Elevator Pitches for Everyone

April 30, 2006

At the Podcast Academy in Boston, I was in a room full of people with various interests. Some were there to learn a skill on behalf of their organization (lots of college folks fit this), there were business owners and founders, like the guy behind Grape Radio and Podshow, and Eric from Feedburner (and lots more great places). And then there were enthusiasts, like the great guy behind DC Night Out. Finally, there were those of us coming to this from either an odd angle or from a newbie mindset.

What I learned quickly was that everyone needs an elevator pitch.

What’s an Elevator Pitch?

In sales, the idea is that if you’re ever stuck in an elevator and someone asks what you do or what you’re selling, you’ll be able to sum it up in a quick, easy-to-understand 30 second soundbyte form. I’ll tell you in a minute how that applies to you. But it’s not just sales. An elevator pitch is a springboard for conversation.

Why a Pitch?

In sales, the idea is that people don’t have much time to listen to you ramble through what it is you do or what you’re trying to sell. This is true of most of life right now, isn’t it? We heard at the Podcast Academy that the golden metric that advertisers wish they could know about podcasts was when people stopped listening or consuming a product. Is it after five minutes? Three quarters of a show?

A pitch becomes important because people don’t have a lot of time to talk with everyone at an event, and they need to assess quickly if you have something in common with them. Think of it as speed-dating for networking.

Your Pitch

I can’t write your pitch. I don’t know your story. I can help you with it, if you want to email me. But here’s the basics: boil everything down to the easiest possible way to explain why you’re there and what you do (or want to do).

Here’s my pitch for the event when I started: I create content for people who have great sites, but need more content. By the end, I changed my pitch to: I help people tell their stories through new media.

Prune the Bush

So, I did something that I think was, on one hand viral and catchy, and on the other hand really a bad idea. I didn’t have non-day-job business cards, and I wanted to give people SOMETHING, so I gave them prints of my artwork. I wrote my name and contact information on the back, and by the end of the event, I left some around for people to “discover.” (Oddly, these were the most well-received, versus me just handing them to people).

But…

In so doing, some people got the idea that I was pushing my artwork as a product. I had “muddied the waters” or “branched out” too much.

You might have 100 great ideas! (I know you do!) But you have to find some kind of “stable” or “package” or “wrapper” to put around them so that people can understand what you’re all about. Try chopping off some of the other things you do (until such time as you have more attention with the person). Or try thinking of the biggest umbrella under which you can put all your ideas.

Thus, I provide creative content. I help people tell stories. Either one works, and fits with my passions in this regard.

Try Out Your Pitch

After I came up with what I wanted to say, I said it a few times to myself aloud (not in the presence of others, you weirdo). And then, when I started to say hi to people and introduce myself, I’d get another chance to try it out.

Even if You’re Just Visiting

It’s nice to have something ready to say even if you don’t even have an agenda. In this case, I find that people tend to be a little too self-deprecating. “Oh, I’m just the grandmother.” Hell no. I’m sure you’ve got a fascinating story, even if it isn’t about the topic at hand. Can you imagine that same grandmother saying, “I’m here with my grandson. My passion is knitting.” It’s a springboard for conversation, not salesmanship.

The point is to focus on what you’re representing by being at an event (or really even in any given day), and then be ready to explain that in a short, concise way that gives people a sense of who you are, and what you’re about.

What’s your pitch? Is there a “for work” one and a “my personal pitch” one?

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