Quick. Clear. Compelling.
About An Elevator Pitch
Well, what exactly do you say when someone asks you what your business does and you know that this person has very limited time that he might devote to listening to you?
This persuasive little speech, which should take 20-30 seconds, is called an Elevator Pitch, also referred to as Elevator Statement.
To begin with, this statement makes you define your business. As we know that we barely have half a minute for this, it becomes mandatory to make it as interesting as possible and something that the listener retains in his or her mind for long.
Crafting an Elevator Pitch
To come up with an elevator pitch is an evolutionary process; you just don’t sit and create it in a single attempt.
There isn’t a standard way of crafting it; the process might vary, depending upon the nature of your business.
Identify
Start by identifying what you want to convey to others. Is it something you would want a CEO to know or do you simply want to explain what you do to earn a living?
Do you solve any problem?
If your business is capable of solving any problem, add it in your elevator pitch. Add statistics if you can.
Excite the Audience
If you can excite the listener about what you do, you are half way through the job. Keep in mind not to make the pitch so boring that it makes the listener lose interest.
Do you offer something unique?
If your business offers something unique, go ahead and let the audience know about it. This is called your USP or Unique Selling Proposition.
Help the audience understand better
While communicating, you must bear in mind that the audience might have several questions. Prepare them in advance so that you can help the audience understand better.
Practice Makes Perfect
In order to sound completely natural, you need to practice your pitch over and over again. If you end up sounding too fast, skipping the important parts, your perfectly written pitch might turn out to be a disaster. Stand in front of a mirror and time what you speak several times, you never know when you might come across someone who would end up investing in your business just by listening to what you are doing.
Ask Your Friends
Your close friends are the perfect audience to know what you and your pitch sound like. Ask their opinions and know the little elements that might require some alteration.
Go With the Flow
A very critical part of your elevator pitch is that although it is already prepared multiple times in your head, you don’t have to sound like a robot while saying it, even for the hundredth time, so go with the flow and change it a little every time.
Lastly, keep a business card with you so that the person, who just heard you, gets to retain your name along with your company name.
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