Lucky 7's of the 30-Second Pitch

As a mom-entrepreneur, I have many different roles: wife, mom, coach, boss, speaker, author, writer, coach, volunteer, mentor, homework checker, chauffeur, cheerleader, short-order cook...the list goes on. As many of you business owners understand - what don't you do, right?

However, I was out a month or so ago, and someone asked me, "What do you do?" And, usually I can roll of a short, sweet pitch, but, oh-no, I bumbled and rambled until this person's eyes glazed over. It was awful. It really made me realize the power of the 30-second pitch. So much so that this became the topic of the Inspired Imaginations MOB (Masterminding on Business) *Silver Club* meeting tonight here in Boulder County.

Really, what would you do if you were riding on an elevator and Oprah walked in? You have her undivided attention for 30-seconds or less. What would you say? Now hold that thought.

What do you say when someone asks you, "What do you do?" And you are completely tongue tied and stumped – worse, you rattle off a five-minute explanation including your services or products from A-Z, your credentials, your education, your clients, etc? By the time you've finished, that other person's eyes are glassy and they are mentally writing their grocery list in their head. Why? Because, they don't understand what you have said, don't need what you have, or are just not interested. So, what do you do? You need an effective 30-second pitch that it distinguishes you in a busy, overcrowded, and at times, indistinguishable marketplace. It must set you apart!

Here's the Lucky 7's for your 30-second pitch.

1. Make it about them: I think it was Stephen Covey who said, "Be interested to be interesting." Apply this philosophy be making your pitch about them – it focus on what you can do for them not just what you can do.
2. Be clear on your niche and specialty. Niche is the who and specialty is the what. Often entrepreneurs think, well, everyone is my customer. Yes and no. Yes, because, technically, you can sell to anyone. But, no because, you will not effectively reach your ideal clients if you are trying to market to everyone.
   
3. Focus on purpose rather than skills – what will the person gain (or in some cases, lose). Too often, an elevator pitch merely describes your skills, as in "Hi, I'm Julie, a coach, speaker and author." Yes, this is all true info, but, well, ick. It doesn't set me apart from the thousands of other coaches, speakers and columnists. It is useless info. What's your purpose for what you do and who you serve – basically, how do you add value. For example, I could say, "Hi, I'm Julie Smith. I launch mom-owned businesses with instant tools to apply at home and in the office to achieve the next level success." Better, right?
   
4. Start with a hook – an intriguing story or question to capture their interest. Kelly Paull, owner of Slumber Parties by Kelly and Internet Marketing Expert, has a great hook. Here it is: "Picture your husband eagerly taking your children out of the house for the evening, your girlfriends arriving giddy with excitement for ninety minutes of side-splitting laughter and adult entertainment with a lady-like twist." At this point, the listener is intrigued and wants to know more. She's hooked 'em. At this point, this listener is either her ideal customer or knows her ideal customer (think referrals!) You can also use a question that addresses your target markets challenge and the outcome of that challenge as your hook. "You know how the day-to-day hoopla in running a family or business can start to stunt creativity and growth?" (This is where you want heads nodding in agreement, maybe someone says, "Oh yeah that's me or my sister, or my friend"…you get the picture). "I give mom-entrepreneurs a boost of instant creativity by embracing chaos with 7 instant tools."
5. Share a resource. I love sharing resources. I have so many fabulous resources that I share in my Million Dollar MOB (Masterminding on Business) Connections and Contacts. Individually or in a group, share a favorite resource and how it helped you. One of my favorite is Vista Print. I think they have impeccable service, quality and pricing. So, I often share this resource with the added reinforcement of a business card or flyer. It shows the quality of the work from the resource and provides a visual pitch
6. Prepare and practice. The big secret to your pitch here is constant preparation and practice. Consider your audience and how you can help them (remember, it's all about them), and what they can gain. Next, write it down, practice it out loud in front of the mirror and with others.
   
7. Practice more! Nothing sounds worse than a poorly prepared or canned pitch that sounds like you don't know what you do or aren't confident in what you do. Keep practicing it!
   

Your 30-second pitch is your one of your most valuable marketing tools for distinguishing and branding yourself and your business. So, keep practicing and perfecting it so the next time, you are on an elevator and Oprah walks on, you'll know exactly what to say to set yourself apart!

Best wishes for continued personal and professional success!

JWS

PS. A quick note - 30-second message can be applied to all areas of your life. Need to share tell your child something, do it in 30-seconds. Gotta ask your husband a favor? Pique his interest with just a 30-second blurb. It works, trust me – succinctly and successfully.