I call the elevator pitch something else. It’s more flexible to think of it as a situation-specific 30-second introduction. You really don’t need to have an extraordinary message, perfectly crafted and rehearsed so that you can perform it on command…that’s too much pressure! In my book I talk about a modular approach. Seriously…make it easier and give up the struggle!
Create a bullet list for yourself that you can authentically share at any opportune moment:
- your name, and perhaps how to remember it
- some credibility points about you (degrees, authorship, client organizations that are recognized names, years in an industry, etc.)
- whom you help
- what you help them to do
- and something you are passionate about
Keep it simple so you don’t have to memorize exact wording of anything but rather can generate it in any moment or social situation and make it relevant to whomever you are speaking. (I usually don’t talk much in elevators, how about you?)
Rock on!
I think for an elevator pitch to be most effective it needs to come off sounding natural. If you give your pitch and it sounds too rehearsed you can come across as insincere or worse, a load of you know what. Your advice should keep it sounding natural, genuine, and authentic.
Thanks for the post,
Matt
I totally agree. I’ve recently taken an intensive sales seminar and had problems with the leader. It was all very old school. All of us in sales need to be genuine and keep it simple. I like Suzi’s approach.
I use a similar approach, with emphasis on your points 3 and 4. In practice I use the phrase “I work with ____________ who want to __________” to articulate just what it is I do to bring value to my clients.