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Will Your Elevator Pitch Take You to the Top?

elevator pitch www.janeanesworld.com

No matter who you are or what kind of work you do, you should have an elevator pitch ready to share.  Your elevator pitch is not just to sell products and services. You pitch is an infomercial that tells the world who you are and why anyone should care.

You must know what an elevator pitch is so you can create a great one.

The phrase elevator pitch is a common one. Almost every businesswoman has heard the expression. Many have attempted to create elevator pitches of their own. Most often, the phrase elevator pitch is used to refer to a very short sales presentation, one that is short enough to be made during an elevator ride. The purpose of the elevator pitch is to let others know who you are and what you stand for quickly and easily. When done well, the elevator pitch rolls off the tongue easily and sounds like a conversation and not a prepared speech.

Elevator pitches are most often used in sales situations. One gives an elevator pitch in order to sell one’s products and services to others. But, this is not the only time elevator pitches are useful. Your elevator pitches are also useful when:

  • describing what you do to others in a social setting
  • applying for work
  • creating business cards
  • signing email
  • preparing a resume

 

elevator pitch www.janeanesworld.com
photo credit: Elevator Fisheye via photopin (license)

 

In each of these circumstances, a good elevator pitch will help you to tell others who you are, what you do and why you do what you do. When you have a clear idea of what you believe and why you do it, you can line up your actions. Your elevator pitch can help you decide which clients to take, which employees to hire and the way you operate on a daily basis. The elevator pitch is à way of reminding yourself to stay on mission.

A good elevator pitch can rocket you to the highest heights.

There is a  difference between a bad elevator pitch and a good one. A bad elevator pitch is uninteresting and raises more questions than it answers. A good elevator pitch leaves no question about who you are and why you do what you do. Check out the following bad, boring and bland elevator pitches:

  • I am a blogger
  • I am a writer

 

Each of these elevator pitches is terrible. They raise more questions than they answer. Once you tell someone you are a blogger they want to know what you blog about and why and if you can make a living doing that. When you tell someone you are a writer, they want to know what you write, where  you write and why you write. These are definitely not, good elevator pitches. They do not clearly communicate who you are, what you believe and why you do what you do.

My preferred format for elevator pitches is the “I believe” statement. I learned this technique at a conference and it changed my life.   The “I believe” statement goes like this:

I believe . . .  so I . . .

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19 thoughts on “Will Your Elevator Pitch Take You to the Top?”
  1. I’m always trying to fine tune my elevator pitch! Great tips. It can lead to lots of great opportunities if you are confident and really know who you are!

  2. I like the ‘I believe’ statement. That makes it personal and gives it a valid reason, both of which make things easier to support or believe in.

  3. Excellent advice-I have heard about the importance of having a good elevator pitch, but this really drives the point home. Guess I know what I need to work on!

  4. When I went to my first blog conference last year, we talked about this! I realized I had nothing planned and I wanted to learn more. I have no elevator pitch!

  5. Elevator Pitches kinda confuses. I had to do one recently for a Entrepreneur Course and it was “so so” not too strong but it cane be improved. Thanks for the Tips

  6. I have a pitch that usually works well, but each pitch needs to be customized.

  7. As a blogger, I haven’t really thought much about having an elevator pitch. After reading your post, maybe I should work on that.

  8. This is so important no matter what field you are in. Coming up with the right elevator pitch can be the difference between success and failure! Thanks for your tips!

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