Your Elevator Pitch

In writing this article, however, our goal is to challenge you to minutely examine your current pitch and craft a new one if it is not creating interest in the product you are selling or the business you are providing. Ask yourself these questions about your pitch:

• What is its expiration date? If you are using outdated words, phrases or concepts to describe what you do, you should consider the best way to update your language.
• Does your pitch reflect current topics? If you refer to events, you should choose those a listener will most easily remember and relate to. A personal injury lawyer using the Ford Pinto cases of the early 1970s to describe suing auto makers for product defects will likely only get a blank stare from most people.
• Does your pitch provoke a response? After you deliver your short pitch, your recipient should comment, ask a question, laugh in appreciation, be moved with empathy, or convey other expressions besides a simple nod, shoulder shrug or impatient foot-tapping waiting for the elevator door to open.
• Does your pitch have a desired mission? You should already know the desired outcome you want your pitch to elicit. For example, have you crafted the pitch in a way that your listener will respond by asking to exchange cards?
• Does your pitch accomplish your desired mission? For example, your listeners almost always ask for your card.
• Will your pitch lead you to a positive next step? Your elevator pitch has resulted in a new prospect and an opportunity to follow up.

If your pitch has the failed the above test, or if you are new to the concept, follow our formula for creating a great elevator pitch we call “the four S's”:

• Story: Tell a personal and emotional micro-story about a client, person or business your product or service has improved. “John Smith, my friend and client of five years, lost his CFO suddenly 30 days before his board of directors was due to review his company's annual reports.” (15 seconds.)
• Solution: Your solution must start with the word now . “Now, because they hired one of our qualified CFOs, the annual report was presented to the board on time for its review.” (15 seconds.)
• Skills: Explain how you differ from your competition or the credits you bring. Speak of the patents, the infrastructure, the clearances or technologies you utilize. (15 seconds.)
• Self: Demonstrate the benefit you bring to similar situations and where you and your company are going. “Please allow me to tell you more. May we exchange business cards? I will not send you materials, but would like to schedule a time to meet for a few minutes and answer any questions.” (15 seconds.)

Once you have your four S's in place, craft your pitch.

• Determine what is unique about you or what you do.
• Write it down.
• Say it out loud.
• Shorten it to as few words as possible to communicate your message.
• Make it exciting and enlightened.
• Ask your friends and family for feedback.
• Revise it some more.
• Deliver it like you own it.
• Put it in your cell phone.
• Practice, and then practice some more.

' But That's Not All

The only way your now brilliant elevator speech will be any use to you is if you give it and give it often. And, by the way, you don't have to be in an elevator to deliver your speech. Here are some “platforms” that may not have occurred to you:

• To another parent on the playground (or dog park), or at half-time during your child's sports event.
• As a charitable or business dinner where others at your table are business professionals.
• At the first meeting with a new client.
• To the person sitting next to you on the airplane, train or bus or waiting in one of the many ubiquitous lines we all find ourselves confined to.
• In the courtroom hallway.
• At the carwash.
• In church.
• At the supermarket.
• Anytime you have about 60 seconds to speak to another person.

Conclusion

Once you get the hang of it and achieve a comfort level talking to people you meet daily, you will find more and more opportunities to deliver your pitch. Not only will you begin to enjoy it, you will likely continue to improve your content and delivery. And don't forget to provide the people you meet an opportunity to deliver their own elevator speeches.

Frank Mims, President of Mims Morning Meeting, is a strategic partner with the Closers Group. He provides training and practice development for professional firms and may be reached at 832-259-708 or [email protected]. Allan Colman, CEO of the Closers Group, is a legal sales and business development consultant, motivational speaker and co-author of Lead Like a Boss. He may be reached at 310-225-3904 or via e-mail at [email protected].

From our estimates, we will all meet approximately 830 new people in 2014. Of those, 707 of them will ask you this question: “What do you do?” Your response and the tone of your reply will dictate the direction, scope, connection and possibility of an ongoing business relationship with these new acquaintances. The elevator pitch is the first volley you serve across the net to develop a new business venture. As this quote widely attributed to American humorist Will Rogers succinctly puts it, “You never get a second chance to make a first impression.”

The Elevator Pitch

The concept of an elevator pitch isn't new. People have been talking about its usefulness for years. Countless articles have already been written about how to craft and deliver a 30-second to two-minute short summary to quickly and simply define a person, profession, product, service, organization or event and its value proposition.

In writing this article, however, our goal is to challenge you to minutely examine your current pitch and craft a new one if it is not creating interest in the product you are selling or the business you are providing. Ask yourself these questions about your pitch:

• What is its expiration date? If you are using outdated words, phrases or concepts to describe what you do, you should consider the best way to update your language.
• Does your pitch reflect current topics? If you refer to events, you should choose those a listener will most easily remember and relate to. A personal injury lawyer using the Ford Pinto cases of the early 1970s to describe suing auto makers for product defects will likely only get a blank stare from most people.
• Does your pitch provoke a response? After you deliver your short pitch, your recipient should comment, ask a question, laugh in appreciation, be moved with empathy, or convey other expressions besides a simple nod, shoulder shrug or impatient foot-tapping waiting for the elevator door to open.
• Does your pitch have a desired mission? You should already know the desired outcome you want your pitch to elicit. For example, have you crafted the pitch in a way that your listener will respond by asking to exchange cards?
• Does your pitch accomplish your desired mission? For example, your listeners almost always ask for your card.
• Will your pitch lead you to a positive next step? Your elevator pitch has resulted in a new prospect and an opportunity to follow up.

If your pitch has the failed the above test, or if you are new to the concept, follow our formula for creating a great elevator pitch we call “the four S's”:

• Story: Tell a personal and emotional micro-story about a client, person or business your product or service has improved. “John Smith, my friend and client of five years, lost his CFO suddenly 30 days before his board of directors was due to review his company's annual reports.” (15 seconds.)
• Solution: Your solution must start with the word now . “Now, because they hired one of our qualified CFOs, the annual report was presented to the board on time for its review.” (15 seconds.)
• Skills: Explain how you differ from your competition or the credits you bring. Speak of the patents, the infrastructure, the clearances or technologies you utilize. (15 seconds.)
• Self: Demonstrate the benefit you bring to similar situations and where you and your company are going. “Please allow me to tell you more. May we exchange business cards? I will not send you materials, but would like to schedule a time to meet for a few minutes and answer any questions.” (15 seconds.)

Once you have your four S's in place, craft your pitch.

• Determine what is unique about you or what you do.
• Write it down.
• Say it out loud.
• Shorten it to as few words as possible to communicate your message.
• Make it exciting and enlightened.
• Ask your friends and family for feedback.
• Revise it some more.
• Deliver it like you own it.
• Put it in your cell phone.
• Practice, and then practice some more.

' But That's Not All

The only way your now brilliant elevator speech will be any use to you is if you give it and give it often. And, by the way, you don't have to be in an elevator to deliver your speech. Here are some “platforms” that may not have occurred to you:

• To another parent on the playground (or dog park), or at half-time during your child's sports event.
• As a charitable or business dinner where others at your table are business professionals.
• At the first meeting with a new client.
• To the person sitting next to you on the airplane, train or bus or waiting in one of the many ubiquitous lines we all find ourselves confined to.
• In the courtroom hallway.
• At the carwash.
• In church.
• At the supermarket.
• Anytime you have about 60 seconds to speak to another person.

Conclusion

Once you get the hang of it and achieve a comfort level talking to people you meet daily, you will find more and more opportunities to deliver your pitch. Not only will you begin to enjoy it, you will likely continue to improve your content and delivery. And don't forget to provide the people you meet an opportunity to deliver their own elevator speeches.

Frank Mims, President of Mims Morning Meeting, is a strategic partner with the Closers Group. He provides training and practice development for professional firms and may be reached at 832-259-708 or [email protected]. Allan Colman, CEO of the Closers Group, is a legal sales and business development consultant, motivational speaker and co-author of Lead Like a Boss. He may be reached at 310-225-3904 or via e-mail at [email protected].