The podcast host’s question takes me by surprise:
“What’s the worst Elevator Pitch you’ve ever heard?”
There are so many bad ones… but most are just boring and vague and, frankly, I don’t remember them.
It’s rare that someone shares too much of the wrong information in a way that’s truly memorable.
So rare that I have to think for a minute to separate out the elevator pitches that are simply ineffective from the ones that are truly bad.
I come up with two (check them out at 23:01 and 26:03)
Click here to listen to the full podcast
And that’s just the tip of the iceberg.
Here’s a quick overview of the key things you’ll learn in the 42 minutes it takes to listen to this podcast:
1:35 – a short elevator pitch that started a surprising avalanche of questions
1:58 – how I learned something new about people I had known for years
5:38 – when to use a “short” elevator pitch (and a great example of what to say)
6:01 – the best kind of follow up question you can get from your Elevator Pitch
8:10 – “Are you a sales coach?”
11:07 – how to deal with people who talk to much (are you one of them?)
12:40 – how to figure out whether you are networking or selling…
13:00 – why non-customers are better (much better) for networking
14:15 – (SPOILER ALERT!) you don’t have to (and wouldn’t expect to) connect with everyone
15:30 – how do you practice for an improv show?
17:14 – the reason you’re scared of improv (and shouldn’t be)
19:03 – the best referral ever (and the conversation that led to it)
20:48 – the HOLY GRAIL of networking!
22:02 – how to stay top of mind
23:01 – the worst Elevator Pitch. Ever.
24:28 – great script to use when asked about your competition
26:03 – OOPS. This is actually the Worst Elevator Pitch Ever
27:00 – Two Don’t Do’s for your Elevator Pitch
27:51 – stop trying to prove your expertise
28:39 – “the intent is to gain clients – not to push them away”
29:07 – two reasons NOT to practice your Elevator Pitch in front of a mirror
29:48 – record your Elevator Pitch … then DON’T watch it!
30:46 – the app that’s already on your phone that instantly makes your Elevator Pitch better
31:47 – Why your USP and Target Market lead to a terrible Elevator Pitch (and what to do instead)
33:05 – why doing well in school puts you at a networking disadvantage
35:41 – how to use your Elevator Pitch at a conference
37:15 – the biggest opportunity people miss at conferences