Craft an “elevator pitch” that gets people excited.
The “one-liner” you share with others is the first contact people have with your business.
A great one gets people asking questions about what you do and pulling out their phones to get your contact info. If you have a poor one, you’re likely not going to generate interest (let alone sales).
Here are two templates you can use to craft a show-stopping elevator pitch.
The Simple Showstopper
The framework:
“We’re a / I’m a [simplest title] who uses [unique differentiator] to help [broadest audience] [urgent problem], without [dominant fear/objection].”
Here’s a version of mine, for reference.
I’m a copywriter who uses chess concepts to help business owners earn more, ethically.
Short and sweet, but there’s a lot packed in. Let’s break it down.
“I’m a copywriter…” - Simplest Title
Not being clear about what exactly you do confuses people. Some people get really…um…let’s say “creative” with their titles and people can’t quickly understand what they do without more context.
The problem with that is you may never get the chance to give more context. You have to make the most of every interaction to best showcase your business.
Be concise and eliminate the guesswork for people. In my case, the core of what I am is a copywriter, so that’s what I share.
“Who uses chess concepts…” - Unique Differentiator
Discovering what you offer that can’t be compared with others can be a tricky thing.
Lucky for you, you’re reading an article that can help define and communicate your business’s unique qualities. In my case, I come from a rich history of chess coaching, so I used those skills to build a unique process to help businesses earn more.
But yours doesn’t have to be so off-the-wall. You can design something just as refreshing with a little bit of digging and effort.
“To help business owners…” - Broadest Audience
Share who you help. If you have a niche, add it here, but as this is a “top-of-funnel” engagement I recommend talking to your broadest possible audience to catch the interest of most people.
My broadest audience is “business owners”. I’d love to add “joyful”, “passionate”, or “customer service driven” because that’s who I love to work with, but we need to keep things as short and broad as possible to generate the most intrigue we can at this level of engagement.
“Earn more…” - Urgent Problem
Identify an urgent, expensive problem that most of your customers or clients struggle with. The more painful the problem, the more helpful the solution, and the faster they’ll want it.
Because cash flow is a serious concern for most businesses, I add “earning more” as the core of what I help people with.
“Ethically.” - Address a Dominant Fear/Objection
Listing the internal and external fears your buyers have is crucial in making an effective elevator pitch. You’ll want to look through this list and choose one that most or all of your ideal customers struggle with, then solve it in your one-liner.
Because I know marketing can be deemed as such a manipulative industry to be in, I want to put people’s minds at ease with one word: Ethically.
That one word is like putting up a hand to any scammy or slimy tactics. It’s like saying “No. That’s not how we do things.”
I could have also said “without manipulative tactics”, but “ethically” was shorter (seeing a theme?).
Where to use
This could be your go-to framework for networking, business descriptions, and anywhere else you’d like to place it. It’s short and communicates a lot without a lot of words.
Let’s check out another one.
The 6B Framework
While this could be used for a range of businesses, it’s particularly effective for personal brands. This method communicates your history as tools that enhance what you currently offer.
Here it is:
Background
Communicate what you (or your business) did in the past.
Brilliance
Share a skill gained from that experience.
Bridge
Make a connection to what you do now.
Beneficiary
Say who it’s for.
Benefit
Tell them what it helps them do.
Burden
Address an internal or external problem/objection you solve.
Again, here’s a version of mine, for reference:
As a chess coach (Background), I taught students to strategically position their pieces (Brilliance). I use that same methodical approach as a copywriter (Bridge) to craft messaging that helps business owners (Beneficiary) earn more (Benefit), ethically (Burden).
Where to use
This can be used to network, but can easily get too wordy. If it feels like too much, consider shortening it to serve your needs- for example only including numbers 1, 2, 3, and 5. You could also use it on your website or email signature.
Worth the work
I’ve been told by some that this method won’t work for their business. Which may be true.
I’m also aware that some people write things off before they’ve made a genuine effort to implement something. Think of it this way. If you could define a one-liner that creates real excitement in people for years to come, wouldn’t that be worth the few hours (2 days in my case) of work to craft a great one?
Let me encourage you to dig for that gold nugget. Few things worthwhile are easy.
Take your time and enjoy the process. Remember your end goal in this is to separate your business from the thousands of others in your industry, so it makes sense that some effort would be involved.
Below are some questions to think about to aid you during this task.
Questions to ask
Background
What work have I/we done in the past?
What processes or systems have I/we used in the past?
Brilliance
What skills did that work allow me to build?
What unique insights did I gain from that experience?
Bridge
Is there something seemingly unrelated in my background that enhances the work I currently do?
How do the insights gained from experience make me better suited for my existing role?
Beneficiary
Who is this most for?
Who am I already helping the most?
Who is my target audience?
Benefit
What does my customer gain from what I offer?
How are my customer’s lives better after working with me?
Burden
What external or internal problems are eliminated by using my products/services?
What big objection can I address in a few words or less?
Your one-liner is your business “handshake”
In our chess-inspired consulting process, we call your one-liner the “handshake”. It’s the first thing that happens before any chess game and the thing that kicks off any exchange you have with a potential prospect.
If you want help to build an undeniably unique Handshake, send an email to hello@wildknightstudio.com and we’d be happy to ideate with you.
Cheers to you. Get out there and “wow” some people.
