So how’s your elevator pitch? Hang on a minute, what’s an elevator pitch?
Right. You’re at a networking event where you’ve just met someone for the first time, or perhaps in a meeting, or in a social setting. Or maybe you are in an elevator! They say to you ‘So, what do you do?’.
Here are some do’s and don’ts:
Do:
- Have something sensible to say.
- Be succinct and to the point. Keep it brief.
- Focus broadly on business issues rather than on your products and services.
- Be enthusiastic and friendly.
- Make eye contact and positive body language.
- Make it interesting and (what you think will be) relevant to them.
Don’t:
- Ramble on and talk too much.
- Try to sell anything.
- Talk about your products and services.
- Bore them stupid.
- Appear disinterested or distracted.
- Be appalling! Many are! If you want to be appalling do the previous 5 things.
When someone asks me this question I generally respond with something like ‘I work with my clients to help them grow their sales revenue’. They often respond with something like ‘Really, how do you do that?’
This, clearly, is the start of a dialogue. From my perspective I then try to turn the discussion around by asking them questions about themselves and their business. Remember, it’s all about building relationships.
So, your elevator pitch – short, sharp, interesting, friendly, sincere, and most of all, no matter how strange this sounds, focussed on them.