Elevator pitches, as it turns out, drive a lot of people absolutely crazy! Jeannette Paladino who I met on LinkedIn, is one who feels the same way I do. It’s so bad for her she wants to ban the use of the term because it carries such bad vibes. Jeannette allowed me to interview her about her thoughts on an elevator pitch. Like the term or not, she offers some ideas which just may keep yours, your elevator speech, always going up. 
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Q: Why do people struggle with their elevator pitches? Why are most of them so bad?
Because people haven’t thought through their personal brands. What are you offering that will benefit the listener? This needs to be short, but very specific, and certainly not sales-y.
Too often, we try to get everything into our opener when we first meet someone, hoping that something will catch the listener’s attention. I don’t want to be unkind, but a regular columnist of well-known business information site discussed elevator speeches just recently, and he did several variations of before and after statements. Here was a business writer and he proposed this as an improvement, “Retail firms use our software and services to help train their employees, resulting in an average 10 percent increase in sales, compared to the performance of other stores.”
Sorry, but if I had just stuck out my hand to greet someone new and this is what I heard, I think I’d be heading to the bar. He has no idea who I am and what I might need. That was a sales pitch and not an introduction. Who is he? Who does he work for? What does he do?
Q: Why don’t many elevator pitches work?
A key reason is that you try to use the same pitch with everyone. As a friend says when she hears the typical elevator pitch “MEGO.” (My eyes glaze over). By the way, from now on we’re going to call it your brand statement to remind you that’s what you’re actually pitching – your brand – and also because “elevator pitch” trivializes something that is key to your success. The term has become a pejorative because it conjures up an image of a poor soul trapped in the corner of an elevator with someone trying to pitch his/her services.
Q: Can you expand on what you mean by a brand statement?
Your brand statement needs to be specific – and get to the “what’s in it for me?” (meaning the listener) quickly. Your brand incorporates all the expertise you bring to the table – technical, experience with large companies, academic credentials, certifications, etc. You don’t include everything in every brand statement.
Tailor your pitch based on your particular audience. It could be as simple as saying, “I earned my MBA from Harvard, too, and I help companies with process improvement.” Two benefits: you have a Harvard MBA, as does the person you’re chatting with, and you help companies improve their processes. And it only took 14 words.
Stop. Take a breath and wait for the response you want, which is TELL ME MORE.
Promoting the brands of companies and entrepreneurs and helping them to make profitable connections through blogging, on LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook. Jeannette Paladino, Writer-in-Chief at Write Speak Sell, .
Can you see the focus of the elevator pitch as it stands today? It’s all about I, me, mine. Hooray for Jeannette! She’s taken the elevator pitch to new heights: make it about you, they, them.
For my introvert take on elevator speeches follow this link to where Jeannette interviewed me.
Good interview Jeannette and Pat.
I think the problem is with the word pitch. Usually they say have a 30 sec one ready and what happens is like a gush of words pouring at you without anyone thinking of tailoring the message as your example did.
Excellent information!
When I introduce myself as a Parenting Coach I am frequently asked “what’s that”. Rather than go in to a rote reply, I ask the person (if they are a parent) what their greatest parenting challenge is. Then I explain very briefly how I would help with it. This allows them to “feel” the benefit of my services. When the emotional buy in is there, the interest grows.
Susan, I think pitch does have a negative connotation. Additionally, people tend to wing it.
Keyuri that sounds terrific! In particular I like asking questions – it helps take the focus off of yourself and reply in a way that will draw in the listener! Nice.
Definitely, you’re right. Elevator pitches are a crutch for people who aren’t “natural” salespeople. Companies train in this direction, because they know their people need help, some cushion of comfort.
If you memorize a line and deliver it, you’re not really communicating with your client. That’s why it doesn’t work very often.
Really what you want to do is talk to the person in front of you, find out what they need and want and determine if you can honestly deliver that to them.
If someone tells me that they need a babysitter, I’m not going to try to sell them a chess lesson (I’m a chess coach). It’s not appropriate! Instead I will refer them to a babysitter. It’s what they need and want.
However, if they were having trouble with their son getting bored after school and getting into mischief, I’d have an in for chess. It is a great solution to their problem.
Bingo Laura! You stated it so clearly: your elevator pitch that is in need of repair is that “you’re not really communicating with your client.” You are just enjoying hearing yourself talk about you! I love how you said that.
Excellent article Patricia and Jeannette. Agree with you completely. You have to start by chatting and then proceed with telling them something about you that you believe they need. And please keep it short. Nobody wants to listen to you talking about yourself for half an hour.
Amen Catarina: short and more about your prospective client!
I especially like your advice to take a breath and wait for the other person to say, “Tell me more.” Good communication is a two way street.
Pat, You’re absolutely on point when you say your elevator speech needs to be about them and not you. Personally, I don’t mind it being called an elevator speech at all that just refers to the amount of time that you have to interest your client. The trick is to communicate just enough to make them want to know more.
Sherryl, if you take interest in the other person more and first, you’ll have their interest to want to know more. Thanks!
Great collaboration between the two of you. Brand Statement is what it is all about.
Rob
I love your approach. I like to define the Elevator Pitch as a conversational technique that turns social interactions into business opportunities. Catherine is right that you know your Elevator Pitch is working when someone says “Tell me more…”. Thanks for a practical tip for drawing the other person into a conversation!