Ditch the Elevator Pitch!

Do you have an elevator pitch? You are not alone. Elevator pitches have become so prolific that people have been taught to use them in almost any context: salespeople, job hunters, soon-to-graduate students, at the mall – you know what I mean.

It’s a “packaged” approach to differentiating yourself in 60 seconds or less. And everybody is doing it! So much for differentiation…

However, I love the intention of it though. The idea of connecting with someone is what it is all about.

Did you notice I said connecting with someone? That is where real human interaction happens. So, how do you connect with someone?

• By being genuine, not packaged.
• By speaking to them in context, so you don’t lose them.
• By showing them you are listening, not just trying to get through a pre-packaged script.

How Can You Do This?

Tell them a story.

Does that seem awkward? Actually, it’s a pretty natural process because you already do this all of the time. When someone asks you how your day has been, you often tell them a story. When someone asks you about your most embarrassing moment, you tell them a story. You just need to get comfortable doing it for business.

Here’s how:

If you meet someone who asks: “What do you do?” Instead of jumping into the 30-word description of the business with the clever ending, simply say: “Thanks for asking Mary, before I tell you what I do I’d like to know what business you are in? The reason is, I want to try and relate what I do to your business.”

Once Mary has told you what she does, you have two options:

Option 1: “Thanks Mary for sharing that with me. As I mentioned I wanted to make this relevant to you. It just so happens, my company recently worked with a company in your industry (say the company name if you can). They had a new sales professional who was struggling to make his quota. He was great at forming relationships but his pipeline was not progressing. He was frustrated to say the least, and losing hope!

So they asked for our help. I discovered he was hesitating on some of the tough questions about budget and timeline. I also realized he needed to work on time management. Following our Right Growth sales framework, we were able to develop a consistent approach for him resulting in 4 new clients in 60 days. In addition, he created a full pipeline with a forecast above quota through the end of the year.

He is ecstatic, as is our client. As a matter of fact, they are making Right Growth their model for all of their sales professionals moving forward.

Option 2: Thank Mary for sharing that with me. Unfortunately, I don’t have a specific example of a company in your industry we have worked with, but I think this story will illustrate how we create value for our clients… (then tell the same story or one about an industry that may have some similarities to hers)

By the way, I timed it. 45 seconds to tell this story.

Why is This Important

The focus on stories over the past few years has been emphasized but not always explained. The reason is that humans are story telling creatures. We remember story details much more than facts and figures.

If the story is told effectively, the person listening will see themselves inside of the story or they will know someone or a situation similar to what you are describing. By describing what you do in this way, they will understand what you do much more easily and REMEMBER!

Where Do You Get These Stories?

From your customers. By specifically asking your customers to share their stories, you can supply your sales and marketing team with all of the ammunition they need to connect, in a meaningful way, with potential customers.

Memorable elevator pitches are becoming fewer and farther between.

Memorable stories – you can never get enough of these.

So, go out and get those stories. And if you need help, the Corlea Group can help you turn your stories into growth. Just send an email to info@corleagroup.com to schedule a time to talk.