Polish Your Pitch Series – Part I: 6 Ways to Make an Impact with Everyone You Meet

It’s been a long day at the networking event, taking in all of the valuable information given to you throughout the day. You step into the elevator and as you’re about to press your floor number and watch the doors shut, someone shouts out for you to kindly hold the the doors open. You look up and realize that you’re face to face with the highly respected CEO who happened to deliver the keynote speech earlier in the day! By now, you should already be wondering what your elevator talk will consist of. Better yet, this is your time to get inside market information, to pick her brain, to sell yourself. This is where the elevator pitch template that you’ve been diligently working on will step into the forefront. Now is the time when your practiced elevator pitch elements come together to deliver your message.

Learning to perfect a stellar elevator pitch requires a lot of patience and practice. You’re only given one chance and a short window to deliver a 30 second sales pitch introducing yourself and your business. Do you have solid sales pitch ideas that will keep a CEO interested in what you have to offer? Creating an elevator pitch may seem daunting, but with a lot of practice, coupled with understanding the key elements of what makes a good elevator pitch, your immaculate miniature sales presentation will fall upon the ears of those who just may be interested in whatever you’re asking for to assist with your initiative.

Listed below are 3 out of our 6 elevator pitch tips to help you make an impact with everyone you meet.

Confidence reigns supreme.

Confidence starts on the inside first. If you feel good about yourself, know that a large component of this exercise has already been completed! You’ve done the work, now let’s see how it reflects in real time. Using confidence as a stepping stone will show prospects that you take life seriously and that you are charting your own course. Smile and be inviting. Find a way to be interactive and take your time to deliver your pitch. Lead strong, maintain eye contact and deliver your pitch with verve.

Be sure of what you’re selling.

Do you know what you’re selling idea points are? What are some of the main points that will reflect what your business is about in your elevator pitch? You have 30 seconds to leave an impression, make it memorable! You don’t want to make up something to a point where it’s not true and that will not serve you in the long run. Be transparent, make a list of key elements and dwindle it down to the important pieces of information that will take your elevator pitch up a notch. Also, be conscious of the fact that your pitch will be modified over time. As you grow, your career and life goals will change–and that’s okay.

Break down the elements.

I feel that it’s easier to contend with your elevator pitch when broken down into 3 sentences. After you say your name and greeting, use the following to create your pitch: “I aspire”, “I enjoy” and then wrap up with “my legacy will be.”

• I aspire: don’t think about where you are today or where you will be tomorrow, but think ahead about the person who you aspire to be.
• I enjoy: this will give the individual insight into you the person behind your professional endeavors. It will provide a window into who you are outside of the professional networking space.
• My legacy will be: Individuals will see this as a gauge for your maturity. It shows that you took the time to think beyond today and into the future. It also reveals that you understand the importance of “serving” others.