My daughter sees the raw brisket on the counter and reads the sticker:
Slow cook in liquid
“That seems oddly specific”
“It gets worse,” I offer as I heat up the pan and first brown the brisket on all sides.
My daughter jokingly rolls her eyes. “This is one high maintenance meal.”
“The meat’s tough,” I say, answering the question that she didn’t show any intention of asking. “But if you cook it slowly in liquid over low heat it becomes tender and delicious.”
Her eyes light up. “Oh, you mean you can’t grill it.”
Yup!
In fact, Roche Bros. so doesn’t want you to grill this brisket that they went ahead and designed and printed up a bunch of stickers.
And it gets me thinking about your Elevator Pitch.
Because you’re looking for that kind of sticker.
A sticker that instantly sets expectations.
A sticker that draws the right people in, and, just as importantly, sends everyone else scurrying out of sight.
If you’re firing up the grill, don’t choose this one.
But… if you’re ready unpack the crockpot you got as a wedding gift, this might just be your meal.
This works especially well for people in crowded industries – how do you stand out as a lawyer, financial planner, accountant, real estate agent, IT professional, business coach?
Well, you can
…help young couples test drive their new home.
…work with investors buying a second two family house in Brookline.
…help retail storefront owners avoid identify theft
There are three reasons being oddly specific is better:
1. It’s Memorable
Are you more likely to remember someone who increases small business profits or that same person who helps landscapers with LinkedIn?
If you say you’re a lawyer, people run the wrong way, but defend corporations against the IRS and people will know when to call you.
People gleefully approach me and gush “I help companies reduce costs and increase profits.”
I’m sure you do… but so does everyone else.
That describes your work. It describes my work. And it describes the work of every single person who belongs to your local Chamber of Commerce.
So, if you want to stand out, be specific.
Be oddly specific.
2. It’s Referrable
If I meet a landscaper who wants help getting on LinkedIn, then I’ll know exactly who to call.
But notice that you really get more.
Because will they think “Oh this is an accountant so it won’t be a match for my LinkedIn resource.”
No.
They’ll call you and say “Hey, can you also work with accountants?”
She does.
She definitely does.
Being specific leads to more leads.
So, if you want more leads, be specific.
Be oddly specific.
3. It starts future conversations
The toughest (and best) decision I ever made in my business was to become the “Elevator Pitch Coach.”
I coach people on presentation skills, delegating, and business networking in addition to their Elevator Pitch.
I work with COO’s of marketing companies, CEO’s of BioTech firms, Educators, lawyers, mortgage brokers, real estate agents, and Entertainers.
You can’t tell everyone everything you can do in just 30 seconds, which means you’ll have to have several conversations with people across weeks, months, and even years.
The more people get to know you, the better they’ll understand your work, and the better they’ll be able to make good introductions.
So, if you want more work across all your areas of expertise, be specific.
Be oddly specific.
Ready to make your Elevator Pitch oddly specific?
Here’s a quick article with examples.
Here are hundreds of before-and-after examples across dozens of industries.