Idea Transcript
THE ELEVATOR PITCH WORKSHEET Have you heard of the elevator pitch and its importance as a business owner? The elevator pitch will become a critical business tool in the pursuit of building your business. It is a quick way to let people know what you can do for them, and why they want to hear your story. And it is the first impression someone has of your venture, and its goal is to intrigue your listener to learn more. It does not need to be a single sentence, but the delivery needs to be measured in about 30 seconds +, not minutes (quick like a TV commercial – grab their attention, peak their interest, create desire, and provide a call-‐to-‐action). Begin developing your elevator pitch by answering the following questions. This will help you comprise a 1-‐minute pitch that is a compelling overview of your company, its value, and why someone would want to do business with you. 1) Who is your audience? (investor, banker, customer, potential partner, talent) _____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ 2) Why would they want to hear your pitch? (interest in using your product/service, investment opportunities, talent acquisition, etc.) _____________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________ 3) Describe your company’s purpose and products/services? ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________ © LA Vocal, Inc. 2009 – all rights reserved Page 1 of 3
4) What primary problem or pain point does your product/service solve? _____________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________ 5) What value/results/benefits do you provide to the chosen target market? _____________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________ 6) What are the market opportunities (market niche, market growth, trends, technology, etc.) ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________ 7) Why are you so passionate about your product and business opportunity? _____________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________ 8) How can you make the audience remember you after your pitch and want to make contact with you again? (business card/buzz card, product sample, brochure/line card) _____________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________ © LA Vocal, Inc. 2009 – all rights reserved Page 2 of 3
Steps in perfecting your elevator pitch 1. Complete the questions in the worksheet. 2. Write the pitch in sentence form based on the information provided, with the primary, and most compelling information given right up front (keep the audience in mind, and what they value most) 3. Refine the pitch (read it out loud to yourself, revise, and revise -‐-‐ your ear will help you identify changes you need to make when you rehearse it out loud ) 4. Once refined, test it on a family member, friend or colleague 5. Implement feedback that makes sense 6. Revise 7. Time the pitch 8. Practice in front of a mirror 9. Tape record yourself speaking, play back to listen how it sounds 10. Repeat, repeat, repeat – so anywhere you go, it easily flows without feeling like a canned pitch
Quick tips for creating a successful elevator pitch 1. Show the beef right away by highlighting the enormity of the problem you’re tackling and how your product is the right solution. 2. Don’t make your audience think too hard about what you do, keep it extremely simple (no acronyms, no assumptions , no overwhelming content that distracts the audience) 3. Science not allowed in the elevator (make your pitch an easy-‐to-‐comprehend statement) 4. Establish credibility (patents, name dropping, partnerships, early investors, customers, length in business, etc.) Example of 100-Word Pitch The Utah Business Accelerator is a powerful business development organization designed to help companies grow their revenues faster than they can on their own. Companies join the Accelerator to gain expertise they may be missing, get strategic advice, strengthen their management skills, seize new market opportunities, and prepare to secure outside investment capital. Through its Mentorship and Service Provider Programs, the Utah Business Accelerator brings together the skills of business experts from industry-‐leading companies, financial institutions, investment firms, professional service firms, government agencies, and academic institutions to increase the value of companies being accelerated. Visit www.utahaccelerator.com to learn more. © LA Vocal, Inc. 2009 – all rights reserved Page 3 of 3