ELEVATOR PITCH: DO YOU HAVE ONE?
What Makes a Great Elevator Pitch? Do you even have one? Should you? YES! YES! YES!
Every elevator pitch is different, but they should matter to your reader! So they should have emotional appeal (don’t rule out “scary”). They should be helpful and insightful. And most of all, they should be timely.
Everyone Loves a Good Story
Stories are a good way to build rapport with your audience. Let’s take a minute to explore how this is true. If you are into any reality tv shows – from America’s Got Talent to American Ninja Warrior and beyond – you’ve seen this in action. They tell an emotional backstory about a competitor that makes you root for – and remember them – because now you’ve got emotional skin in the game. And this person is memorable. If you’re an author, you’ve already told a story in your book. Now it’s time to make the story compelling. I recently spoke at the Kept Woman of God Conference and many were surprised by the humor. A friend shared with me that her friend said to her, “I knew Michelle, but I had no idea that she was that funny.” It’s part of the pitch. It’s part of my story. Of course, many of my friends know I have a tendency to lace our conversations with something funny but everyone who’s ever met me wouldn’t know that. What do you want people who don’t know you to know about you? That’s your elevator pitch should answer.
Essential Elements of a Powerful Elevator Pitch
We just talked about what makes an elevator pitch great – and now are the elements you need to make it powerful:
1. Concise: Make it short, sweet, and to the point.
2. Clear: Use simple, compelling language everyone can understand without thinking too long.
3. Passion: If you’re not passionate about your topic, how can you expect anyone else to be?
4. Visual: Use words that paint a picture in your reader’s mind.
5. Stories: Don’t forget to tell the story.
6. What’s the worst that could happen? What will people miss out on by not buying your product, reading your book, or using your service?
Now, here’s how to Craft Your Killer Elevator Pitch
• Write it down: Start by writing the story of your service, book, or product in two paragraphs or less. This will get the juices flowing. If you’re an author, this will be excruciating. Because I’m asking you to take your 100,000-word book and whittle it down to two paragraphs. But I promise you it’s worth it to get to the key elements of your book.
• Make a list: Write down 10 to 20 things that your product, service or book does for the reader. These can be action statements, benefits, or book objectives.
• Record yourself: Next, read it out loud and record yourself to see out it sounds. It’s pretty much a sure thing that you won’t like your first few attempts. And that’s ok. Only rarely will the first thing you write be effective.
• Rest: In other words, don’t rush this. Let it rest at least overnight. Your elevator pitch is the most important thing that you will be creating in your marketing package. So ensure that it’s just right.
Finally, remember that you should try to be different from everyone else to get attention. And try to shock your consumer. Unusual facts are quite effective. I did that in the beginning of this piece when I said that goldfish are eclipsing us in terms of attention span. This works well for authors who write fiction.
And don’t worry about what other people think. To be memorable you’ve got to take chances. We admire the risk takers, because we wish we could do the same thing. And a good pitch gives you a way to take the chance and be different. Because if you – and your message – don’t stand out, you won’t get noticed in our 8-second world.
No matter what anyone will ever tell you, always be ready to tell your story!
To Your Success,
MG
What Makes a Great Elevator Pitch? Do you even have one? Should you? YES! YES! YES!
Every elevator pitch is different, but they should matter to your reader! So they should have emotional appeal (don’t rule out “scary”). They should be helpful and insightful. And most of all, they should be timely.
Everyone Loves a Good Story
Stories are a good way to build rapport with your audience. Let’s take a minute to explore how this is true. If you are into any reality tv shows – from America’s Got Talent to American Ninja Warrior and beyond – you’ve seen this in action. They tell an emotional backstory about a competitor that makes you root for – and remember them – because now you’ve got emotional skin in the game. And this person is memorable. If you’re an author, you’ve already told a story in your book. Now it’s time to make the story compelling. I recently spoke at the Kept Woman of God Conference and many were surprised by the humor. A friend shared with me that her friend said to her, “I knew Michelle, but I had no idea that she was that funny.” It’s part of the pitch. It’s part of my story. Of course, many of my friends know I have a tendency to lace our conversations with something funny but everyone who’s ever met me wouldn’t know that. What do you want people who don’t know you to know about you? That’s your elevator pitch should answer.
Essential Elements of a Powerful Elevator Pitch
We just talked about what makes an elevator pitch great – and now are the elements you need to make it powerful:
1. Concise: Make it short, sweet, and to the point.
2. Clear: Use simple, compelling language everyone can understand without thinking too long.
3. Passion: If you’re not passionate about your topic, how can you expect anyone else to be?
4. Visual: Use words that paint a picture in your reader’s mind.
5. Stories: Don’t forget to tell the story.
6. What’s the worst that could happen? What will people miss out on by not buying your product, reading your book, or using your service?
Now, here’s how to Craft Your Killer Elevator Pitch
• Write it down: Start by writing the story of your service, book, or product in two paragraphs or less. This will get the juices flowing. If you’re an author, this will be excruciating. Because I’m asking you to take your 100,000-word book and whittle it down to two paragraphs. But I promise you it’s worth it to get to the key elements of your book.
• Make a list: Write down 10 to 20 things that your product, service or book does for the reader. These can be action statements, benefits, or book objectives.
• Record yourself: Next, read it out loud and record yourself to see out it sounds. It’s pretty much a sure thing that you won’t like your first few attempts. And that’s ok. Only rarely will the first thing you write be effective.
• Rest: In other words, don’t rush this. Let it rest at least overnight. Your elevator pitch is the most important thing that you will be creating in your marketing package. So ensure that it’s just right.
Finally, remember that you should try to be different from everyone else to get attention. And try to shock your consumer. Unusual facts are quite effective. I did that in the beginning of this piece when I said that goldfish are eclipsing us in terms of attention span. This works well for authors who write fiction.
And don’t worry about what other people think. To be memorable you’ve got to take chances. We admire the risk takers, because we wish we could do the same thing. And a good pitch gives you a way to take the chance and be different. Because if you – and your message – don’t stand out, you won’t get noticed in our 8-second world.
No matter what anyone will ever tell you, always be ready to tell your story!
To Your Success,
MG
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