An Elevator Pitch Case Study
Just a quick little note to anyone who is terrified of possibly getting stuck in an elevator with someone who might ask you what you do (gasp!).
I wanted to share some work that I did recently with my client Sara.
Part of my work with clients is creating your “pitch”, which we all know is hard, right? Summing up everything you do is no small feat – but that’s exactly where most people get it wrong. They try to put ALL of what hey do into their pitch, and it ends up sounding contrived, long-winded, and confusing.
Here is Sara’s “before” pitch and her “after” pitch – so you can see what a difference getting REALLY clear about what you actually DO for people can make. It sounds basic, but if you’re struggling to explain what you do, your foundations are likely the missing piece.
Sara’s BEFORE pitch:
I help women raise their energetic vibration in the world and claim a deep feeling of energy, clarity, vitality and confidence, using whole, nutrient-dense foods and the practices of mindfulness, gratitude, compassion and connection.
Sara’s AFTER pitch:
I work with women who struggle with emotional eating and feel like they have no willpower around food that they know isn’t good for them. I help them sort of rewire and reprogram those patterns so they can really feel calm and in control, so it becomes easy to resist that box of Halloween candy in the cupboard or those donuts in the meeting room at work.
The “after” is still a work in progress, but what Sara wrote is ALL on her own as a result of what we did in our work together, and already you can see how much more tangible and clear it is.
What’s important to point out here is something that happens to a lot of people – the ‘before’ version is very high-level/conceptual. It talks about the bigger picture purpose and impact that we want to have with our business. It’s usually very near and dear to our hearts and something that drives us everyday to keep doing the work that we do. This is important to have and I encourage everyone to get really connected with WHY they do what they do.
STRUGGLING TO FIND YOUR NICHE?
GRAB MY FREE NICHING GUIDE HERE, AND SAY GOODBYE TO ALL YOUR NICHING WOES!
STRUGGLING TO FIND YOUR NICHE?
GRAB MY FREE NICHING GUIDE HERE, AND SAY GOODBYE TO ALL YOUR NICHING WOES!
However, that’s not what you are going to actually say to people when you meet them and they ask you what you do. I mean, you can – but you will likely get a lot of blank stares and smiles of “that’s nice”, but no one saying “OMG that’s me let me give you all my money and oh here are the names of 3 friends who also need you“.
Your pitch should be more about what you DO then about why you do it.
Notice how the ‘after’ version of Sara’s pitch is SUPER tangible and clear – it evokes an emotional response in the person she is talking with, and immediately paints a picture of exactly what she does and who she helps. If the person you are talking to can instantly thin of at lest one person in their life who needs this, you’re on the right track.
If you’re working on your ‘elevator pitch’ – I HIGHLY recommend saying it out loud to see how it feels. Seeing it in writing is MUCH different than using it in casual conversation, and you’ll find that the way you say it will likely change depending on who you’re talking to and what the context of the conversation is (which is why the idea of memorizing a perfectly prepared pitch will likely make you sounds more like a jackass than anything else – and that’s a job title you definitely don’t want to have!)
Get out there and practice, and post your pitch in the comments if you want feedback so we can let you know how clear it is!
xo becca
PS. If you want to learn how to put this together for yourself, check out Uncage Your Business. We work on pitching plus SO MUCH MORE that will help you get new clients in the door.
Such great feedback! Love this and Sara’s new pitch is much more urgent (ie I need this now) vs theoretical!
My pitch: Parents and schools are freaking out about what kids are doing on social media, online games and via texting. I empower adults to mentor kids, rather than monitoring, controlling or assuming the worst. The kids have tech savvy, but you (adults!) have wisdom.
Totally open to ideas and feedback. This has evolved over time and can keep evolving…
Hi Devorah. I really like the first sentence, it gets my attention because it’s true and relevant. You lost me with empower adults to mentor kids but called me again with rather than monitor. Maybe train/teach parents/teachers to train/teach/inform/empower/educate kids. I know the feedback is late. Would love to hear how your business is doing.