I’ve recently gotten more into networking offline and it had come to my attention that I didn’t have a good, compelling answer to the universal question “What do you do?” So I decided to work on crafting an effective answer or what is often referred to as an elevator pitch. The term elevator pitch simply refers to the ability to tell someone what you do in the span of an elevator ride. Therefore, your answer needs to be short, catchy, and to the point.
While I was working on coming up with my own elevator pitch, I started searching around for some good tips on what makes one effective. Though I came across all kinds of advice, there were a couple that stood out as being the most important so I would like to share them with you.
Tip 1. Grab the Attention of the Listener
As we all know, people have very short attention spans, so it is of the utmost importance to get them interested immediately. It’s also clear that many people ask this question out of habit and rarely do they actually care about your answer. That is why if you say something unique, not only will they be more likely to engage in conversation with you, but it will also be more likely that you will stand out in their memory. After all, isn’t that what you want, to be memorable?
Tip 2. Keep it short and simple
This is a variation of the K.I.S.S. method that goes back to the fact that people have short attention spans. If you go droning on about every detail of what you do, you can bet that the person is no longer listening. They are probably having a Charlie Brown moment where all they are hearing is Wah Wah Wah! So try to be short and to the point and stay away from anything complicated or confusing. You want them to focus on the overall picture, not the minute details.
Tip 3. Share the result of what you do
Most people when asked what they do, have a knee jerk reaction to give their job title or tell what company they work for. This is boring. The goal of using an elevator pitch is to start a conversation so you want your answer to be interesting enough that it elicits a response. I heard a story recently and I think that sharing it will help this make more sense.
A woman entered a coffee shop to find a man sitting in what she believed to be her seat. She walks up to him and asks “I see you here all the time, what is it that you do?” His response was “I help rich people sleep better at night.” She laughs and says, “Well you must be either a pharmacist or a financial planner!” He was indeed a financial planner, and you can bet that the next time she sees him she will be sure to remember what he does thanks to his creative answer. So remember to always lead with the result of what you do and stand out from the crowd.
I hope this helps you come up with your own unique answer to “what do you do” so that you can make the most out of your networking efforts.
Happy Marketing!
P.S. Feel free to post your elevator pitches in the comments below so that everyone can see what wonderful ideas you’ve come up with!
This is definitely something that people need. Most of the time when people go to networking events they don't have a plan of action prior to going to the event or have their 30 second pitch together. Most people will tend to ignore you if you can't explain who you are, what you do, where you are from, and why they should listen to you within 30 seconds. So make sure you start perfecting your pitch skills because they are a very important aspect of networking
Absolutely, people need to spend the time to come up with it before hand so that it comes out naturally. They can really help make or break a first impression.
Thanks for stopping by,
Angel
Angel,
Great post about your 30 speech. It is well worth your time to come up with a catchy phrase and a short follow up. However I usually turn the conversation right around and ask them what they do. I always make it about the other person.
Thank you for sharing this on my fan page.
Ken Pickard
The Network Dad
I completely agree that you want to ask them what they do as well. People like talking about themselves so we might as well take advantage of it
Thanks alot,
Angel
Angel, Thanks for sharing your ideas. I was especially captured by the simplicity of your last point … the one about answering the “What do you do” question by telling the RESULTS of what you do. Really made a point with me. And the story you told just punctuated it's application. So again, Thanks. Keep up the good work. I come to your blog from time to time. I appreciate your commitment to excellent material.
Warmest Regards,
Jim Williams
I’m glad you enjoyed the story, I thought it explained it nicely
Thanks for stopping by Jim and I look forward to speaking with in the future.
Angel
Angel,
I would see this issue come up again and again at different events. What I saw was that as soon as someone would ask the other person what they did the person would literally “throw up” on that poor soul a stream of sales pitches. They didn't stop to really consider the intrinsic value of developing a real relationship with this person rather they just saw the next dollar sign that this “lead” could bring them.
This is a fantastic post! When I was heavy into offline networking….before finding the internet..
Networking both online and offline is ALL about relationship building. Sure, the internet and a properly crafted direct marketing/ social media strategy will put you in front of more faces and give you more opportunities to connect with others but bottom line is that it will all come back to being able to develop a real relationship with this person for long term success.
Thanks for all of the great content Angel. Your a real leader within the networking industry and it is a pleasure to learn from you.
John
Thanks John, for the wonderful comment as usual
You are the epitome of how to build relationships through social media and it is definitely your strong suit.
I say that’s it’s been a pleasure watching you work and learning from what you do!
Angel
As always, Angel, quality work here. I believe giving an elevator pitch is one of the basic essential skills that all networkers need to develop. Great job, Angel. Looks like you're conquering both the online and off line world!
Thanks Ronnie! I’m working on it
Angel
Hi Angel,
I keep coming back to your blog because I love the content and the look and design of your blog. You are doing a great job. Look forward to learning and exchanging tips.
Faith
I appreciate that a lot, thank you. I look forward to exchanging ideas with you as well!
Angel
This is a great post Angel… very informative and to the point. You're doing a great job!
I agree that one should have their pitch and their story ready so that it comes naturally. You are doing such a great job and offering only quality content on your blog. I love coming back for more.
I've been working on my “elevator pitch” myself lately. Since I've been trying to network myself better lately, it's a valuable skill when trying to open up business channels of communication with others.
I've been working on my “elevator pitch” myself lately. Since I've been trying to network myself better lately, it's a valuable skill when trying to open up business channels of communication with others.
Angel,
Great information. It is so important to be able to define what you do in such a way that elicits a response, especially in a world increasingly filled with background noise. You must grab attention almost right away! I actually wrote about the concept of a “Twitptich” challenging businesses to describe what they do (in a manner similar to what you describe) in 140 characters or less. It forces precision. I've actually even helped a few clients come up with Twitpitches for their business.
If you want to check out my article, go here: http://webandyou.avelient.com/2009/09/24/is-the...
As for my twitpitch: I'm Mariano DiFabio from Avelient. We help businesses connect with the people they serve through web development and social media tools.
Great article, I'm looking forward to having it on my blog carnival tomorrow.
Thanks!
This is a great post. When I first started with my MLM, they spoke a little bit about this. Something that I do when I give my elevator pitch, is to quickly change topics after answering the question about what I do.
It causes the other person to want to know more. If they do, then I set up an appointment on the spot.
Happy Thanksgiving.
Mark Gubuan
http://www.markgubuan.com
These are fantastic tips! Thanks!
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Hi Angel
Yes – I like this! Great explanation of what an elevator pitch should have!
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