One of the podcasts I enjoy is ‘The Pitch’. It’s a bit like ‘The Dragon’s Den’, but with an American twist. Where budding entrepreneurs pitch their ideas to potential investors. The episodes are short and entertaining. And you hear lots of interesting new ideas.
Getting clarity on your ‘elevator pitch’ is essential for all of us.
We’re always selling, whether we like it or not. It could be promoting your product or service, impressing your boss, getting support for your project, applying for a job. It’s important to get better at pitching.
Here’s how:
1 Get Clear on Your ‘Offer’
The three key elements to include in your elevator pitch are:
a) The benefit you offer
b) What makes this benefit believable ie the proof
c) A call to action
Examples
‘I help ambitious marketers grow their brands (benefit). I do this through my interactive learning experiences. (proof) I’d love to give you a demonstration (action)
‘My new flexible working plan will save money and make people happy (benefit). It’s based on employee surveys and extensive benchmarking (proof). To find out more, come to our event.’ (action)
Once you’ve crafted it, sharpen it. Use the following exercises.
a) Crystallise your pitch as a hashtag.
It’s a bit like a slogan or headline.
b) Express it as a tweet.
Getting your pitch down to 280 characters will focus the mind.
c) Express is a 6-word story. There’s a famous myth that Ernest Hemingway created a 6-word story on a napkin as a bet whilst out for lunch with friends. I’m sure you know it. It was:
‘For sale, baby shoes, never worn’
If you can summarise your pitch as a convincing 6-word story, you’ve nailed it.
2 Internalise It
The elevator pitch is designed for the chance encounter. The premise is that you meet someone in the elevator – an important/influential person - and they ask you a question. ‘How’s your project going?’, ‘What are you working on nowadays?’
You then have to respond succinctly and persuasively, as the elevator moves and before the door opens.
You’ve only got a few seconds. You need to memorise your pitch, so you can repeat it spontaneously.
3 Get Clear On Who You’re Pitching To
You need to understand who you’re pitching to and what their needs and desires are. This will help you shape your story.
Are you selling your services to a new customer? Are you pitching your project to senior management? Are you trying to get funding from an investor?
Develop different versions of your pitch, so you can adapt it to different audiences.
4 Articulate It With Conviction
When pitching, it’s not only what you say, it’s the way that you say it that counts. A little emotion goes a long way. Demonstrate your belief and enthusiasm. Don’t make any false claims or come across as insincere. But unless you sound convincing, you’ll never sell it.
5 Practice It
To bring it all together you’ve got to rehearse it. Write it down so you’ve got the words right. Then say it out loud. Does it sound natural? Does it sound authentic? Does it sound like you?
Practice with your friends and ask for feedback. Do they get it? Do you sound convincing?
Summary
Pitching is an important skill for everyone. We’re always selling, whether we like it or not. Working out your elevator pitch will lead to clarity and focus.
Capture it, memorise it, sharpen it and practice it.
Whenever you meet someone who could potentially help you, you’ll feel confident and brave.
Deliver a convincing pitch. It could make a huge difference to your future success.