We recently gave you a FastClass on how to create a killer presentation, and in our last edition, we dialed that down to a 10-slide pitch tool you can use to get a YES from anyone. Over-kill? We don’t think so, because how you present yourself and your business is an essential skill that can be learned by anyone - and it’s worth its weight in career gold.
So, it’s time to close this three-edition series with the shortest tool of all - your elevator pitch. Or, put another way, how you explain who you are and what you do in the time it takes to ride a metaphorical elevator from the bottom of a building to the top. It’s one of the single biggest personal marketing tools you should have in your hopper.
We worked with pitch, messaging & communication experts Verret Associates to bring you this quick tool to get your elevator running smoothly. We thoroughly recommend you check them out for the full range of services to help you or your business grow.
Wink.
Super-Skill: Story-telling
If you can’t explain what you do, then why are you doing it? As Albert Einstein once said, if you can’t explain something in simple terms, you don’t understand it well enough. Nobody wants someone in their organization who doesn’t understand something well enough.
Nudge.
Super-Skill: Story-Telling & Relationships
Honing an elevator pitch is an investment in your career for several reasons.
It defines your worth in the context of the role you perform. People need context to place you for opportunities they may have in their minds.
It forces you to nail your value. This is essential for salary negotiations, promotion conversations, and oiling your career wheel.
You can apply the elevator principle anywhere; being succinct and clear is a super skill every leader must-have.
But it’s not as easy as it sounds for a good reason; it takes time to do it properly. But when done with thought, it’s powerful and it works.
Jolt.
Super-skill: Story-Telling, Doing & Relationships.
The point of your elevator pitch is not to explain what you do with speed, it’s to be remembered. As humans, we will always remember you if you are one of three things: First, Best, or Different. First and Best are harder to come by. But you can always be remembered as interesting, different - and clear.
The Elevator Pitch is made up of metaphorical floors. Each floor is connected to the previous floor but performs a different role. Together, they make up your story. Let’s call the elevator…
1st Floor: The Connection: “What do you do?”
This is where you start. The intent is to simply intrigue your audience, not blurt it all out. For example, “I work in content development for The Jolt, a career advice brand”.
2nd Floor: The Question: “Tell me more?’
Next, you talk about what the role means. For example, “I create content that gives people powerful skills to help build their careers”.
3rd Floor: Your Value. “So, what exactly do you do for them?”
This is where you describe in a short sentence, how what you do adds value. For example, “It’s very different from traditional career advice services because all our advice comes from real-world executives who’ve learned the best way - by doing”.
4th Floor: Your Way of Working. “How do you do it?”
This is where you give more detail about how you go to market. For example, “We provide all our content through a free email every two weeks”.
5th Floor: Your Services. “What are the services you provide?”
This is where you give more specific examples. For example, “We’re now in development of a paid feature which will offer video classes, tools & coaches that you can use, like a personal career plan - for the price of a coffee”.
6th Floor: The Benefits. “How does it help them?”
This is where you make it personal. “For example, if you were thinking of a big career change, you could contact one of our Radical Career Change coaches to help you develop a plan & support you through the process”.
7th Floor: Validation. “Can you prove it works?”
This is where you share a testimonial or case study that reinforces what you do and who you are. For example, “Funnily enough, I just got some great feedback from a Jolt subscriber who used one of our emails to develop her career change plan. We were the impetus she needed to take her first step”.
8th Floor: Call To Action. “What do I do next?”
This is your chance to continue the conversation. Be creative. Provide value, not just your contact information. If you can help them with something simple, they will remember! For example, “I’d be happy to tell you more, send you the link to The Jolt or even some of our content so you can check it out”.
Now add all the floors together, and you have your Elevator Pitch.
Here’s how it reads:
“I work in Content Development for The Jolt, a career advice brand. I create content that gives people powerful skills to help build their careers. It’s very different from traditional career advice services because all our advice comes from real-world executives who’ve learned the best way - by doing! And we provide all our content through a free email every two weeks. We’re now in the development of a paid feature that will offer video classes, tools & coaches that you can use, like a personal career plan - for the price of a coffee! For example, if you were thinking of a big career change, you could contact one of our Radical Career Change coaches to help you develop a plan & support you through the process. Funnily enough, I just got some great feedback from a Jolt subscriber who used one of our emails to develop her career change plan. We were the impetus she needed to take her first step. I’d be happy to tell you more or send you the link to The Jolt, or even some of our free content so you can check it out”.
That’s the role of a content developer for The Jolt in 45 seconds.
Give it a shot, and we’ll see you on the Top Floor!
With elevated love & gratitude
The Jolt Team.