Posts Tagged ‘small business success’
Are you ready to pitch?
The elevator pitch gets its name from the 30-second opportunity to tell–and sell–your story during a short elevator ride. Thirty seconds is also the typical amount of time you get to capture someone’s attention.
It’s not just about getting all the info into a short and brief sentence or two. It’s more than writing a couple of great sentences that cover all the bases. It’s about being able to speak those sentences and sound natural.
Think in terms of a script. Start out by writing the script.
NOW speak it. Are you tripping over your words? Probably.
NOW simplify it. Practice it again and again. Practice it at a networking event. Notice how it changes just a bit each time you say it? That’s natural and normal. It’s not about sounding like a robot. It’s about informing and engaging in conversation.
The purpose of an elevator speech is not to close a deal, but to pique your listener’s attention enough to agree to move to the next level of commitment. Even if the next “level of commitment” is no more than a pleasant conversation. Afer all, one pleasant conversation after another is the beginning of a relationship.
