Who are your Salespeople?
My argument is that everyone in your organization will at some point in time have to tell somebody else what they do. How cool would it be if everyone could tell a quick and compelling story that would both surprise and interest the listener?
Easier said than done. Jeff Garrison, the new director of sales at Precision Development Inc., has made his first order of business to get everyone telling the same elevator pitch.
Several years ago Jeff taught children tennis as a youth tennis coach. Like in any sport, it was vital to start by teaching the fundamentals. So every kid, regardless of age, size, skill level, et cetera, had to learn the strokes the same way. Turn your body perpendicular to the ball, take your racket straight back, swing up at the ball out in front of you and follow through over and over and over. For most, it felt awkward at first. But soon they could hit a consistent forehand. And eventually they would put their own style into their swing.
Teaching everyone in your organization the fundamentals of the elevator pitch until they are comfortable and confident just might increase your sales numbers over time.
According to K. Stone, author of the Life Learning Today blog, mentions “you only have 30-60 seconds to make a powerful first impression. The attention span of the average person is just 30 seconds before their mind starts wandering. The other reason is people have less time today. You need to grab them quickly or lose them forever”.
Here are Stone's suggestions for creating a powerful elevator pitch:
1. Concise. Your pitch should take no longer than 30-60 seconds.
2. Clear. Use language that everyone understands. Don't use fancy words thinking it will make you sound smarter. Your listener won't understand you and you'll have lost your opportunity to hook them.
3. Powerful. Use words that are powerful and strong. Deliver the "Sis-Boom-Bang" to grab their attention!
4. Visual. Use words that create a visual image in your listeners mind. This will make your message memorable.
5. Tell a Story. A short story, that is. A good story is essentially this: someone with a problem either finds a solution or faces tragedy. Either type of story can be used to illuminate what you do.
6. Targeted. A great elevator pitch is aimed for a specific audience. If you have target audiences that are vastly different, you might want to have a unique pitch for each.
7. Goal Oriented. A kick-ass elevator pitch is designed with a specific outcome in mind. What is your desired outcome? You may have different pitches depending on different objectives. For instance, do you want to: make a sale, gain a prospect, enlist support for an idea, or earn a referral?
8. Has a Hook. This is the element that literally snags your listener's interest and makes them want to know more. This is the phrase or words that strike a chord in your listener.
Can everyone in your organization serve up a powerful elevator pitch?











