Going up to the heights or down to the depths?
The ‘Boss’ took a swipe at me about her coming up with an elevator pitch in a comment on a post a while ago and it set me thinking…
- Image via Wikipedia
Firstly, why is it an ‘elevator pitch’ in the first place? Is it because the term reached our shores at the same time as organised ‘networking events’ from our friends across the pond? We don’t use elevators in the UK; we use lifts. Why didn’t we demand it should be a ‘lift pitch’ 
?
What was the last great pitch you heard?
Well, since we seem to be stuck with elevator, what was the last great or even decent pitch you heard? Can you remember it and what it was about? And why it stood out?
Did it make you want to get to know the person better? Did it make you think of someone the person might be able to help?
An IFA at a weekly breakfast club I joined ages ago was great: He’d use stories to illustrate jams people got themselves in and how they could be avoided. Whereas months down the line we were all still struggling to work out what another guy did and what he was looking for…
One of the easiest ‘pitches’ for me to remember was a magician – he demonstrated a quick trick and said he was available for parties, weddings and corporate events: Job done! Or so I thought…
What do you want?
The magician example leads into the fact that it seems many of us (Brits, anyway) when networking not only fudge what we do, we won’t say what we really want: we prefer to say what we’ll settle for! How daft is that?
In conversation later it transpired that what he really wanted was to succeed as an actor – the magic tricks were just to pay his way in between roles.
What if that guy had come up with a proper act (dressing as an easily recognisable character maybe? It would certainly get him noticed…) with a trick as the punch line (in retrospect, Suze could have probably written a cracker of a skit for him ) followed by something like:
“I entertain; primarily by acting so I’m looking for introductions to casting directors (preferably not the couch variety 
) and I’m also a great magician for corporate dos and festive occasions!”
Okay, now we know what he really wants. Now he at least has a chance of us remembering him if and when we move in luvvy circles… and we’ll remember the trick, too.
Why should someone want to help us?
Another thing, while we’re on the subject: When was the last time you heard an elevator pitch delivered with joy and enthusiasm about how what the person who was talking to you did helped their clients or customers?
Are we guilty of being too focused on what we do rather than the outcome it helps our clients achieve?
Now this can be hard to get right on our own: We’re often literally ‘too close to the wood to see the trees’. And that’s where our customers and trusted, successful colleagues and acquaintances can help.
Friends (good ones, anyway ) are probably too close and too wary of hurting our feelings to give us the constructive criticism we may direly need!
Are we brave enough to test out our elevator pitches and take helpful comments on the chin?
If not, let’s instead share ones we like in the comments and we can all learn from them… Will you put either up here?
