Make sure you have your Elevator Pitch ready

 

Elevator pitches are useful in many professional and social situations.  Every business owner and entrepreneur should know how to deliver them. Here are some tips to master the art of quickly telling people about you and your company’s mission:

 

Keep it short and sweet

The average person’s attention span is short (from 15 to 30 seconds), so your pitch should not be any longer than that. Avoid industry jargon and statistics. You only have a few seconds to make a good first impression, so be clear on what you are saying.

State what you sell and define your target market

Briefly describe your product or service and who will be interested in buying it. Don’t get too wordy with details!

Explain what makes you so different

If you have an advantage over the competition, don’t hold back. Briefly describe how your products or services surpass others in your field of business.

Give them a “hook”

Hold your listener’s interest for the next part of the speech. Get the person to wonder how you offer such great things; making sure they start thinking about how your offerings would also be great for their business. Your ultimate goal is to continue the conversation after that elevator ride ends. And, make sure you have a professional business card!

Be conversational

Make sure that your pitch is delivered naturally and in a relaxed fashion. Listen to your tone of speaking tone, the phrases you use, and check your body language as you talk. You want to be as approachable and non-challenging as possible.

Add credibility

Mention the names of a client or two and explain how your business achieved positive results for them.

 

This may seem like a lot of information to communicate in 30 seconds, but practice does make perfect. Try your elevator pitch out on your spouse or partner, and colleagues. Keep fine-tuning it until your pitch is concise, friendly, and holds someone’s attention.