The elevator pitch is a simple tool to express your business and how you will help your client. Compelling elevator pitches cause people to take action.
One of the biggest struggles I hear from business owners is understanding how to talk about what they do in a way that makes sense to their right people. Which is understandable – especially when you have so many ideas, thoughts, programs, services, offerings, that you want to showcase.
And this is why I love the elevator pitch, especially for the multi-passionate business owners who are doing a variety of things.
You see, the elevator pitch, when crafted with intention, will succinctly communicate the value that your business brings to the table. One of my favorite authors, Donald Miller (Building a Storybrand and Marketing Made Simple) refers to the elevator pitch as a ‘One Liner’. He says this is the one magical sentence that will grow your business. AKA, it’s pretty freakin’ important to nail down.
Which is exactly what we’re going to dive into today – the four-step framework for creating an effective elevator pitch for your business so that you can introduce your company in a quick and compelling way, every time.
Rather watch than read?
In This Article
>> What is an elevator pitch?
>> Why does your business need an elevator pitch?
>> The elevator pitch framework for businesses
>> How (and when) to use your elevator pitch
>> Rather watch than read?
>> Additional brand resources.
What is an elevator pitch?
I teased this above but I define your brand’s elevator pitch as:
one or two sentences that clearly explains what you’re all about as a business and the value that you bring to the table.
Why does your business need an elevator pitch?
There is one guarantee as a business owner and it’s that you will, at some point in time, have to share what you do/offer/sell.
I used to break out in a cold sweat when someone asked me what I did. I’d stumble over words, talk about all the things and if I’m being honest, confuse both myself and the person I was sharing with. I would leave the conversation feeling deflated and unsure.
Now, imagine being on the receiving end of that uncertainty and lack of clarity. Because the truth is, if you can’t articulate what you do, as the owner of the business, how in the world is someone else supposed to understand what you’re all about?
The elevator pitch framework for businesses
And this brings us to the four-part framework for creating a clear, succinct and easy to understand elevator pitch.
Now, the goal here is to be succinct. Perhaps you need to brainstorm all the ideas and get everything down on paper but the goal is to distill all that information down into one or two sentences, so the simpler, the better.
Who you serve.
At a high level, this is who you’re a great fit for. Think about the common theme that ties your ideal client profile together.
For WCO: purpose-driven business owners
Their main problem.
Once you identify who you’re serving, think about their main struggle, challenge or problem. Now, there likely is more than one problem that they experience. But the goal is to identify the main problem so that you can then showcase your solution and the result. If you aren’t sure, no problem. Pick something and then pay attention to what’s working and what’s not.
For WCO: struggle with brand consistency and cohesiveness
Your solution to the main problem.
With the main problem identified, now it’s time to articulate your solution. This is the service, product, community, offer – whatever your main thing is.
For WCO: brand strategy, messaging and design services
The result that happens because of your solution to the main problem.
The last piece is what your ideal client will walk away with because of your solution to their main problem. Again, think simple and succinct.
For WCO: allow business owners to do more good and connect with their right people
Put it all together to craft your business’s elevator pitch.
Once you have the four elements, the last step is to play around with the structure and organization of the pitch. The goal is to ensure the one or two sentences come together in a way that’s easy to share. And remember, just because it looks good on paper doesn’t mean it’s a good fit. The purpose of an elevator pitch is to be spoken out loud so if you’re stumbling over the words, it won’t serve you too well.
As you play around with the various elements, order doesn’t necessarily matter. Instead, what I’d encourage you to think about is how natural it sounds for you and your brand. After you create a draft, say it out loud. Ask someone to tee-up the ‘what do you do?’ question so that you can practice and get feedback. The whole point of creating an elevator pitch is so that you can naturally and seamlessly talk about the amazing work that you do.
Okay, bringing it back to the framework. I know examples and steps are important so you could use something like this as a starting point:
Business Name helps [ideal client] [result] by delivering [solution] that solves [problem].
Pulling that together, WCO’s elevator pitch looks like: Witt and Company is a strategy-first brand studio that helps purpose-driven business owners craft consistent and cohesive brands so they can do more good and connect with their right people.
How (and when) to use your elevator pitch
Your elevator pitch is the foundation for talking about what you do. All roads lead back to that pitch since it’s the most succinct way to communicate the amazing work your business provides customers.
Yes, your pitch is intended to be heard (hello networking events!) but you can also share it digitally and make sure it’s seen:
- Is it on your website? You can put it at the top of your services page or in your footer so it’s on every page.
- Is it in your social media bios? What a great opportunity to succinctly share what you do!
- Is it in your emails? More specifically, your welcome email after a subscriber joins?
Engrain this baby into your brain so that any time someone asks that sometimes-dreaded question of what you do, you can clearly and confidently share.
Because, my friend, in case you need the reminder – you’re kicking ass, you’re doing great work and you should be proud of it!
Happy branding!
All my best,
Need additional branding resources?
Here’s how to simplify the process of your brand strategy and start attracting your ideal clients.
The ultimate guide for creating your ideal client profile is at your finger tips!
Wondering how to get more clients? This post will walk you through the process of communicating your business offerings.
Here are four distinct signs to watch out for when navigating if it’s the right time to get serious about your branding.
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