The Power of the Pitch

Whether it’s one on one, one on a group or group on group, we all have had to put on a pitch. Maybe it was at a business mixer, a restaurant or a planed meeting, it can be very stressful.

One way to help offset this stress is to have a pitch ready to go at a literal, moments notice.

Luckily, we have several options for this:

1. The Elevator Pitch

In general, this is a quick “we just met for a moment” type pitch which does not leave you with a lot of time. The term comes from the time you have between floors in an elevator.

There are a few “elevator” pitches out there ranging from 30 seconds to a minute or so:

1. 30 Second pitch: This is pretty much the absolute basics of what you do, with some flair added in. No one cares that you’re an accountant, they are one in 5 guys out here. What they care about is that you are “An accountant who specializes in getting small businesses out from under too much debt.”
2. The Minute Pitch: Similar to the 30 Second pitch but with a tad bit more info. Maybe you add that you’re “Right down the road” or that you “guarantee results or your money back”.
3. Always have your business card.

The elevator pitch can get you into places that you would not expect.

Some more tips

• Be persuasive: Again, there are a hundred people who do what you do (generally) why am I going to work with you?
• Do you have special skills? Do you have decades of favorable negotiating skills with the IRS? Say so.
• Practice, practice and practice some more: Practice all lengths of your elevator pitches.
• Don’t offer up skills you don’t have: If you are an accountant and they mention they need a financial planner, if you have an associate that would work, offer them up.
• Don’t use industry jargon in an elevator pitch: You have no idea of their level of knowledge for your industry, so it’s best to avoid “insider” terms.

DO NOT

• Talk too fast: Yes, this may be only a minute, but you don’t want to seem like you’re on drugs. Seriously. This is why you rehearse til you have it down.
• Ramble: You have a very limited time, stay on task.
• Look disinterested: You are trying to garner more work. Do not seem like a monotone TV announcer.

So, what what are some of your tips when making your pitch? Let us know in the comments. Also, feel free to let us know of any tips we missed.

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