Thu 19 Feb 2009
The Elevator Pitch
Posted by Megan Dorn under Entrepreneurship, Small Business
The elevator pitch is one of the most important pieces of messaging entrepreneurs and small business owners can have in their arsenal. It’s a brief pitch meant to pique the interests of others, particularly potential clients and lenders, and it’s called an elevator pitch because it should last no longer than a typical elevator ride.
Your elevator pitch should have two basic parts—a pain statement and a value proposition. Basically you’ll begin by highlighting a problem and then move on to explain how you’ll solve that problem and make money doing it.
I watched a YouTube video on the elevator pitch recently that gave a good, albeit incredibly cheesy overview. It explains the two basic parts and goes in to a bit more detail on how to perfect your pitch and grab your prospect’s attention.
The key to delivering the perfect elevator pitch is confidence, and the key to confidence is preparation. So practice your pitch in front of the mirror. Know the facts and figures should your prospect ask questions. Keep it short, highlighting only the necessary information. Also be able to tweak and tailor your pitch to different kinds of people and audiences. And above all, make sure that you have one, you never know when you’ll need it.
