With a quick flip of my wrist I send my Western Omelet up into the air.
In slow motion it gracefully arcs over.
And lands.
Half in the pan.
I scrub the rest of it off the burner once the stove has cooled.
This is the third time I’ve had to take the stove apart to clean it.
This week.
Time for a new approach.
Now I flip my omelets over the sink.
Faster recovery from messy mistakes.
You see, for many years I cooked my eggs as a scramble.
Recently I’ve been inspired by the breakfast buffet chefs.
They flip a perfect omelet every time.
With an audience.
A line of hungry people.
Who haven’t had their coffee yet.
Talk about performing under pressure…
So I’ve been practicing.
It turns out there are several things you need to get right
- pan
- oil
- heat
- flip
- catch
- finish
It takes a couple dozen attempts to get the hang of it.
A couple dozen more to achieve consistency.
I haven’t missed a flip in several months.
There are 3 things you need to master to get consistent results (leads!) from your Elevator Pitch:
- Power Question
- Compelling Example of how Easy it is to do Business with You
- Call to Action
What are you doing to master the 3 elements of an effective Elevator Pitch?
Here are 3 tips:
1. Break it Down
My omelet challenge was that I couldn’t get the egg to slide in the pan while it cooked.
After watching the professionals an embarrassingly large number of times it hit me.
OIL
Not butter or Pam.
And it has to be the right amount of oil.
Too much oil = greasy eggs.
Too little oil = not flippable
Takes practice.
For years I started my Elevator Pitch “Hi, my name is Andy”
The thing is, my name is the most important thing to me.
Not so much to my prospects.
I was wasting 20% of my Elevator Pitch (while losing my prospect’s attention).
Once I decided to take a different approach, it took 2 months to change that habit.
Elevator Pitch Tip: Instead of starting your Elevator Pitch with your name or title, start with a 2 sentence example of a happy customer.
It takes guts.
It takes patience.
It takes practice.
You’ll be amazed at the change in your results.
A perfect Elevator Pitch generates instant leads.
Consistently.
What steps are you taking to improve your Elevator Pitch?
2. Practice Safely
Would you rather practice your Elevator Pitch in front of a top prospect, or ahead of time so you get it right when the pressure is on.
I did not start out making omelets for brunch parties (or even for my wife).
Just me alone in my kitchen grumbling as I scrub the stove (again).
Elevator Pitch Tip: Buy a digital voice recorder.
Recording yourself simulates the pressure of being face to face with a prospect.
No mistakes. No do-overs.
You need a safety net while you’re practicing.
Record yourself telling the story of a happy client.
- How you met them
- What challenges they faced
- How you saved the day (or money, or time, or …)
Keep telling it until you consistently like the way it sounds.
Now you’re ready to network.
How do you practice your Elevator Pitch?
3. Embrace Adventure
My wife thinks I’m ridiculous.
She flips her omelets with a spatula.
Not me.
My omelet has to catch some air.
Improves the taste.
Everyone else does their Elevator Pitch the traditional way.
Which is fine if you want to be like everyone else.
Do you want to know the secret to differentiating?
Nobody else works with your customers the way you do.
That’s your differentiator.
For your Elevator Pitch, give an example of a happy client.
Elevator Pitch Tip: Examples of happy clients are instant differentiators.
It’s daring. It’s dangerous. It’s a little ridiculous.
Do you want to be like everyone else?
Or do you want to get more leads from your Elevator Pitch?
How do you differentiate yourself when asked “What do you do?”