The Storytelling Sales Pitch (suitable for an elevator)
Struggling to figure out your “elevator pitch”? Here are three simple tips to help. Well, four. Because the first one is, stop thinking of it as an elevator pitch and START thinking of it as a story. Ultimately, the goal of an elevator pitch is to get someone’s attention and intrigue in a very short period of time. That’s what a STORY can do.
Tip One: Think of it as a Story
The first tip is to stop thinking of your pitch as an elevator pitch and start thinking of it as a story. The goal is to capture someone's attention and intrigue them in a very short period of time, and that's exactly what a story can do.
Tip Two: Include a Sense of Wonder, Mystery, or Intrigue
Your story should include a sense of wonder, mystery, or intrigue. Let me give you an example that shows these tips in practice. Years ago, I stepped onto an elevator at the airport and three people followed in behind me, a young woman and two young men. The door closed and the woman turned to her friends and asked, “Do you know where my parents are right now?" The guys shook their heads. “They're at a burial service for my grandfather's friend who died at Pearl Harbor. They just found the body and they're going to pay their respects to good ol Uncle Mike.” One floor later, the doors opened and the trio stepped off leaving me alone in the elevator. I’ll admit, I almost jumped out after them, but the heavy steel doors slammed shut, mocking both my curiosity and my hesitation -- I really wanted to hear the rest of that story!
Tip Three: Leave Out the Information and Bullet Points
Leave out the information and bullet points. Certainly, these travelers weren't trying to sell anything, but that's exactly the point. Their elevator pitch wasn't a pitch at all. It was a story! Which made me think that's probably what all pitches should be. In terms of mystery and wonder, we had World War II, Pearl Harbor, and finding the remains of her forgotten soldier decades later is heavy on intrigue. However, even without those extremes, your pitch can tap into the same element of disbelief. Did you stumble upon a solution you couldn't believe actually existed and then built a company? Tell that story. Or did you or someone you know encounter a problem you couldn't believe didn't have a solution yet? Tell that story and if after 30 seconds it's time to exit the elevator, at least you'll leave the listener with a mystery they'll want to investigate and when they do, they'll find you.
Tip Four: Disconnect from the Outcome and Let the Story Do Its Job
Disconnect from the outcome and let the story do its job. Now it will be difficult to resist mentioning the features of your product or the year-over-year revenue growth, but resist you must. All of those facts and pieces of information are completely forgettable. If you only have a few moments with someone, use them on a story they'll remember. Spend time developing a story compelling enough that you don't even NEED a call to action. What if Jesus had told the story of not hiding your light under a bushel and then asked listeners for a bulk order of candles or Martin Luther King told the world about the dream he had had and then asked people to please leave their business cards in a bowl at the back of the mall.
