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15 Is the New 30: Introducing The 15-Second Elevator Pitch

Posted by Jai Stone (Emotional Nudist) on June 16, 2011 at 3:00pm

15seconds-300x132.jpgElevator Pitch Competition

For the past few weeks, I've been squawking about how amazing the 2011 Black Enterprise Entrepreneur's Conference turned out to be. One of the most exciting events was the Elevator Pitch Competition.  The winner took home a whopping prize of $10k (congrats to our home town hero Brandon Butler of The Website Shop).   Contestants were first given 60 seconds to pitch their product or service, and finalists were allowed 30 seconds to re-pitch.  This competition was geared towards investors, and I couldn't help but think that a pitch to an ACTUAL prospect should be much shorter and sweeter.

15 is the New 30

For the last 4 years, I have been training clients to perfect a 15-second pitch.  The premise is to make the pitch feel more like a conversation than a used car salesman's chatter.  One trait of a successful brand is the ability to remain acutely aware of trends. Ever notice how quickly people get distracted or bored these days?  As we embrace the trend of the 'microwave' age (age of  instant access), its pretty clear that Attention Spans have become shorter and shorter. ThatCompany.com recently posted an article siting that the 15-second commercial is becoming increasingly more popular (READ FULL ARTICLE).   So if major brands are limiting their message to 15 seconds, why shouldn't you?

Potential clients only give you their undivided focus for about 3-7 seconds before they decide to stay plugged in or check out.  If they remain plugged in, then you have a good chance of connecting within the 15 second window.  I know what you are thinking.  How can you possibly say everything relevant in 15 seconds?  The short answer is that you can't, nor do you need to.  If the client is interested after the first 15 seconds, they will engage you and ask for more information. Often times you can squeeze in another 15-30 seconds of your spiel. And if your pitch resonates, you can get in up to 1 or 2 minutes of your sales pitch without making the client feel bored or anxious.

Part 1: Key Content for the First 15 Seconds

  • Clearly state the company name
  • Identify the primary service
  • State the clear results that you deliver
  • You may also include a secondary service or unique selling proposition of time permits.
See this example below.  It is delivered in about 14.5 seconds (un-rushed)
"My company is The Brand Coach, based in Atlanta. We offer business, personal and celebrity brand development services.   We help our clients build  solid brands that they leverage LONG term, to increase their brand equity. "
If the prospect is interested they will ask for more details, like "So who have you worked with?" or "I could use some help, explain the services you offer?".    That is your queue to launch the second half of your pitch.

Part 2:  Beyond the First 15

The second half of your pitch should focus on your Unique Selling Proposition, and success stories.  It is important for prospects to understand the difference between you and your competitors.  People also relate more to stories than sales strategy, it creates a comfort zone when one feels like they are speaking to an old friend.  However, be sure your stories are something your listener might relate to.

Lastly, it is important to practice the pitch to perfection while maintaining flexibility with it.  Prospects might interrupt you to find out more about a service or to interject a specific need that they have.  You should be prepared to take any direction with the conversation.  It is also a good idea to have multiple versions of your pitch, just in case you need an alternative.

Note: If there are multiple members of your sales team.  They should have have the same content in their elevator pitch, but personalized to fit each person's speaking pattern.  The parroting effect will allow consumers to formulate a clear snapshot of your brand no matter where it is encountered.

Bowing Out

Sometimes the listener will give you a flat "Ohhhh I see."  That is a clear sign that their interest has not been peeked.  At that point I would encourage you to ask about them. Listen intently for a need that you might be able to fill.  But stay focused on the quality of the conversation.  When prospects like you, they will exercise more patience in getting to know you and what you have to offer.  But everyone you engage won't have an interest, sometimes you should simply bow out and find a better connection.

Addition Credits: See video spotlight of Brandon Butler at The Website Shop (Atlanta)

Happy Branding Everyone…

You can continue this conversation on Twitter @brandcoachllc or on Facebook.com/TheBrandCoach
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The Elevator Pitch - Social Networking

Posted by The Black Business Cafe on February 3, 2010 at 4:40pm
Many business owners, big and small along with Entrepreneurs attend Social Networking Events in expectation of gaining a new client, customer and or establishing a relationship. Many of these same people don't have any idea about how to present their business products or services to their potential client or customer to begin establishing the relationship.If you have been use to sharing your entire business plan, business description to people or lengthy statements at social networking events and going on and on about your business, telling them how great your company is or sharing how great your products are, you have been totally wrong and more than likely have not ever heard from those people that you gave all that great information to.Most times those people will never contact you or consider buying from you. They don't take a second thought about anything that you said, because you have not given them the information that they are looking for.Here are 3 things wrong with giving that much information about your business or product & services to someone that you just met.First, you have taken up too much of their time.Second, you have wasted alot of your own time. While you were giving out that much information to 1-3 people, you could have worked the entire room using your elevator pitch.Third, no one really wants to hear all the in depth details about your business products and services, they only want to know the benefit to them or the solution to their problem.What is an elevator pitch?An elevator pitch is an overview of an idea for a product, service, or project. The name reflects the fact that an elevator pitch should be possible to deliver in the time span of an elevator ride, meaning in a maximum of 30 seconds and in 130 words or fewer. (Wikipedia)Your "elevator pitch" is the tool you use to communicate your message to your listener about who you are, what you offer and what's in it for them. It can be used at Networking Events and on social networking sites.Resources to Help with Your Elevator Pitch:-Give Your Elevator Pitch a Lift-Elevator Pitch Essentials-How to Get Your Point Across in 30 Seconds or LessCharlene Brown is the Founder and Visionary of The Black Business Cafe, a Social Networking Organization in Maryland. Mrs. Brown was #38 on the list of 50 of the most powerful and influential women in social media 2008 and is a Grand Connector with a mission to bring her local community together to do business with each other. Mrs Brown is often called a social networking guru and expert by her peers, however she prefers to be "The Grand Connector". Visit her website www.blackbusinesscafe.com, www.theblackbuisnesscafe.ning.com
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Is your elevator speech pushing the right buttons?

Posted by LaTosha Johnson on July 23, 2009 at 11:48pm
I have been to quite a few networking events and I guarantee you will hear the phrase, “Tell me about yourself.” Many people are able to answer this question with no problem, while others seem to struggle. If you find yourself experiencing the latter, one way to combat this issue is memorizing an elevator speech.In case you are not familiar with this term, an elevator speech is a short spiel that enables you to convey with others your occupation and what you represent (i.e. attributes) in the same length of time it takes for you to reach the highest floor in an elevator (approximately 30 to 60 seconds). Think of it as a way to “break the ice” when you meet someone new. In order to find out if your speech is pushing the right buttons, keep the following in mind:Know before you go: First impressions are extremely important. People form their judgments about a person within the first thirty seconds of meeting them. Therefore, when someone requests that you tell them about yourself, please do not waste these precious seconds.I am not trying to be funny or mean when I say this, but please figure out what it is that you do and what you represent before you are asked (especially if you are going to a networking event!). When some people are asked to talk about themselves they act like it is a trick question and are literally stumped in trying to determine how to craft a response. Remember, only you have the answer. Using “fillers” such as ‘um’ or ‘ah’ will not help in your quest to project that you are a confident individual.Would you want to listen to yourself?When you are rehearsing your elevator speech keep in mind how you would feel if you were subjected to listening to your speech. Would you be satisfied or bored? If you are bored and you wrote the speech—imagine how the listener will feel. I realize not everyone has a “cool” job. However, this is still no excuse for having a boring elevator speech. How do you expect to impress a recruiter or land a new client without capturing their attention?The key to getting where you want to be is to demonstrate that regardless of what your occupation is, you take ownership of your position and have pride in the work you perform. Do yourself a favor and craft an elevator speech worth listening to by including the following:* Your occupation Yes, this seems obvious, but it does not hurt to be reminded. In addition, make sure that you add the company name as well. The person listening to you might know one of your colleagues. Therefore, in the event that you are nervous, knowing a common person that the listener knows might make you feel more at ease.* Why are you unique? For example, instead of simply saying, “I am a Marketing Consultant,” and bring the conversation to a screeching halt, why not say, “I am a Marketing Consultant that loves a challenge and truly enjoy assisting my clients.”* Examples, please. When you craft your response by answering, “Why you are unique?” The degree to how well you craft your answer will determine how interested people will be in learning more about you. You will know you accomplished this feat when the next question you are asked is, “How do you [insert your exceptionally crafted answer—i.e. assist your clients]?” This question will enable you to share your skills and talents without being viewed as “pushy.” Make the most of your time in the spotlight by giving 3 quick examples to support why you are [insert your exceptionally crafted answer].Facial expressions speak just as loud as words: When you are speaking make sure you are paying attention to how others are reacting to your speech. If you see someone is confused, immediately stop and ask them if they need clarification. Oftentimes, if people are confused they will let you keep talking because they are afraid that they will come across as ignorant (of course this could not be further from the truth!).It is your responsibility to put their mind at ease by being direct and asking them if they need clarification. I often receive puzzled looks when I mention that my company offers virtual assistant services. When I receive these looks, the next words out of my mouth are, “Are you familiar with the concept of virtual assistance?” When I offer to clarify a term or phrase that is unfamiliar to the other person, I can see the sigh of relief on their face and am then told, “No, if you do not mind can you explain it to me.”It does neither person any good to allow you to continue talking when you are not on the same page. The other person will undoubtedly harbor feelings of insecurity because they did not understand what you do. When you fail to pick up on nonverbal cues that your listener is confused , your listener will assume that you are “smarter” than them and you will miss out on the chance to connect.Remember, the whole purpose of an elevator speech is to share what you do and what you represent. You are also satisfying their curiosity in why you are a phenomenal person that they should become better acquainted with and worth adding to their network. You have to make sure that your speech is pushing the right buttons so you can get off on the same floor together.
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