Serendipity happens. Something as simple as small talk in an elevator or a chance meeting in a coffee shop can turn into a career-changing event when you find yourself in an unexpected engagement with a prospective client.
When it happens, are you ready?
Condensing your product or services into a 60-second monologue (that’s actually interesting!) may seem daunting, but the critical components for crafting the perfect elevator pitch are simple:
- Keep it brief. Answer the following questions using only one sentence: What do you do? What have you accomplished? Who do you serve? What is your ultimate goal?
- Kill your darlings. Zero in on your business’ most important and interesting aspects, and cut all redundancies.
- Keep it memorable. “I run a store” isn’t exciting or notable. However, “I own a kombucha business that has expanded to four new locations over the past 12 months” may inspire interest. Put the emphasis on what you’ve achieved, not what you do.
- Practice. Stand in front of a mirror, give your pitch, and repeat until you’ve got it memorized and down to one minute or less.