If you are a social entrepreneur, you know the value of the elevator pitch. You are, in fact, ALWAYS at work. This is true of any type of entrepreneur or leader of a particular self-initiated activity. Being ready to articulate a 30-60 second speech on an elevator, at a party, at a networking event, on a flight, or wherever the opportunity to connect to a network or investor presents itself, gives you a distinct advantage.
The elevator pitch is descriptive; solution oriented, well rehearsed, and delivers a clear call to action. In general, you want to leave the “elevator” with the card of an investor or access to a new network. To do this you must pique the interest of your audience. How do you do this?
Here are a few ingredients that should be included:
A Pinch of Problem and a Pound of Solution: Mix well! Present the problem you solve with a heavy focus on how you intend solve it.
A Bunch of Business: What’s your business model? What’s your product or service? Who are your customers? How exactly do you/will you make money?
Competitive Spice: What makes you better than your competition? Why would anyone choose you or your organization?
Depending on your business and the audience, you can also include information about market potential and recent accomplishments (traction).
The grand finale is the Call to Action. What did you want to get out of this conversation? It could be that you just want feedback. Most of the time, you want to schedule some type of follow-up by exchanging information. Hopefully, you will at least start a fire under the person you delivered your speech to, so that they will share your vision and information with others.
Other Tips:
- Stick to 30-60 seconds.
- Don’t use a lot of jargon.
- Have variations for different audiences.
- Pay attention to frequently asked questions and make changes to your pitch as necessary.
- Speak slowly and clearly.
- Practice
Be sure you are consistent. Your elevator pitch, website, business plan, etc. should all deliver the same message. You want your audience to read your book. Present them with an intriguing cover and feel confident that they will judge you positively.
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Filed under: SoS Articles Tagged: advantage, business, call to action, competition, elevator pitch, entrepreneurship, investors, networking, opportunity, problems, social entrepreneurship, solutions, SoS Coaching, speech
