If you have your own business then you probably already know how important your ‘elevator pitch’ is to your company’s success. The elevator pitch is a 30 second opportunity to engage someone in your business; what it does; and where it’s going. We take a closer look at how to make that 30 seconds work for you.
You may think you know your company back to front, and that you could tell someone what you do and why you do it. But the real question to ask yourself is whether you can talk about your company in a way that makes people want to invest in it: whether in time, money or relationships.
Talk in benefits rather than skills
The difference between boredom and interest with the 30 second pitch comes from your ability to talk in benefits rather than skills, and your success in telling a story. Your pitch should answer 2 basic questions and deliver a memorable punch that makes people want to know more. The 2 questions are ‘Who are you?’ and ‘What do you do?’.
By talking in benefits rather than skills you make your offering more interesting. For example: ‘We deliver landscape gardening solutions to residential and commercial properties” becomes ‘We help clients maximise their outdoor space by designing solutions based around their interests and needs.”
Create a story
It’s much easier to be memorable if you create a story around your company or product that demonstrates or qualifies your pitch. For example: “We help clients maximise their outdoor space by designing solutions based around their interests and needs. We just designed a garden for a school for visually impaired children. Rather than aiming for visual effect the garden was structured around sounds and smells: a really unique design perspective.”
Finally consider how you will end your pitch. Once your work is done, consider a follow up question that you could ask your listener to engage them further and continue the conversation.
Practice makes perfect
Wouldn’t it be great if your delivery of the 30 second pitch was always perfect? If that’s your goal then we recommend you start practising now. Work out what you want to say and play through different ways of articulating your message. Practise in front of the mirror, in front of a video camera or in front of colleagues or friends. Learn from their reactions and adapt your message.
30 seconds could change the path of your company forever. There’s no predicting when you could get an unexpected moment with an influential person who could invest in your business. So there’s never been a better time to get your pitch perfect. Plan what you want to say; work out how your want to say it; and then practise until it sounds like you have a company worth investing in.
About Fifo Capital
Fifo Capital provides cash flow solutions to small and medium sized businesses. If you’re looking for excellent customer service and a company that is focused on delivering the best short and long term support for your business: contact us here today.
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