An elevator pitch is the entrance to show new people who you really are.
Sometimes I think it’s interesting to look at how much “usual” that exists in innovative industries – such as entrepreneurship. So what in particular are really usual perceptions when it comes to entrepreneurship?
Well, some of the perceptions I often run into are these:
- you need to work 60 hours a week to be a successful entrepreneur.
- you need to do cold canvas calling in order to get clients.
- you need to have an elevator pitch, so people can understand how wonderful you and your business are in 10 seconds.
I have different takes on all of these and I see myself as a pretty awesome entrepreneur.
But the thing I really want to discuss today is the elevator pitch. I know how vital it is for people to get to know what you do you. But, more importantly, I think the elevator pitch needs to be the entrance to discover and want more of you.
Elevator pitch: Should you describe your value proposition? Here are some of my elevator pitch examples:
When people ask me what I do, I simply tell them that I do business unusual which is my value proposition. It’s a part of my core and it is what a lot of my work revolves around. Taking companies to the edge and look down and see what can be used to build a bridge to the other side.
Sometimes I say that I rock the business world and I have fun while doing it.
Sometimes it’s that I am the leader of a silent business revolution.
I don’t want to tell people that I do strategies, advice, and implementation – what I really do, because it’s doesn’t sum me up. I don’t want to say talking and typing because that’s also what I really do, and what everybody does.
Another thing I think is really key to elevator pitches, is that they need to evolve all the time and you need to have 4 or 5 different ones on your rooster in order to target it to the people you talk to.
Answer the question “what is your crusade” or “what is your secret mission instead of “who are you?” in your elevator pitch.
Because it will help people remember you more. You tell a story about what you want to do for and with the world. It basically gives some Oomph! to the pitch. I have helped a lot of cool startups at tech conferences all over Europe, and one of the cool things about that is that I get to present the business idea behind the startup to potential readers/investors/users. One thing I have noticed is that the potential investors don’t ask you “what you do?” they ask you “what is this? and why are you doing it?” and then you start describing what you have built. And why you have built it. And how it will make money. aka: what your startup is.
You need to have the exact same self-esteem as the startups they have around their mission product. So instead of saying
“I do strategy and implementation”
I often say:
“I do fun stuff. I am a curly grounded Scandinavian business avant-gardist who revolutionizes the business world one company at the time by helping them getting more clear about the substance in their brand and how to create involvement”.
It speaks more of my vision instead of what I actually do. I could also have said, “I type – a lot!”. Which is something I also do.
An elevator pitch is like an entrance to discovery
I make sure that people can go in and discover me and share my vision by giving them some of my “stuff” a business card. My sticker saying “sorry- I don’t do the mainstream” and I ask them to hook up with me online in order to get involved. Either in business rockers or on henrietteweber.com.
Oh and my last piece of advice:
Whatever you do – balance your elevator pitch between how much you stand out, what your mission is, with how you can serve.
Like the elevator pitch wheel, I have drawn at the beginning of this post.