The Hidden Secret Of A Great Elevator

Pitch

By John Fisher - Business for BreakfastAugust 2010

A Few ThoughtsAn elevator pitch is a very short description of your business that you could deliver in the time it takes to ride an elevator. It is designed to pique your listener's interest and get them wanting to know more.

There are a number of universal guidelines for effective pitches, but the most important rule can be

summed up in 3 words: Less is more

You should not be aiming to give your company's life story - nobody cares, and they care even less after sitting through 15 other pitches. You may be desperate to get over the 15 great reasons why everyone in the room should do business with you, but at this point such targets are more than ambitious!

This means you should think about 2 or 3 ideas to convey. That's it.

So how do you decide which 3 concepts you want to talk about?

The best way is to prepare by asking others why they buy from you. Do you have a particularly enticing USP or irresistible offer that always makes sales easily for you?

A pitch where you describe only 1 benefit of your product or service can often be the most successful way to get your message across. Try a few different versions out, and see what results they bring.