With one tweak, he loses control of his elevator pitch, veers across the median, and speeds straight into oncoming relevance.
He looks at me like I had just pushed him down a hill on a bike with no brakes.
And, in pitch terms… I had.
Because when you make your pitch specific – uncomfortably specific – it stops gliding safely between the lines and starts getting real attention.
But let me back up.
No Swimmies, No Stickers, No Safety Nets
We never put swimmies on our kids – we didn’t want them bobbing around with false confidence in the water.
And my older daughter doesn’t get a Student Driver sticker either – Boston roads are a jungle and she needs to learn how to navigate confidently in the wild.
And it gets me thinking about your Elevator Pitch.
Because Training wheels? Swimmies? Stickers?
They’re built for caution, not confidence.
And most people treat their Elevator Pitch the same way.
They strap on the safety gear.
They pad the edges, soften the message, and keep it vague enough to “apply to everyone”… which makes it compelling to absolutely no one.
The Moment His Pitch Got “Dangerous”
My client, a business coach, has such a comfortable pitch that he can’t think of any other way to describe his business.
He works with “service-based businesses.”
But what he really works with is start up businesses in the trades.
Think electricians and plumbers.
And the opportunity he’s been missing becomes clear a few minutes later, when someone else narrows her pitch to teaching people how to start up a businesses.
They look at each other.
They both work with the same type of client.
So they set up a 1:1.
That’s the moment he crossed the median.
No more safety lane.
He’s driving directly into oncoming relevance – the path where people notice and instantly introduce you around.
And that’s the whole point.
Try This: Take your Training Wheels Off
Here’s the simplest way to upgrade your pitch:
“I help [very specific audience] fix [very specific, real-world problem].”
Say it out loud.
If it feels too narrow or a little too bold…
you’re on the right track!
You’re ready to cross the median and start getting some attention.
Your Turn!
When’s the last time you got specific?
“They’ll think I’m not for them” is a comfortable lie we tell ourselves (I told it to myself for years).
Being specific is counterintuitive – and it starts better conversations.
Don’t take my word for it. Try it out yourself!
Drop your new specific short pitch in the comments – I read every one!
Want professional feedback on how to get the good kind of reaction out of your pitch:
👉 book your free Pitch Check Session.
Let’s ditch your training wheels and make your message impossible to ignore.