Most business professionals who attend networking events have to deliver the obligatory 30 second commercial or ‘elevator pitch.’ For many, it’s a mundane delivery of your name, your business and what you do for your clients or customers.
But, it doesn’t have to be.
As a first-time attendee of a recent women’s group, I decided to make a lasting first impression. To help get my wheels turning, I asked my always-entertaining friend and web partner, John Webster if he had any tips for delivering his elevator pitch. He was kind enough to share his formula: Shock for attention, we help ___ get ____ using the Internet, and close with offering to let them pick his brain if they buy lunch (his claim to fame).
Seems simple enough, but I had to ask what constitutes an appropriate business ‘shock.’ He told me he started a recent pitch singing happy birthday to healthcare.gov, which he confirmed was hysterical.
I liked John’s thinking and decided to piggy back on his idea. The key difference for me is making sure I customize my pitch for the audience. I started to brainstorm a few ideas and devised my own formula.
- Offer an attention-grabbing nugget relevant to the audience (and your industry, if applicable)
- Add humor. Pause.
- Transition into what your business does and how you help your clients (bonus: a tie-in with your opening nugget)
To put this formula intp action, I considered the group I was attending which was comprised of women business professionals, many of whom were also business owners. Because I preach relevancy, I thought I would start with something related to my field in conjunction with a way it impacts the attendees. Then, I added something to make them laugh. After a brief pause, I explained how I help my clients and ended with what I do (incorporating the opening nugget).
It went something like this:
Did you know that the average American spends 3 hours a day social networking? Women spend 3.6 hours. Business owners spend 4.4 hours! That’s HALF of a work day!
In the wise words of Dr. Phil, how’s that working for you?
I’ve been helping businesses for nearly five years and I can assure you that my clients who have seen the most gains are not the ones who spent the most time.
Whether you want a consultant to point you in the right direction or you want a social media manager to take the reins, Strella Social Media can help you get back your most important asset… your time.
The best part of delivering this pitch was that the response was not just well-received; it was a HIT! My confidence was bolstered and the bar has now been set.
Have you found a winning formula for the elevator pitch? Share it here! In fact, share the pitch. I would love to hear it!
