It’s an old saw that you only have one chance to make a first impression. In fact, that’s often not true! In some contexts you can be so forgettable that you can meet people for the first time over and over again.
In business that’s a problem! When you have worked hard to get in front of a prospect or meet a celebrity you definitely do want to make an impression – and it needs to be a good one. There is only so much you can do about your appearance – but the thing you absolutely can control is how you introduce yourself.
Is YOUR Introduction Brief And Catchy?
Do yourself a favour and think about it. Even if your job is unique and fascinating by nature (eg. I breed dinosaurs for an Adventure Park; or I have developed a 4-minute routine that guarantees anyone will reach their ideal weight and shape in 2 weeks and maintain it without ever dieting), it helps to be able to introduce it in a pithy way that attracts attention. Not everyone will be interested in what you do … but hopefully people will remember you later and pass your information on to someone who is.
Most people stumble over introducing themselves effectively, but a little effort here can dramatically increase your opportunities of attracting the attention of your ideal clients and prospects. A formula helps here … because it focuses your attention on the key things people want to learn about you.
Reality Check
In any crowd, but especially at networking functions, people are looking for others with whom they have a mutual interest or advantage. If your introduction doesn’t speak to their need, or catch their attention they’ll be keen to move on quickly. You need to highlight the problem you solve immediately – if they don’t have that problem, they’ll move on anyway, but if that is a problem that worries them, then they’ll stop and pay attention to you.
Three Elements of a Great Elevator Pitch
- Explain who you work with;
- Highlight the problem you solve;
- Share a success story that showcases the effectiveness of your solution.
A really good elevator pitch focuses on your ideal prospect, can be delivered in under 30 seconds, and will tell the recipient immediately what problem you solve. It may scare some people who would be a good fit away, but it will help you identify great clients – and help others identify great clients for you.
Why a Formula?
It is much harder to come up with a brief statement that encapsulates the essence of what you do, than a rambling one – almost anyone can tell you there life-story if they have an hour or two, although they may send you to sleep in the process. A formula with tight constraints gives you a framework to work with. Brevity really is key here. You want to retain interest, and anyone can focus their attention on you for 30 seconds.
There are several effective frameworks. The Gaddie Pitch is one I’ve been working with recently that provides a very effective structure and format. It is just 3 sentences long, can be delivered in 30 seconds, and has key phrases that call out to qualified prospects. It also has a structured way of determining what to include and what to leave out.
The important thing with any Elevator Pitch is that it is a distillation of how you solve a problem that really causes your prospects to suffer.
The Value of an Effective Elevator Pitch
Developing an effective Pitch can be a game-changer for any person who is looking for clients, a new job, or other opportunities. In my own business, the two things that transformed my client attraction process are a nifty business card, and an effective elevator pitch. These days sharing my elevator pitch often leads to a request for my business card, which leads to more opportunities – but that wasn’t always the case. Before I developed an effective pitch the response was more likely to be ‘how interesting’ followed by an awkward pause. I’ve noticed that others’ pitches are also often hard to follow-up.
Drilling down to the essence of your own service can be challenging for any individual or business, but it’s worth the effort. Ant Gaddie provides a framework in this video. If you need more help perfecting your pitch, one of my services involves working through the exercises and helping you develop an amazing pitch.
What is Your Time Worth?
Like consulting a professional for any service, talking to a pitch expert, working through the exercises with them, and testing the effectiveness of your elevator pitch can save you hours of effort, and many lost business opportunities.