I take one bold side step.
I glance around.
I take another step.
Then a third.
I crouch.
Alert.
Ready.
Focused on the right heel.
The pitcher sets.
Back!
My teammates spot the pickoff move.
I’m already on my way back to the bag.
Safe!
A step and a dive.
The pitcher thinks you’ve got a huge lead.
That you’re far away from safety.
A step and a dive gets you back fast.
Faster than any high-school pitcher’s pickoff move.
And it gets me thinking about your Elevator Pitch.
You are closer to success than you think.
The distance between you and better leads is an illusion.
A step and a dive.
Here are the 2 steps to improving your Elevator Pitch:
1. Get Specific
The typical approach is to generalize about your customers.
The better approach is to do the opposite.
Get specific.
Ridiculously specific.
Talk about one customer.
How you met them.
Their particular challenge.
How you helped.
The fear is that using one example will limit your options.
It doesn’t.
It causes people to ask “Do you also handle…”
Then you are having a conversation about what matters to them.
How specific is your Elevator Pitch?
2. Measure Questions and Conversations
How do you know if your Elevator Pitch is working?
Pay attention to the questions that prospects ask, and the conversations you start.
If they aren’t asking questions, Get Specific (see Step #1).
If they are asking questions unrelated to your business, use a different customer example.
Experiment.
Until you find the customer story that sparks the right sort of conversation.
Then stick with it.
Business Networking is a process.
Give your Elevator Pitch time to work.
How do you measure Elevator Pitch success?