photo by lrargerich
The elevator pitch is most often discussed in the context of a new entrepreneurial venture. The idea, for those unfamiliar with the phrase, is that you should be able to explain your product, service or project (and why someone might be interested in investing in it) in the time it takes to ride an elevator to its destination. That’s maybe 30 seconds to no more than a couple of minutes.
Why do you need an elevator pitch? Because no matter how brilliant your concept or how fascinating the various intricacies and subtleties, most people aren’t interested in all that. They want the big picture. The big picture tells them whether they’re willing to invest more time in learning about your idea. And if you grab their attention up front, they’ll give you time later to provide more details.
In today’s communications beehive, there’s an incredible battle going on for everyone’s attention. We’re all busy, and we’re all constantly bombarded with new ideas and information. We have to be pretty ruthless in filtering out most of what whizzes by if we’re to capture anything that we can put to use in our lives.
It’s a no-brainer that entrepreneurs must have their elevator pitches down before talking to venture capitalists. But what about the nonprofit director introducing his organization to a foundation’s program officer for the first time? Or the small business owner making first contact with a potential new customer? If you can’t tell your story in 100 words or less and make it compelling, then you may have already lost the battle.
Chris O’Leary literally wrote the book on the subject with Elevator Pitch Essentials
- Concise—Use only the words necessary to convey the concept.
- Clear—Make it understandable; no jargon, acronyms or 10-dollar words.
- Compelling—What problem do you solve?
- Credible—What qualifies you to solve the problem?
- Conceptual—Keep it at the 20,000-ft. level; don’t get bogged down in details.
- Concrete—Be specific. Make it tangible.
- Consistent—Every version of your pitch sticks to the same general script.
- Customized—Speak to the interests and concerns of the one you’re addressing.
- Conversational—It’s about starting a dialogue, not closing the deal.
Reviewing this list, I think it becomes apparent the everyone needs an elevator pitch. It captures the essence of why I should care about you. Whether you’re seeking donors, volunteers, media coverage, customers, venture capital … even if you’re just building your personal brand. We all need an elevator pitch.
What’s yours?
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