When positioning your business or yourself, it is critical to be able to communicate what you do in a quick, concise message that is consistent. In the industry this is referred to as an "elevator pitch" or "elevator speech" and is so named because of the amount of time it takes to deliver is generally equivalent to a ride in an elevator.
An elevator pitch is recommended to be no more than 30-seconds long. An elevator speech is a little longer but not more than 60 seconds. Take a look at these fill in formats to help you get started.
Elevator Pitch Format
This outlines the basic setup for a 30-second company/business elevator pitch:
[COMPANY NAME] is [SOLUTION CATEGORY]. We help [PRIMARY CUSTOMER] with [SOLUTION BENEFITS]. What makes us unique is [COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE].
Elevator Speech Format
Use this 60-second speech outline when you have a more time to elaborate:
I'd like to talk to you about [COMPANY NAME] and what we do for the [SOLUTION CATEGORY] industry. Research shows [FRAME THE PROBLEM]. [COMPANY NAME] solves for this by [SIMPLE SOLUTION]. For example, [USE QUICK EXAMPLE]. What makes this different from others is how we [COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGES].
It is always wise to conclude your elevator pitch or speech with a "call to action." This means you make an ask of the person you are giving the pitch to. It might be "here's my card. Can I call you next week?" or "would you like me to send you my information?"
By preparing ahead, you can have the right message at the right place and time. If you would like to talk more about messaging and preparing to respond to inquiries about your business, give me a call!