the people will instantly decline if you provide them with one choice, but given two options, they will usually take a look at one of the options. By way of example, instead of asking whether or not they would like to buy “Book A”, ask them which book they would like to purchase, “Book A” or alternatively “Book B”. It is really an old and proven sales secret!

Here is a ordinary elevator pitch guide that will help you get cracking (just fill out the blanks):

[Your company name] offers [your product and / or service] for [your market]. We offer [what solution will you be providing to the market’s problem.] Distinct from alternative [your company type] companies, we [what makes you unique]. [Conclude with your call-to-action.]

What's your elevator pitch? Or do you have any other thoughts on crafting the ideal elevator pitch? Feel free to comment below!