The goal of entrepreneur is to sell themselves as a product or service. After all, clients decide to hire your company for your services to work with you. You are the face of your company and have to be able to sell your skills. How are you going to win them over?
What you need is an Elevator Pitch. An Elevator Pitch is based on a simple concept. If you were on an elevator ride with someone who could further your business, what would you say before they left the ride? You only have a short amount of time to sell yourself. So, if you were a computer engineer or software developer and you saw Mark Zuckerberg or Mike Lazaridis, what would you say? You have under a minute to form a lasting impression.
Here's a general outline on creating an Elevator Pitch. These are crucial for networking events, such as KW Chamber of Commerce galas, or trade shows. Remember to keep it short, precise, and under a minute.
1. Introduce yourself.
2. Say what you know about the other party.
3. State two skills or ways you can contribute to the other party. Remember to be short and concise.
4. State what you hope to achieve by talking to them. Do you want a job interview? An introduction to their business connection? An acceptance on Linkedin?
5. Conclude by thanking them for their time and summarize the aforementioned two skills you want them to remember you by.
Some other key points to remember are to keep your Elevator Pitch short and precise. Present yourself with proper body language. Always be prepared; have your business card available at all times.
This has worked for The Event Firm Inc. many times. While supervising our client's events, we have met other business professionals who wanted more information about our company. We have booked many clients using this method and paired it with the fact that most customers are repeat and referral customers.
So keep trying your Elevator Pitch! You never know when it will come in handy. Comment on your experiences below!
This is a wonderful article. Everyone should have an elevator pitch which they have practised many times so it is smooth when used. It can, of course, be a bit tailored to the person to whom you are talking.
ReplyDeleteI also liked that you mention that you use your elevator speech when you are supervising events for yor clients which helps you to get referrals for further business. This illustrates the marketing approach of using your current clients and business to generate further leads.