Using Elevator Speeches to Promote Your Business

One of the ways you can promote your small business is to use elevator speeches (also called elevator pitches). On this page you will find information on what it is, how to create one and when to use it.

What is an Elevator Pitch?

An elevator pitch is a short 'speech' or description of what your business does.

It is called that because of its length.

If it takes you longer to give your speech than it would take for a short ride in an elevator, then it is too long.

Your elevator pitch should be used to inform your prospect about what your business can do for him or her, before you hand out your business card.

How to Create an Elevator Pitch?

Before you put pen to paper and write your first draft, it pays to ask yourself a few questions to get your message clear in your own head. Questions like:

• Who am I and what business am I in?
• What do I offer my customers?
• What problem is solved for them by using my products or services?
• Ideally, what should the listener do as a result of hearing my speech?

Write a sentence answering each of the questions listed above, and then craft them into a cohesive paragraph. Try to make your speech 90 words or less, otherwise people will walk off before you have finished speaking!

Once you have finished, try your speech out on a few people. Ask for feedback and the use the information provided to refine and improve your speech.

Then you have to practice giving the speech, over and over again, until is feels like natural speech rather than someone reading off a card.

When to Use Your Elevator Pitch?

Basically you use your pitch every time you meet someone for the first time and they ask "What do you do?"

You should have an pitch ready any time you are likely to run into a prospective customer, for example if you are attending a trade show, or a networking event. You can also use it during social events, but be careful not to shove your speech down people's throats! If the ask tell them, and then ask what they do.

Need Other Promotional Ideas?

If elevator speeches are not quite right for your small business, you might want to check out some of the other pages on promotional materials, such as flyers or brochures, newsletters, business cards, or direct marketing sales letters.

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