Sensible Marketing for Small Business

Can you describe your company in a clear, compelling way in 60 seconds? Many people refer to this as an “elevator pitch”, because you of the hypothetical situation where you may be in an elevator with an investor and you have one uninterrupted minute to tell your story before he gets off the elevator at his penthouse.  Happens all the time..right?

It will happen, most likely not in the elevator, so I recommend that you prepare yourself with 60 seconds of important information about your company that you can use in various situations and timeframes.

What is it?

• A verbal overview of your company
• It must convey confidence, passion and energy – don’t just memorize it and recite it
  It is rarely used in its entirety.
• To talk to someone for 60 seconds without giving them a chance to react, respond, or ask a question, is pretty odd.
• The goal is to get someone intrigued enough that they will ask for more information.
• You have to be short, clear, and concise.

What does it include?

It includes the following elements. Each of these elements can stand alone if needed and can be used to answer follow up questions

• One sentence description of your company.
• A “hook” – an exciting story or statistic that gets the listener engaged.
• Value proposition – the benefits you offer along with your differentiator to the competition.
• Current status – brag a little about the milestones the company has achieved… customers, partners, funding, etc.
• Call to action – how much money are you raising and how can someone learn more about your opportunity. If it is a customer or investor, request a follow up meeting or introduction.

When do you use it? Usually in an informal, unplanned situation – cocktail party, social setting, quick introduction.  Be ready to alter your overview for different audiences… customers, investors, etc.

Tips

• Remove the industry jargon, acronyms and buzzwords.
• Don’t get into the science.
• Although it will be delivered verbally, take the time to write it down and read through it. You will go through many revisions as you work on the length and content.
• Practice, practice, practice – with your friends, family, kids, parents, co-workers. Do they understand it?
• Don’t forget about the critical importance of the delivery – good eye contact, appropriate gestures, effective pauses, an occasionally powerful smile to engage the audience.
• When you have refined it, have the rest of your employees practice it too. It is important that your entire team is capable of communicating what your company does in a consistent manner.