WHY AN ELEVATOR PITCH IS AN IMPORTANT TOOL WHEN NETWORKING

The purpose of an elevator pitch is to describe a situation or solution so compelling that the person you’re with wants to hear more even after the elevator ride is over. ~ Seth Godin

Elevator pitches and networking go hand and hand. Having a well thought out elevator pitch is a powerful tool when networking.

An elevator speech is a concise and organized synopsis of your business.  The role of your elevator speech is to persuade the listener to engage with you and ultimately purchase your goods or services. During your elevator speech, you must convey to your listener(s) who you are, what your business has to offer, what problem(s) you can solve, and what differentiates you from every other busines. This should all be accomplished in a very short amount of time, preferably between 30-60 seconds.  When you are done with your dialogue, the listener should be left wanting to know more about you and your business.

To start, you should have several "elevator speech" options prepared and available to fit any occasion that you may find yourself in.  At times, you may only have 30 seconds to deliver your message. Other times, you may have 60 seconds, or even 2 to 3 minutes to present your information. Whatever the situation or event that presents itself, you should be ready to deliver your message. 

When preparing your elevator speech, keep in mind that the information you are presenting has to be shared in a short amount of time, so you must be very specific and speak concisely to what you do. For example, if you are an attorney, be clear on the type of attorney you are. Are you a corporate attorney or an estate planning attorney? You have less than 60 seconds to make a great impression and connection with your listener/audience. Essentially, you need to ensure that you are conveying the best possible information about yourself and your business in 2 or 3 sentences.

In your short presentation, not only do you need to convey who you are and what you do, what problem you solve and what makes your business better than others, but there needs to be a balance in how you deliver the message.  Make sure that there is a proportionate balance for each message you are trying to convey. By the end of your message, the listener or audience should be clear on your business, your mission, your unique selling proposition, your promise of exemplary service and your call to action.

When delivering your message, your stance and cadence are equally as important. You should approach your listener or audience confidently and have a good stance.  Slouching, crossing your arms and whispering will not motivate the listener to engage with you or create credence in what you are sharing with them.

Planning your speech in advance and practicing ahead of time will allow you to feel more self-confident and you will in turn exude that confidence to your audience. You greatly increase the odds of gaining a new client when you thoroughly plan, practice in advance, and speak slowly and confidently when actually in front of an audience.  This process will also work well for someone looking to gain employment.

The perfect elevator pitch will focus on what your goods or services will allow people to gain or what problem it will help them solve.  Anyone no matter their background should be able to easily understand what you are sharing and what your business can do for them.

Creating your elevator speech and marketing yourself and your business can be overwhelming and difficult. To ensure that you are making the most of your time, money and efforts, you may want to consider working with a company or organization like HIVE Connex, that can assist with creating the best messaging for your business and what you are trying to convey to your target market. The right messaging can set you up for business and revenue growth if done strategically. 

For more information on creating your perfect elevator speech, marketing yourself, branding strategic planning, business planning, coaching, mentoring and training, please visit our website at www.hiveconnex.com, or email us at hiveconnex@gmail.com. To practice your elevator speech first hand, please register for HIVE Connex Unleash Your Inner Marketer on Wednesday, November 11, 2020 at 11:00 A.M.