I’m a professional copywriter, so I should have absolutely no trouble coming up with a great elevator pitch, right? Well, not really. I’ve spent as much time struggling over what to say about what I do and why you should hire me to do it as the next business owner. When I talk to others, I’ve found that creating an elevator pitch creates the same level of consternation as writing a bio.
Recently, I signed up with Manta.com (“We do small business”) and have been enjoying the tips that regularly pop into my inbox. The November 7 tip counseled practicing your pitch until it sounds natural. After all, as Manta puts it, you never know when you may need to “sell a potential customer on your company in 30 seconds.” That’s good advice. When asked to speak about your business, you never want to come across clumsy. On the other hand, you don’t necessarily want to sound as though you’ve delivered the same spiel a million times.
A refined elevator pitch is a real asset if you do a lot of networking or belong to an organization where you’re on the hook to promote yourself in 30 seconds or less at every meeting. It’s just a good thing to have in your back pocket. And here’s my two cents. You need to continually refine it, so that you are addressing your audience’s needs rather than talking about your own wonderfulness. To do that, you need to learn to listen above all and refrain from diving in. If you can do that, if you can learn to refine your pitch on the fly, then it becomes a helpful marketing tool, rather than a canned speech, however clever.
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