How to make a Winning Business Pitch

An elevator pitch is an introductory summary of you and your business goals. It is one of the most effective methods to promote your personal brand and get listeners wanting to know more, be it with potential investors, employees, co-founders, etc. Build your own, outstanding pitch quickly and easily with any of the following positive ‘action’ words: Achieve Assess Broaden Capture Centralize Change Compile Complete Coordinate Create Design Develop Diversify Enforce Enhance Establish Evaluate Exceed Forecast Guide Identify Increase Initiate Inspire Investigate Launch Maintain Manage Who You Are Your success depends on the strength of your first few words, so your opening line is important. You need to engage the listeners and draw them in, by making them eager to learn more. This means providing context to make the pitch relevant to them, before talking about you. Present the problem that you and your solution solve and provide context. Here’s an example: Many entrepreneurs struggle to attract new customers, as they are so busy bringing in revenue by delivering value. Often they only grow through referrals. We specialize in creating marketing systems for successful entrepreneurs in the education industry. What You Do This speaks about your experience and builds on the initial section. You may reference recent projects you have been involved in or interesting opportunities you have had. Pay attention to the context by keeping it relevant to the listener and free from jargon. Here’s an example: We are focused on delivering marketing results for clients in the education industry. I have worked in this industry for ten years and I am very aware of the common business development challenges as well as effective solutions. Your Unique Selling Proposition You should show the unique qualities you have that can benefit the listener. The intention should be to clarify the points that differentiate you from competitors and similar companies in your industry. These differences should not be superficial but focused on delivering unique value. Here’s an example: We have developed a proprietary system for business development called the ASAP Marketing system and have used this system successfully with several clients in West Africa. We serve six of the top 10 schools in the Lagos district and have helped them achieve 20% increase in new business sales revenue over the last three years. Your Goals This section should also include ‘’What’s in it for them?’’ Be clear about what you want and align it to what the listener is looking for. Find out exactly what the listener wants so that your pitch can show how you can fulfill their needs. Use gentle, effective persuasion to avoid causing offense. Here’s an example: We would be interested in speaking to you to see if there is an opportunity for us to help you win more customers. Action Steps Write the first part of your elevator pitch by answering the question ‘’Who am I?’’ Write the second part of your elevator pitch by answering the question ‘’What do I do?’’ Write the third part of your elevator pitch by answering the question ‘’Why am I unique? What are my unique selling points?’’ Write the final part of your elevator pitch by answering the question ‘’What are your goals?’’ For more posts from this author, visit: www.gloryenyinnaya.com ‘’Your audience is waiting for your stories.’’ – Steve Woodruff, Author of Clarity Wins.