Sales/Elevator Pitch

The concept of the "elevator pitch" is simple - you should be able to speak to a stranger in a lift and by the time the lift gets to the top floor, have introduced yourself, and your business in a positive and memorable way.  As the saying goes- "you get one chance to make a good first impression".  

People who do this with apparent ease generally have it very well rehearsed.  You too, need to get your sales pitch perfect.  I have been researching this for some time and have come to the conclusion that nobody does it better than TV ads.  The perfect television ad does what we all need to do when networking our business.  There is generally a mix of components covering;  Who, What, Where, When, Why, How.  These can be arranged in different sequences but what is important is to cover the benefits of doing business with you and a call to action.  There is so much noise out there at the moment that if you don't get them to commit NOW, the next person offering a similar service or product with a call to action may close the sale which you have opened for your competitor.  Watch the ads and make some notes.  Certain brands like BMW, Lexus, Apple will focus very much on luxury, aspirations, a "you have arrived" message.  Others will focus on price, discount - "buy today or before a certain date" - very strong call to action.  Some will emphasise a need that they meet - as good as their competitors AND Cheaper - UPC vs SKY would be an example of this. There are also those who use scare and guilt tactics - insurance/pensions industry would be an example of this. Personally, I think giving people a feel good factor rather than a feeling of guilt is a nicer way of doing business.

Once you have decided on what your Unique Sales Proposition is - what gives you added value in your line of business, what makes you special, it is important to make people aware of it. So write it down - Who are You, What do you do, Why should I buy from you, How, When and Where can I buy from you.  This is one of the most important things you can do for yourself and your business.  If you find people need to ask you a lot of questions about your business - answers to which you thought were obvious - then your sales pitch is wrong.  Review it, rewrite a couple and test them on friends and family.  Would love to get your comments on any particular sales pitch that you believe to be brilliant.  Leave a comment below please.