I’ve read incredibly mixed comments about elevator pitches. Some people see them as pointless, others see them as an absolute no brainer addition to a sales person’s toolkit.
Me?…. I’m firmly in the second camp… provided of course that the “pitch” has been carefully thought about and constructed.
I’m sure we all understand that an elevator pitch is a brief, persuasive statement that you use to spark interest in what your organisation does, but to be effective, they must be interesting, memorable, and to the point. They also need to explain what makes you – or your organisation, product, or idea – unique.
So how do you go about developing an effective elevator pitch ?
Start by describing what your organisation does. Focus on the problems that you solve and how you help people.
Secondly, explain the commercial value that you provide by solving the business problems that our potential customers might be facing.
Thirdly, add some quantitative examples of how some of your customers have benefited from using your product or service such as percentage increase in revenue, customers, time savings etc.
When you’ve completed each section of your pitch, put it all together.
Then, read it aloud and use a stopwatch to time how long it takes. It should be no longer than 20-30 seconds. Otherwise, you risk losing the person’s interest, or monopolising the conversation.
Then, try to cut out anything doesn’t absolutely need to be there. Remember, your pitch needs to be snappy and compelling, so the shorter it is, the better!
It’s worth developing a number of elevator pitches that you can use depending on who you’re talking to, what you know about their business, what business problems you think they may be facing and how you think you may be able to help them.
Like anything else, practice makes perfect. Remember, how you say it is just as important as what you say. If you don’t practice, it’s likely that you’ll talk too fast, sound unnatural, or forget important elements of your pitch.
Remember to tailor your pitch for different audiences. If appropriate, you can develop a number of elevator pitches that cater for different audiences.
Do you need help in developing effective elevator pitches? Ask for a copy of our elevator pitch template
If you found this article useful, don’t forget to subscribe to receive regular tips and ideas via the form below!