The “elevator pitch”, the 30 second commercial, your introduction. There are many names for how you introduce your company to the world but if you don’t have one that compels others...you’ve failed. It surprises me, nonetheless, when I hear someone talk about their company and frankly, it’s not good. I mean, how many more times in your career will you be asked, “What do you do?”, “How are you different than company X?” or, even, “Why should I buy from you?” Will you be asked a hundred more times? A thousand? Ten thousand? Who knows, but can we agree that it will be “a lot”? If that is going to be the case, my recommendation is to learn how to be a Rockstar at this skill. It could be the reason whether or not you work with someone. It could be the reason you get referred, or not. It could be the reason whether or not you sell at higher prices. The message you share with people about your company is either going to be compelling, where they want to learn more, or it’s not.
It’s interesting about the “Elevator Pitch” and your ability to use it to grow your business. I meet all sorts of people out there that network. They go to networking events and join network groups, all with the idea of expanding their network and meeting potential customers. It’s a good idea. You can meet people at these events that you may never have come across. However, many believe that it takes a long time to do business with those that they meet. They feel that they have to have a good relationship with others that they meet before they can work together. They tell me that trust has to be established and trust takes time. Now, although some of this may be true, I disagree wholeheartedly that it takes a long time to establish enough trust to work with someone. Sometimes enough trust can be earned simply by understanding the issues or concerns that someone is sharing with you. The questions you ask about their concern and your ability to dig deeper in that understanding with the person you are in front of can compel them to want to sit down immediately after that initial contact. How do you establish these questions? One way is with a good “Elevator Pitch”.
If you’ve ever been at an event, an EXPO or even a dinner party when a typical salesperson is asked about what it is that they do they typically reply with what they do or how they do it, and usually with a brag or two. As example, “I work for ABC Landscape Contracting. We are a certified tree care company in the Oakland County area working mostly on large commercial properties. Our arborists are some of the most experienced people in their field. And, if there’s one thing we strive for with our company, it’s safety. We probably have more safety training than anyone else in the area”. This type of commercial is what many people do. Sound familiar? What’s wrong with it? Maybe nothing. But, consider this: It simply tells someone what you do for a living. It is also very braggadocio, which turns people off. And, too self-serving. Additionally, when you speak of arborists, how do you know that the prospect even knows what one is? Lastly, how do we know whether or not the prospect values safety? We can assume nothing. This type of commercial typically leaves the prospect thinking to themselves, “Sounds like every other tree care company out there”. Now, I understand why someone believes it takes a long time to close business from networking. If I heard a commercial like this at an event I’d probably nod politely and say something like, “Wow. That’s interesting”, then share something about my own property to simply keep the conversation going. Interest? Probably not. How about you in these situations? Would you act any differently? We have a saying in our training that says, “When you are introducing your company don’t talk about YOU, what YOU do, how YOU do it or anything about your company...initally”. They’ll be plenty of time to discuss these things after someone has qualified for that information.
Instead, we recommend that you share with people those issues you can help solve. No bragging, no self-serving comments such as “we are the only one’s that...” or “what makes us special is...” and no comments about your quality, level of service, experience or good people that can help them. They don’t believe you and they probably don’t care (just being honest. Sorry, not sorry). When you talk about their issues, their concerns and things that they are worried about, now you’re on the right track. As example, the same tree care company could say something like, “When we are called to come out to homes it could be because they are worried about dead branches falling on the house or injuring someone, it could be to clean up some ugly trees that need attention or even a disease that they were hoping would simply go away, but it hasn’t” (residential). Or, “Usually when a commercial property calls me it’s because they are trying to attract more tenants; vacancies are up, or, they are having an issue with the company they have used; maybe they aren’t reliable, leave debris in the beds or simply feel like they get ‘nickled-and-dimed’ on every invoice” (commercial). Do you notice any difference? Hopefully, the second version tells the other person about the issues you can solve. And, if they are having one of those issues, not only might they show interest in speaking further with you, they will ask questions. It might be a question like, “Have you noticed a difference in vacancies because of the tree work you’ve done?” or, they might make a statement. They might admit, “Oh my gosh. The company we use leaves debris in the beds all the time”. In both cases, the salesperson should shift to questions. Questions such as, “Why do you ask? Are you having a problem with that?” Or, “That’s too bad. How often do they leave debris in the beds?”. By pivoting to questions it literally turns into a miniature sales call. If you can get to this stage, it happens often that the person is willing to sit down with you. It doesn’t have to take weeks, months or years. It can be immediate, assuming the issue they have is important enough to them.
Here’s more good news. Once you have mastered your “Elevator Pitch” it can be used in a myriad of sales situations:
- At an appointment when a prospect asks you about your business
- When someone asks you the difference between your company and another
- To disseminate between a “shopper” and a “real” prospect
- To start a meeting (“It might make sense for me to tell you a little bit about how we help people. You then deliver the second version of your commercial, above)
You know, sales is a respectable profession. If done properly, it can be highly lucrative. And, sales can happen much quicker than some people think. The “Elevator Pitch” is a secret weapon that when armed properly can be one of the biggest assets of a salesperson. The sad part is, it is my estimation that a mere 10% of salespeople use it to its full advantage. It doesn’t have to be my methodology, although we believe it works extraordinarily. Either way, build a good “Elevator Pitch” for yourself; one that makes the person you are speaking with say to themselves, “Wait a minute. That’s my problem. I need to talk to this person!” Once you’ve arrived at that point, I promise, you’ll never go back.