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Is your elevator pitch (essential message) clear and precise?
Written by: Ross FattoriArticle Overview: The importance of defining your product, service or business in a few simple and clear sentences.
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Is your elevator pitch (essential message) clear and precise?
I've been working on a project for a client who needs a better elevator pitch for his business. He found that when he meets with prospective clients, he's spending too much time talking about the bells and whistles of his new technology instead of the core service that he's providing. This was a problem.
It sounds easy, but coming up with an elevator pitch to describe a business (or whatever you do) is anything but. In this case, it required research, interviews, brainstorming and digging deep to discover the essential benefits of the business.
A company may have a fancy web site and elaborate marketing materials to describe its business. Executives and salespeople may talk in digibabble to impress customers and to gain attention in the press.
But, if you can't communicate what you do in a sentence or two, you're going to lose business. There's an excellent quote by William Zinsser in his classic book, On Writing Well. Zinsser writes: "Any institution that won't take the trouble in its writing to be both clear and personal will lose friends, customers and money."
He's absolutely right. Over the years, I've met many people at parties and at business functions, who have tried explaining to me (unsuccessfully) what they do for a living. After a while, I lose interest and have to change the subject.
If you feel that your elevator pitch could use a tune-up, invest the time and resources necessary to distill your message down to a few clear and precise sentences. Such an exercise could yield other important insights as well.
Is Your Elevator Pitch a Monologue or a Dialogue?
Maximizing your Marketing in Just a Few Minutes
Think Like Your Audience When Networking With a Successful Elevator Pitch
How to Write an Elevator Pitch
Executives and Elevators Perfecting That Pitch
Article Tags: elevator pitch, On Writing Sell, William Zinsser
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About the Author: Ross Fattori RSS for Ross's articles - Visit Ross's website  Click here to visit Ross's website   Weight loss commercial is thin on credibility Prerecorded phone messages do more harm than good Before launching your first blog Seven easy ways to promote a new product or service Virgin Mobile embraces slow economy with Screw You Recession ad campaign |
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Re: help wanted in u.k.
- I have just been asked to send in a pitch to the ---someplace--- I am going to revise all you told me in your post, it is good stuff thanks.
sorry I have to edit this post omitting the name due to media confidentiality agreement
well the post was up before i signed, so anyway, I will not refer to it directly anymore
i do not think i can clear it completely but anyway it will be o.k.
Men and women working together
- Go for the mix Julie. The guy will be able to bring a different perspective and can help connect with your customers in a different way. I would often tag team with my female partner and if it's a male customer she does the pitch, if it's a female I do the pitch and it's worked out well for us.
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