BIALL 2013 Developing Your Elevator Pitch

This session was led by Suzanne Wheatley from Sue Hill Recruitment, not many notes as it was far more a highly interactive ‘do’ session rather than ‘talk and listen’ one. It certainly got an awful lot of people talking away busily to each other far beyond the confines of the exercises.

Getting Across Your Message

Suzanne demonstrated an elevator pitch by doing one on Sue Hill Recruitment and all the services that they provide and the benefits thereof.

She noted that elevators rarely break down and a typical elevator ride gives around sixty seconds to make a good impression on someone (depending on speed of elevator and how far going!).

An elevator pitch is a carefully controlled crafted message that gets across the key points you want to make to that other person in an informative and engaging way.

The session was about giving tools to construct and deliver a good elevator pitch. It was not about a sales pitch or a hard sell, but about striking curiousity to create a connection.

It should set out benefits, be short and succinct, get attention. They are not just useful in a professional context. They are not about cramming in as much as possible.

Often we meet someone we want to engage with in a chance manner by accident. It’s important how hold and present yourself, to be engaging, to appear conversational, and to believe what you’re saying.

People make judgments instantly so important to have good posture, look positive and open, smile, shake hands.

Tools and Awareness

We then did various exercises about shaking hands with strangers and making and maintaining eye contact with strangers and changing the volume of conversations.

With hand shakes it was important to lean in, make eye contact, mirror body language. But not look creepy!

With volume control it was about being aware of context e.g. not loud private conversations in public places, or talking far too fast to follow when excited, or reacting and mirroring the other person’s tone and volume automatically without thought.

We then did a tongue twisters exercise getting words out in right order and rhythm so they were clear.

Constructing a Clear and Persuasive Pitch

Words should be concise and compelling. We were recommended playing about with the ElevatorPitch Builder of Harvard Business School. 

Lots of advice on elevator pitches, important to take the bits that work best for you.

5 steps to formulating an elevator pitch.

Need to know what you want to pitch and what you want to achieve before you decide what to say.

Identify your goal

Explain what you do

Articulate your USP (unique selling point)

Engage person with a question

Exit

Need to be excited about what you’re talking about and communicate the USP to get buy-in.  Yes / No questions are risky, open are better, must listen to the answer and pay attention to it.

Can then try and build relationship outside the confines of the lift and firm up the connection.

We all constructed and practiced elevator pitches on each other for a while. End of session.