I’ve been interviewing Jeannette Paladino in my last few posts about what makes elevator speeches memorable – or the term she prefers “brand statement.” In this post, Jeannette summarizes some of the key points she’s made about how you, too, can write pitches that will want your listeners to come back with the key comment: “Tell me more.” Several readers have asked for examples of good elevator speeches and that’s how she’ll end this post. To learn more about how Jeannette and I began our collaboration on LinkedIn, tune in to our discussion on Free Webinar Wednesdays: “Success Stories From the Trenches.”
What I’d like you to take away from this discussion is not to put all your hopes and aspirations into your elevator speech, or brand statement. Relax. You’re not out to make a sale. Your pitch is your introduction. It’s a conversation-starter.
That’s why it needs to be what we call a “grabber.” It needs to grab the attention of your listener from the get-go. And it will vary depending on the circumstances. If you’re at industry conference, for example, it will be easy to tailor it to your audience.
Who Have You Worked For?
As a business and social media writer, and having experience in a number of industries, I try to weave in relevant information in my pitch that will resonate with my audience. If I happened to meet the PR Director of a Big Four firm I’d mention that Deloitte has been a client. This is called the “halo” effect. The companies you’ve worked for burnish your brand. “I’m an engineer at Google and develop new apps for corporate users” is sure to get someone’s attention right away. If you’re an entrepreneur, then mention your clients, particularly if they’re well known (assuming they’re OK with that).
What Gets Included in Your Brand Statement?
As you define your brand, think of the attributes that distinguish you from your competition:
• Technical expertise
• Industry specialty
• Academic credentials
• Awards and recognition
• Reputation of your employer
• Reputations of your clients
• Geographic reach
• Bottom-line results
These attributes are part of your toolbox. The toolbox is your arsenal of accomplishments that make you stand out from the crowd. Reach into your toolbox to figure out what is going to push the hot button of your listener (or reader)
What Makes for a Successful Brand Statement?
Just try to remember these basics:
• Your brand statement must be simple and easily understood by your targets – less than 30 seconds is a good rule.
• It must offer a distinct differentiator
• It needs to answer the target’s question: “What’s in it for me?
Pitches from the Blogging Pros
There are a number of hugely successful bloggers making a full-time living from blogging. I decided to take a look at the brand statements, or elevator pitches, of three of the best known. Talk about simplicity. First up, arguably the best-known blogger:
Darren Rouse: Welcome to ProBlogger.net – a Blog that helps bloggers to add income streams to their blogs. My name is Darren Rowse and I’m a full time Blogger making a living from this new and dynamic medium from blogs like Digital Photography School and TwiTip.
David Risley: I show bloggers how to turn their blogging into a business. I’ve been generating a six-figure income for the last 6 years, and in 2009 I generated $204,173.56 from only two blogs.
Brian Clark. Want more traffic, links, subscribers, and a profit-generating website? Copyblogger gives you the solutions you need to succeed.
Anyway, I think you get the message. These are bloggers who know the hot buttons to push: how to make money from whatever you’re doing.
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.
Share Your Examples of Memorable Elevator Speeches
We’re collecting memorable elevator speeches, which we are compiling into a public report. Please share yours in the Comment box. Thanks and good luck with your elevator speech!
We should keep this one in our mind daily… hourly:
It needs to answer the target’s question: “What’s in it for me?
You should always focus on the key questions:
Is it good if a vacuum really sucks?#Humor
Great suggestions. Particularly “relax…” and “It needs to answer the target’s question: ‘What’s in it for me?”. Realizing you don’t have to close a deal in that “elevator” and remembering that your message needs to be tailored to your target (they don’t care how you can help someone else)are great tips. Thanks for sharing!
Hi Pat,
As I said on Jeannette’s post i have enjoyed the series.
Good examples re the bloggers. I also think it important for those just getting used to doing these statements is it can be developed over time and fine tuned so it becomes more natural and converstional.
Jim, Susan, Julie and Keyuri, thank for your comments and additional pointers. With your help we may make elevator pitches more desirable to listen to!
Great Post Pat.
I know that there are many other Parenting Coaches out there so I have to set myself apart. I always make it a point to mention that what makes me different is my focus on helping parents to build emotional and social intellgence skills in kids (I’m also a EI certified coach). I go on to mention that research studies have proven that these skills help in raising happier and more successful kids and the skills must be taught by parents since schools don’t have time. This usually engages my clientele.
In a world of many providers of similar services, one has to “pitch” their specialities as well as passions to be remembered.
Do you know the story about the old radio station WIIFM? The acronym stands for what is in it for me. That should be answered in the branding. I think your three blogger examples capture that idea. Great series.
Rob
Bingo Rob! You’ve got it. Thanks for the succinct summary.
Hi Pat – you asked for my elevator speech and it goes something like this: oz 2 designs – for the very best in digital marketing and design. Sometimes I just say oz 2 designs, marketing and design. What I’d really like to do is pull out a couple sparklers and dance in circles while I give my elevator speech – now that would be unforgettable!
Rob is right WIIFM is the key to a successful elevator speech. If the person you are giving your elevator speech can’t see a benefit for him/her, you have lost them.
Hi Pat,
My blog is only about 4 months old. What’s interesting about the Elevator Speech is that my audience today is not the same as I originally intended.
I found it necessary early on to alter the focus of the blog, and my Elevator. I may have to do so again if I want better traffic.
My Elevator now is:
“A deeper analysis of the What, Why, & How of Sales & Marketing”
Although the response has been very positive in some circles, my current focus will never be as popular as if I posted things like, “How to Write Catchy Titles.”
It appears that things I believe are important are not at all important to much of the existing traffic I’m getting.
I began my blog as a research experiment, and the results have been interesting. The rules of Popularity never change.
Thanks for a great series of posts re: the Elevator.
Rick
Catherine, I like the shortness of your current pitch. Open to a suggestion? WHAT does the “very best in digital marketing and design” DO for your prospects? WHAT does it help then gain or avoid? Work that into your short pitch and you will have those sparklers!
Catarina, yes. It is a matter of our focus when we communicate. If we think about us and what we do – wrong focus. If we think about our clients and what they get – it puts us in their shoes.
Rick, could it be that what you are saying in your elevator pitch isn’t communicating clearly enough what this “deeper analysis of the What, Why, & How of Sales & Marketing” does for your clients? Remember you want to be thinking about the BENEFITS you know your clients love not what you love to do. That’s what they will best respond to.
When we discuss the benefits of the clients in our brand statement surely we can easily catch their trust to our business.
Ron, I believe that when you discuss benefits in your brand statement it lays the ground for trust to build for certain. Trust though is a process.