One of the keys to getting people to buy your stuff is developing a clear statement of what you do. Give people a vision of what they would get if they bought your product or service. Or even what they could expect if they hired you.
For example, if I told you that ABC Company does collaborative development of a comprehensive suite of innovation practices to dramatically increase rates of success in innovation delivery and adoption…um, do you know what ABC Company does?
Or how about this one: XYZ Firm develops affordable real-life solutions for important issues faced by most businesses in today’s fast-changing marketplace.
Now before you accuse me of making these descriptions up…I want you to know they are real. I just changed the name of the company.
Translate this into our everyday conversations with people. When you meet a person at a professional association meeting and they tell you, “I leverage technologies to create interactive solutions for my clients.” What the…?
Hey, I’m a plain English kinda girl. When Wally Bock writes, “My Working Supervisor’s Support Kit helps bosses do better.” I get a vision – buy this kit, give it to your supervisors and they will get better at managing the workforce.
#whatido My Working Supervisor's Support Kit helps bosses do better. http://ht.ly/1P9cN
wallybock
Wally Bock
I know developing a concise pitch can be hard. But there are really only three main elements:
- Describe who you are and what you do.
- Tell them your goal.
- Explain why you’re unique.
If you’re looking for some help in creating or refining yours, check out Harvard Business School’s Elevator Pitch Builder. It walks you through the process of building your own elevator pitch and provides some tips to consider when you’re using it in business situations. I really liked the section at the end where it does an analysis of what you’ve created and provides an estimate of how long it would take you to say the pitch.
Take a few moments to think about your elevator pitch. Every company out there should help “increase rates of success” and “develop real-life solutions”. That’s a no brainer. Make sure it clearly tells potential customers what you do.
Related Posts: Looks like this is pretty unique stuff!
Hi! I'm Sharlyn Lauby, an HR pro turned consultant. I created the HR Bartender blog so people would have a friendly place to discuss workplace issues. And since, over the years, I've developed an appreciation for the culinary arts (translation: I'm a Foodie) you'll see some of that here too. So, pull up a stool and order your favorite drink . . . the bar is always open.
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Wow, Bartender. Thanks for using my pitch as an example. A little extra publicity is a good thing.
It actually has three versions. The other Twitter version is: “Want to be a better boss, my Working Supervisor’s Support Kit can help.” The in-person is “You know how so many bosses struggle with the people parts. My Working Supervisor’s Support Kit can help.”
(I had fun tracking down the source of those descriptions!)
The key to writing elevator pitches – or any marketing text – is to not think “what do I want to tell them?”, but “what do they want to hear?”. They want to hear how you can improve, solve, make more efficient or – as Wally’s pitch does simply and elegantly – ‘do better’.
Then when you’ve told them that, tell them what you do to make that happen – IN WORDS PEOPLE ACTUALLY UNDERSTAND. (Tip: “comprehensive suite of innovation practices” is not even close…)
Me? I help organisations hire the very best people and get the best out of them through a comprehensive suite of innovation practices. Oops, I mean “through psychological assessment, coaching and development”.
Great post! I can’t tell you how many times I have heard about a company, gone to their website, clicked on “About us,” and the thought, “Greeeat…but what is your product/service?”
Excellent points! I always coach clients to consider the fact that the pitch is not actually only about them. (Ironically!) When you have a chance to pitch to an individual or group, I would add #4: Describe numbers 1, 2 and 3 in terms that relate to the listeners. Make it relevant. What do you do/how are you unique as it pertains to solving THEIR problems. Building a bridge between your specialties and your target audience’s goals makes all the difference!
Sharlyn , first of all, your website looks fantastic. Love the visuals.
This topic is the toughest to master. Sharing what you do in a couple of words, in other words branding is extremely challenging. Thanks for sharing the link to HBR and your own insights on developing an effective elevator pitch. I also agree with what Miriam says above. The pitch needs to be modified depending on the audience so that it is relevant.
Marguerite
Great advice. This shouldn’t just be limited to elevator pitches – confusing people with technical jargon won’t get you anywhere. In presentations in particular, it is important to keep it simple and audience-focused. Make sure people can understand you!
@Wally – You are most welcome. It’s a great example. And thanks for sharing the variations you use for different mediums.
@Ben – Thanks for commenting. I totally agree that people need to ditch the fancy vocabulary and use words that have a stronger connection.
@Ginger – Excellent point. My examples are from Twitter profiles. You really should be able to figure out a company’s product or service from their website.
@Miriam – Nice addition to the conversation. You should always tie the pitch to a value proposition.
@Marguerite – Thanks for the nice words about the new look. I’m particularly fond of the napkin. I agree it’s important to keep the audience in mind when conveying your pitch.
@Jessica – Thanks for commenting. It’s amazing how powerful a simple stated message can be.
Good article and information. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks for the comment Sue! Hope all is well.