As a small business owner, we have several marketing options to promote our business: advertising, telemarketing, direct mail. But my favorite is definitely networking. First, it is the lowest cost marketing tool, and second, it is a way to build long-term relationships with people. If advertising can get you a great result in one go, networking will get you more in the long run.

Hosting many business networking events, in the past, was a great opportunity to meet a large number of people, make deals, get clients, make friends, and learn from other entrepreneurs.

But I realized that a significant number of people had great products or services, but just didn’t know how to present them. And as a result they were unable to attract the customers they were looking for.

One of the keys to networking is being able to introduce yourself and your business in 30 to 60 seconds or less, in a sentence or two, very concisely. In other words, you must have a very efficient elevator pitch. You need to be ready to deliver your elevator pitch in the blink of an eye at any time.

But what is an elevator speech?

An elevator pitch is a short presentation that introduces you and your business mission and makes you memorable. It focuses on the benefits it provides and can be delivered in 30 to 60 seconds or less, even in a lift, hence the name.

If you are passionate, excited, and eager to build and run your own business, then you should be able to describe, in a short, concise sentence or two, exactly what you do, why your offering is the best on the market, and, indeed, why. what the person should buy from you.

The best way to develop your elevator pitch is to summarize or list the most compelling, exciting, and valuable benefits your customers will get when they use your products and services. How can your products and services solve problems or satisfy needs?

An effective elevator pitch leaves a lasting impression, demonstrates your professionalism, and allows you to position yourself with your target customers.

Remember that the main concern of your customers is: “What benefits will I receive when buying your product or service?” So when preparing your elevator pitch, always make sure your audience needs to answer this “What’s in it for me?” question.

People are always more interested in how you can help them than what you do or how they can help you.

Consider these points when developing your elevator pitch:

1/ Write down the “deliverables”: the products, services and functions that you offer. Then, analyze your offer and put yourself in the shoes of your customers. What good things will they get or what good things will happen to them when they make a purchase?

2/ Be specific. Use numbers and statistics when you can. For example, double your income in less than 12 months, achieve a 30% increase over last year, lose 20 pounds in 10 weeks, triple your number of subscribers in 5 days or less.
People go by numbers because they add a sense of credibility to a claim. Numbers also spark curiosity and anxiety, another useful tool that motivates people to make a purchase.

3/ Never reveal your whole story in your elevator pitch. Highlight the main benefits your products and/or services provide, which will encourage people to ask questions and start the conversation.

4/ Create a tagline that grabs your listener’s attention and compels them to stop what they’re doing and listen to you. The most effective openers leave the audience searching for additional information. Compare your elevator speech to the cover of your favorite magazine. You will most likely find the key story titles in that issue. If the titles don’t grab your attention and pique your curiosity quickly, then you probably won’t buy that issue.

5/ Practice your elevator speech to the point where you can recite the language with perfect ease, great confidence, clarity and total balance right away. It is extremely important that you feel totally comfortable every time you deliver your elevator pitch. Learn it; practice it; master it; but never read it. Your delivery should be very smooth and totally fluid. Continually practice your elevator speech in front of the mirror and in front of your friends until your speech becomes a part of you.

So do you have a better idea? Are you ready to write your elevator pitch?
Try this the next time you describe what you do. Choose your words. Hook your listener. Get them to ask questions. Make them want to meet with you and buy your products and services.

© 2006 Biba F. Pedron