AN ELEVATOR PITCH –CLOSING AN UNEXPECTED SALE

So you have been dreaming of meeting the CEO of a certain company but it has all been in vain? You have sent countless proposals but they never reach his office. Then boom as you are going about your business, you suddenly meet him in a lift. He smiles at you and asks: “What do you do?” What comes in your mind? How can you pitch in the shortest time possible? Well, in marketing, introducing yourself well sets the stage for a professional conversation. One tool that makes an introduction simple and effective is the elevator pitch.

An elevator pitch is a succinct and persuasive sales pitch. The reason why it’s called an elevator pitch is because it has to be very brief and clearly expressed and you should be able to present it during a simple elevator ride. It’s important for every sales person to have an elevator pitch. This is because as a sales person, you need to make the most out of every opportunity you come across. It’s unfortunate that most sales people end up wasting opportunities when they meet prominent business people due to lack of a clear laid out elevator pitch. In such a scenario, you only have like sixty seconds to make a sales pitch and it’s therefore important to have the facts in your fingertips. Remember, it might be your first and probably the last chance to make an impression so you have to do your best. Most CEO’s are busy and being able to communicate who you are and what you do quickly and effectively will ensure that you get your most important points across, no matter how short the conversation.

Steps

These simple steps will guide you in creating an elevator pitch that might come in handy in future as and when the opportunity arises.

1. Take a blank piece of paper and number it from one to ten. Then, fill in the most important bits of information that you would want to convey about yourself, your service or product, or your company. What, exactly, do you do? What have you achieved and what are your goals? Who does your company serve and why? Focus on the most interesting or memorable facts—the ones that really make you stand out from others.

2. Edit what you have drafted with a critical eye eliminating any redundancies, unnecessary or unclear information and business jargon.

3. Make sure the most important information comes first. Remember, you often only have a few seconds to communicate with someone. If you get cut off, what would you want him or her to walk away remembering?

4. Have an interesting fact to use at the beginning of your speech. Your goal is to immediately engage the CEO so that he or she is intrigued and wants to learn more.

5. Practice with someone who can be objective and will give you constructive feedback.

6. Ride the elevator. The next time you ride in  an elevator (alone) make sure you practice your pitch.

As a sales person, set aside some time and craft your elevator pitch. You just never know who you might meet next when time is limited.