I get asked a lot about how best to sum up what you do in a few words or a sentence; indeed Ali Davis posed the question in a recent Tweet, "can you summarise what you do in one or two words"! Initially that might be a step too far but it is a great idea and a worthy goal; something I'm working on!
If you're asked the question, "So, tell me what do you do?", what are you going to say? Well, over the next couple of Blogs I'll give you some ideas and tips that I hope will help.
What
will you say?
People don’t want
to hear a 15 minute blow by blow account of your business. They don’t want a
potted history of how you started your business to change the world and 15
years later you’re still trying. In fact they don’t even want to hear more than
a minute about you and your business however fascinating it
is to you. Remember, most people are not interested in you they are being polite or breaking the ice and really want to talk about themselves!
So, how do you describe what you do in an efficient and effective way?
How do you finished that conversation without wishing the ground would open up
and swallow you?
The
Elevator Speech
Everyone needs
to have a 1 minute speech prepared that explains exactly what their business is
all about and why people should even listen to them. This is commonly referred
to as an “elevator speech or pitch” since you should be able to say it in the space of an
elevator ride.
It’s a snapshot of you and what you do in your business.
Here are some ideas how to
avoid that sinking feeling over coffee and how to craft the elevator pitch of
your dreams, the one that works for you.
The steps to crafting your elevator pitch (that works).
1. Outline your
USP
What are the
key points of your unique selling proposition (USP)?
What’s different
about you compared to your competitors?
Write these down in a simple bullet
point format.
Then cut out irrelevant words and explanations.
Edit your USP
down to the bare minimum, the most basic essence of what you are offering
people.
2. Write your
problem/solution statement
Now put your
USP description into one sentence.
It helps to put it in terms of a solution to
a problem, since this is the most important part of anything you are selling.
It’s why people buy. For example,”I help people that
don’t have time to blog or just hate it”.
This doesn’t tell someone exactly
what you do, but it intrigues them enough to want to learn more.
I will tell you more about getting people's attention next time!
Malcolm
