Winning New Business For Dummies

Chapter 8

Elevator Pitching

IN THIS CHAPTER

Recognizing what to cover in an elevator pitch

Being clear in your objectives

Taking advantage of a chance to listen

It may seem a little ironic that a chapter about an elevator pitch, which by its very definition is short and succinct, should take up so many pages!

Elevator pitching is about being prepared to take advantage of an unexpected opportunity to promote yourself or your solution in a slightly unusual way and is not confined to use in elevators! The term dates back to the early 1980s and is generally used to describe encountering an unexpected opportunity in passing, such as during an elevator ride, to address someone you wouldn’t normally get an audience with. (Note: Don’t get hung up on the word pitch; what I discuss in this chapter is a prepared introduction that offers something compelling and worthy of later follow-up. It’s not intended to be a full-on sales pitch — in fact, far from it.)

When developing a winning impromptu introduction, you need to follow some basic rules. Your pitch should be

• Interesting
• Memorable
• Succinct

I explore how to put together and deliver an elevator pitch in this chapter. You just may win ...