Without a doubt, an elevator pitch is one of the most critical parts of perfecting your brand. Whether you are trying to win a client or a potential customer, or merely trying to explain what you do, having a strong elevator pitch is your key to success. Having said that, an elevator pitch remains quite fuzzy to many people despite its enormous contribution to branding. More often than not, an elevator pitch has been used to offer a quick summary that you use to explain your business or explain what you do in a concise manner. The name elevator pitch is used because it denotes the time you should use to present your brand. Basically, it is time you use to get through your whole speech, which is the same as the time it takes to travel from the ground floor to the top floor in an elevator; 30-60 seconds.
Why is an elevator pitch crucial in your business?
Let’s face it; you only get one chance to make a first impression. I can’t think of a better place to start other than harnessing the immense power of an elevator pitch. This essential tool can help you make the most of these first impressions while making networking situations more comfortable and productive. An elevator pitch is meant to get you through situations you are rather uncomfortable or get a little tongue-tied when trying to explain your brand. In such cases, an elevator pitch gives you a ready-to-go introduction, which can take a lot of stress off your shoulders. Not only that, having a well-crafted pitch presents you as a confident and self-assured person, leading to a great first impression.
How to craft a perfect elevator pitch
Well, your elevator pitch should have the following main components:
- Explain who you are.
- What you do or what product you are pitching.
- Should explicitly explain the value you bring to the table.
These three components basically explain everything an elevator pitch should have. Therefore, it is a perfect way of telling a well-rounded story. Saying who you are or giving a little background about yourself helps listeners connect with you and offers insight into your unique characteristics. The product you are pitching or, in other words, what you do explains your purpose. The best way to go about this is by writing down what you do differently; say 10-20 times. This shouldn’t give you nightmares as what you really want to capture at this stage is to generate ideas and get a feel for descriptive words. On the other hand, sharing your value wraps up your story by showing your listeners how you can benefit them.
Your main aim in crafting an elevator pitch should be to show how you or your product will add value to your potential client. It would be best if you thought of an elevator pitch as a job interview, where you always try as much as possible to highlight the value you offer. Naturally, we always want to figure out how we fit into a situation or be part of something. Therefore, showing your listener how you can add value to them will make them more receptive to your pitch.
In addition to that, ensure that your pitch caters to your audience. For instance, if you are presenting to people working in the ICT field, try to use tech examples or try to blend your language with some industry jargon if possible. Whatever you do, just make sure that your elevator pitch adapts to the audience to ensure that it provides value to your listeners by the end of the day.
Here are some other essential elements to consider in your elevator pitch.
- Write your objective. You should know what you want your pitch to accomplish from the beginning. Are you trying to win a new client? Make some sales? Or entice a journalist to write about you or your product?
- Record yourself presenting an elevator pitch. I know this may sound rather odd, but listening to a recording of yourself can help you be more critical of your performance and help you choose the best approach.
- Listen to what others have to say. Having recorded yourself and made the necessary edits, you need to run it by as many people as possible. Ensure that it fits into a 30-60 second time frame. Make sure you are running this with people you trust who already understand what you do. They can be your colleagues, clients, friends, or family. These are people who can best provide feedback.
- Continue perfecting your craft. Don’t settle for less. There’s always room for improvement. Research on phrases that can spice up your elevator pitch at the same time makes it more clear and powerful. Always be flexible with your pitch to accommodate your changing services and goals.
Finally, always remember practice makes perfect. Therefore, the best way to perfect your craft is to practice it in different scenarios. As mentioned, a great elevator pitch is adaptable, so practice presenting your elevator pitch to different audiences and various situations. If it’s possible, give your pitch to an actual person. This is hugely beneficial. You can use your friends as your audience and let them tell you; first, what they learned, what they feel should have been included, and what they think you could improve.
This will help you determine where you are with your elevator pitch to improve on some other areas. Therefore, this is an equally important part of your personal brand. While performing this exercise, be sure to listen to what they say and notice, and use their feedback to perfect your pitch. Sometimes the things that might seem obvious to you may not come to mind when someone else listens to it. Try to treat the exercise as market research and use it to improve your brand.