Last Updated on October 11, 2021 by Dave Schoenbeck
If you’re a business owner, chances are you’ve heard the term “elevator pitch” more times than you can count. But aside from knowing that you need one, do you really know what a successful elevator pitch looks like?
In its purest form, an elevator pitch should aim to introduce a stranger to who you are, what you do, and why they might want to work with you.
It could be delivered in-person or through email, but it needs to be rock solid to leave a lasting impression. However, you slice it, writing an elevator pitch for your business is key to your growth and success.
Why is Writing an Elevator Pitch Important?
Your elevator pitch is, whether you know it or not, a crucial part of your networking strategy. If it’s lackluster, you might miss out on opportunities to connect with new customers or other industry professionals. After all, first impressions are everything.
At a networking event, your elevator pitch is your one chance to influence someone on who you are and what you do. If you’re making a connection over email, it’s your opportunity to stand out from the hundreds of other emails that person receives in a day. In either case, you have to make it memorable.
Components of an Elevator Pitch
You should aim to have an elevator pitch that’s 30-60 seconds long: any longer, and you risk overstaying your welcome. It needs to be something you can quickly remember so you can deliver it on a moment’s notice. After all, you never know when your next networking opportunity will be.
Think of writing an elevator pitch like writing a persuasive essay: you want to start with a hook to get the listener interested, follow it up with what you do and why they should care, and finish with a call-to-action to continue the conversation and get them involved.
5 Steps to Writing an Elevator Pitch
Step one is to get clear about what you do. You need to be able to explain your job in layman’s terms, along with how your business provides a solution to a known problem.
Step two is to clarify. What makes your business unique? What do you have to offer that the rest of your industry is lacking? Think about the things that make your job attractive, something that would be memorable to a person hearing about it for the first time.
Step three is to ask yourself, why should someone care? Don’t mistake the elevator pitch as an excuse to boast about your accomplishments. If you’re not thinking about what you can offer others, they might not want to listen for very long.
Step four is to continue the conversation. You want to end with a question that relates to your pitch or your industry, such as “have you ever had that problem in your line of work?” or “is that a product/service you’ve ever needed?”
Step five is to put these all together into one statement. Start with your hook, then introduce who you are and what you do. Talk about your target audience and how you’re making a difference. Involve the participant by making it relevant to them, and end with a question (or another call-to-action, such as “contact me for a consultation,” if appropriate to the situation.)
Writing an elevator pitch for your business requires effort and effectively promoting your business is critical. Click here and fill out my contact form for a video call to discuss how to rock your elevator speech.
Coach Dave
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