Craft a Better Elevator Pitch for the Moments of Truth

We see it time and time again during our value selling training programs.  Salespeople misunderstand the object of a fine-tuned elevator pitch and act like a wind-up toy about to run out of time.

Creating an elevator pitch is not about cramming as many words into as few minutes as possible. Rather, it is to articulate what you can specifically do for your buyer and your unique ability add value.

Think of the challenge of writing an attention-getting headline. The words must be carefully chosen to capture the reader’s attention and they must, to some degree, summarize the topic of the article to follow. Not an easy task!

Take your time. Start with a paragraph of what you can do and pare it down…again and again. Consider what your prospect is looking for and describe it in a nutshell. Maybe even throw in an edgy phrase that raises either curiosity or anxiety in the listener.

Every good elevator pitch should contain three basic elements:

1. The differentiated value that you bring
2. Why they need you from their perspective
3. A hook that provokes further conversation.