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OKVetWorks October 2022 Inside this IssueElevator Pitch
2022 "Making the Connection" Conference Pics Newsletter

I can't express how exciting our first "Making the Connection: VOB Conference was!  WOW!  We had a great turnout with 182 people over the 2+ days!  I can't thank our sponsors enough, because without them we could not have accomplished everything that we did.  All of the feedback was positive and we are already looking forward to next years conference!

This months newsletter talks about elevator pitches.  This is something we are adding to our Boots to Suits Classes.  We will work on elevator pitches in class and then we will schedule a time to come back and make a professional recording of them for your use. We will also start taking professional head shot pictures of the attendees.  If you have already completed the Boots to Suits class we will begin scheduling time for you to come back to the office and make a recording and take your picture as well.  We will be using the elevator pitches and head shots to help promote your business on our social media pages and more.

We are planning many more events this coming year.  One example is we are working on a couple of Franchising classes.  One will be for those interested in buying into a franchise and the other for those that want to expand their current business into franchising.  

We would also like to conduct more networking events.  The conference demonstrated the importance of networking and how effective it truly is for your business.

Talk to you all again soon!  

What Is An Elevator Pitch?

So what exactly is an elevator pitch?

In a nutshell it’s just what it sounds like: a short, 30-60 second well crafted business pitch telling someone who you are and why they should want to use your company

It’s called the elevator pitch because it’s meant to represent the amount of time you’d have if you were stuck in an elevator with someone riding from the bottom of the building to the top.

Wrong!

Elevator speeches are good for so much more than just catching someone in a small enclosed space. You never know who you might run into at a cocktail party, or the movie theater, or grocery store…or any other number of places.

A solid elevator pitch will allow you to distill down to the most pure form exactly who you are and what you offer, and that focus can help to set you apart from others in your industry/business.

Think of it as a commercial. You’ve got 30 seconds to market your business and convince whoever is listening to not only NOT change the channel, but to buy what you’re selling…your company is the Perfect Fit!!

“So where do I start? Should I lock myself in the bathroom with a stopwatch and pretend it’s an elevator? Do I need a jingle?”

Hmmm...all we’ll say is do whatever works for you…but let’s all agree to skip the singing…for now. Instead, let’s focus on answering a few basic questions by doing a little pretending.

Elevator Pitches

How To Write An Elevator Pitch

Let’s imagine you’re in sales and you just got into an elevator with the CEO of a huge manufacturing company. The doors shut…it’s just the two of you…and you have 60 seconds to convince him to not only listen to you, but to consider you as a potential employee, not just a fellow passenger on a short ride upstairs. So how do you do that!? 

What do you do? Can you tell someone what you do in such a way that it’s interesting? Can you turn it into a quick little anecdote or story that will capture someone’s attention?

“Let me tell you about the time I took our products all the way to the North Pole. I’m in sales. I started out selling refrigerators to moose in Canada.”

Now that we’ve got your job title, can you tell us what you do when you’re doing what you were hired to do?

“In four short years, I’ve helped lead my team to the number one spot in sales…”

Okay, great…but what’s next?! What’s your objective? What’s your goal?

“…but I knew we could do better. That’s why I took our refrigerators all the way up to the penguins in the North Pole.”

What makes you the best at what you do? Okay, now’s your chance to shine. Why are you the Perfect Candidate?

“Did you know that broken beaks from trying to eat frozen fish is the number one problem facing penguins today? Their issue isn’t that it’s not cold enough for them to keep their fish fresh, it’s that it’s too cold. I knew that by putting their fish in our double insulated hermetically sealed refrigerators instead of the traditional snow bank, the penguins would be able to keep fish fresh longer without having to freeze them, making it easier for the penguins to eat. As a result, we’ve more than quadrupling our current sales and are not only ranked number one regionally, but nationally as well.”

What’s your hook? You’ve just told a great story, but besides being entertained, why should your audience care?

“Now, just imagine what I can do for your products…”

Wait, who are you?  Nothing says missed opportunity quite like totally forgetting to tell someone your name.

“My name is Bob.”

And most importantly…what do you want?

“…and I’m looking for my next big challenge. My I give you my business card?”

Boom. And there you have it: the perfect (if not a little outlandish) elevator pitch. In 30 seconds you’ve told your audience what you do, why what you do is important, hooked them in with what you plan to do next for their company, and who you are.

Easy, cheesy, right?

Penguins and refrigerators aside, this pitch was clearly perfect for the audience because our boy Bob knew the CEO, knew the company, and knew that his skills with sales would be a great match. Bob tailored his pitch.

“Again with the tailoring! That’s all you guys talk about…tailoring!”

That’s because it works! Again, think of our commercial analogy. When you’re watching TV, which ads do you skip over or tune out? The ones that don’t apply to you…right? And the ones you listen to and remember are the ones that DO apply to you.

“Ahh…I see what you’re saying. That does make sense!”

The nice thing about an elevator pitch is that it’s short and sweet and to the point, which means once you get the basics figured out, you should be able to use it on just about anyone in any situation…as long as you make sure to always tailor your hook to your specific audience.

CHECKMATE!  

So now that you know what to do in your elevator pitch, let’s quickly talk about what NOT to do.

Speaking too fast.

Yes, you only have about 60 seconds, but try to avoid cramming 15 minutes of information into one minute.

Using highly technical terms, acronyms or slang.

You want your pitch to be easily understood by any audience and that means try to avoid using words that will confuse the average person. The last thing you want is for whoever is listening to you to feel dumb. Remember, think commercial!

Not being focused.

This isn’t a general conversation and you’re not discussing the weather (unless that’s your job, in which case, never mind). Keep your pitch clear and focused.

Not practicing what you’re going to say.

First, write down your pitch. Read it over. Have your friends and family read it. Does it make sense? Make sure it flows well and that there aren’t any spots that feel rough or awkward. Then practice it. Practice it again. Keep practicing it until it becomes so easy for you to pitch that you can do it at the drop of a hat.

Being robotic.

This is all about a face to face interaction with someone you want to impress. Having an easy, approachable, conversational style to your pitch will get you much further than an overly rehearsed monologue approach.

Not having a business card or other take-away with you.

Okay, you’ve sold them on you…now how are they going to get a hold of you when they decide it’s time to bring you in? Make sure you always have something on you to pass on that will allow people to not only remember you, but contact you later on.

Not saying anything.

It does absolutely nothing for you to have a killer elevator pitch if you never use it.
Now it’s your turn! Here are three example elevator pitches to get you started. Remember, these are just examples! Make sure you do the work to craft one specific to you and your audience!

Elevator Pitch Mistakes To Avoid

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