Imagine you run into an old friend or an ex-boss at a mall and she asks, ‘Hey Sam, what do you do?’
Many of us may have encountered such a situation where we are caught unaware on how to succinctly and clearly elucidate what we do for a living or who we are.
If you are amongst the majority, you would try coming up with some long reply to the question and throw in work titles and adjectives to impress. You end up blurting out self-focused, non-clear verbiage sprinkled with boastful titles and inflated claims.
And before you realize, your friend is thinking, ‘Well, I had to ask!’
When someone asks what-do-you-do question, it is your cue to convey a well-rehearsed summary of your value proposition delivered in a 30-second time span of an elevator ride and hence, the name Elevator Pitch.
An Elevator Pitch is a terse, clear, and impactful self-introduction or your sales pitch that is delivered eloquently within a minute.
It is your chance to utilize prime real estate, create a lasting after-thought and impression in minds of a questioner.
Structure and Essentials of an impressive Elevator Pitch.
There are 4 fundamental features of a good elevator pitch:
- Short and clear
- Sets up a relatable story or connect
- Backed up with facts
- Delivered impactfully
There are 3 essential components of a compelling Elevator Pitch.
State problem: Problem should be relatable because if a listener does not relate to the problem, then it would fall on deaf ears and result in rolling eyes. No matter what earth-shattering solution you have for it.- Offer a solution: Position yourself as a solution enabler in what you do
- Give proof: Validate your solution with facts via mentions and testimonials from your industry. This develops credence in the minds of a listener
Mind you, these above 3 steps must be traversed eloquently within time of 30-60 seconds and anything beyond that is just plain fluff.
So, here is how to structure an Elevator Pitch with 3 components:
“You know {state problem}.
Well what I do is {offer solution}.
In fact, {provide facts}”Let us run some common use cases of a good elevator pitches.
Example 1: Insurance sales
You know how most people rarely realize the implications of not adequately insuring life. Well, what I do is to help people get peace of mind by making sure they take adequate term insurance to give financial protection to their families. In fact, just last month a client of mine passed away but his family was financially compensated USD 120,000 term cover as per their policy coverage.
Example 2: Telemedicine sales
You know how access to medical consultation by top doctors requires visits and a long wait at a hospital. Well, what we do is provide counseling to patients by renowned doctors in the comfort of their homes. In fact, I arranged nearly 5000 virtual counseling sessions for patents last month through my online platform.
Example 3: Power backup solutions
You know how power outages can disrupt critical systems in large companies causing huge financial losses. Well, what we do is relieve our customers from incurring such losses by installing backup power systems for an uninterrupted supply of power for their operations. In fact, I installed a system at ABC Bank that ensured a 100% uptime since the system was installed 3 months back.
Check out these examples on how or how not to pitch yourself in front of your boss.
I hope you got the gist. Now that you know how to make a compelling and impressive elevator pitch, go ahead and make one for yourself.
You may even have multiple versions of your pitch with subtle changes as situation demands.
Just follow the anatomy of a good Elevator Pitch by having 3 core components… state problem, offer solution and give proof.
The 30-second that follow what-do-you-do question is your opportunity to anchor and position yourself impressively in the eyes of your listener. Don’t waste it.
