What is an Elevator Pitch? I’m glad you asked.
Ever had that moment in ‘meeting a new person small-talk’ that actually turns into an unexpected opportunity to sell your business services or product? I had that very same moment last week at a party, in meeting someone new who asked what I do? Many people are in the market for a new whizz-bang website, marketing services or an all-in managed package for their IT, and the minute I mentioned that I work for Rapidfire, I could see their ears prick up. So what do you do at this moment? You’ve got all the elements of a great lead situation.. an interested, captive audience, and the chance meeting that could potentially mean a sale.. making you a superhero on Monday.
Well, that’s where an Elevator Pitch comes in handy. Around 70-100 words, for a 30-60 second spiel.. generally as long as it takes to ride in an elevator with a potential client or boss.. about who you are, what you do, and why you stand apart from everyone else in your industry. It’s like the radio ad of conversation.
If you don’t have one written already, it’s an excellent idea to spend some time writing a few different versions to really get that final, ‘I gotta know more’ moment from your listener; that you follow up with a card and a hand-shake.
Some top tips for writing an Elevator Pitch:
- Keep it short; the attention span of someone, particularly in a social situation is always limited before their phone rings, a friend walks in or some other distraction takes their attention away. Aim for around 45 seconds... no more than 2 minutes, otherwise it becomes a monologue.
- What makes you different? If they haven’t started looking around for what you’re offering, you have the perfect opportunity to stop them from trying - if they’re in the market for what you’re selling, chances are they’ve already had a look. Know your competition, and really identify a number of points that make you stand out from the crowd.
- Keep the relationship going – He knows the face and the name now, but by Monday morning you may be a distant or non-existent memory and nothing but a card in his wallet. Make sure you get their card and follow up to meet again this week. It not only kicks the relationship up a notch, but means that you strike while the iron’s hot.
If an Elevator Pitch sounds like something you’d be interested in looking into, but are not sure how, contact amy@rapidfire.com.au to see if we can help your marketing get the whizz-bang you want for your business.
