Scott Morgan is my guest-blogger. He wrote a terrific short piece well worth reading
Alex
4-U: 4 Tips for Better Communications
The Trouble with Your Elevator Pitch
by Scott Morgan, President of 4West Communications
You walk into a networking event, your business cards at your hip, the inner gunslinger in you waiting to draw, when a pleasant person walks up to meet you and asks “What do you do?”
So you bust out your elevator pitch. Only to watch the other person walk away. What went wrong?
1) You tried too hard. I sympathize with anyone whose brain gets hogtied in one-on-one conversations. In an effort to sound impressive, hit emotional buttons, and leave a lasting impression, you say things like “I am the cement that binds you to your customers.” That stuff works in a speech, but try saying it as a direct answer to “What do you do?” and watch the eyes start rolling. The antidote? Relax. Don’t try to knock it out of the park, then out of the whole stadium. Nix the big words and just be direct.
2) You didn’t rehearse. The great Jackie Gleason never rehearsed and he was a killer comedic talent. You are not Jackie Gleason. The antidote? Work on your response. Practice it until it sounds natural; until it sounds as if you casually whipped it off the top of your head. The only way to do it is to say it and say it and say it and say it.
3) You spent all your time on you. Rattling off a list of your services and punctuating things with “because I’m the best there is” works with potential business partners as well as it works on a first date (seriously, try it, and please post the hilarious results on YouTube). The antidote? Frame your response to reflect what you can do for them. What needs do they have that you can serve? Here’s a hint: Look at what you do for a living. You do it because it needs to be done. So that’s the need you’re serving.
4) You didn’t stop talking. People babble when they get nervous. That’s how cops know who did it. And it’s easy to just keep your lips moving long after you’ve made your point. The antidote? If you feel you’ve made your point and are uncomfortable with the hovering silence that follows your succinct response, turn it back on the questioner. Ask “So what do you do?” It’s an amazing way to, you know, start an actual conversation. You both might find you need each other.
Want to stay up on the latest from 4West Communications? Look for the “Follow” button at the bottom right of my homepage, www.4-west.com, to follow my blog.
Scott Morgan,
Speaker, Author, Editor, Ghostwriter, Consultant
President, 4West Communications: Expert Copywriting and Copyediting
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