A Perfect Elevator Pitch...From a Reader
A while back, I posted a six step process for crafting a killer elevator pitch. In that post, I offered to rewrite your elevator pitch, providing you made a good faith effort to follow my recipe. I've gotten about 100 requests so far, but this is the first time that I've gotten one that I can't improve. Because it's so good, I'm going to share it with you, and give some kudos to the person who wrote it.
First, though, let's briefly review what an elevator pitch is all about. Despite the name, it is not a sales pitch. An elevator pitch is a conversational technique that allows you to transform an accidental social contact (e.g. at a conference, on an airplane, at a wedding) into a sales opportunity.
To achieve this, the elevator pitch consists of four conversational elements, in this specific order:
- #1: The lead-in. This is the set-up statement for the conversation. It's intended to spark initial interest from the (potential) prospect. If interest is shown, you move to...
- #2: The differentiator. This identifies the sales rep, the sales rep's firm or the firm's offering as a unique resource that deserves immediate attention. You them move immediately to...
- #3: The engagement question. This is an open-ended conversation starter that allows the sale rep to assess the prospect's interest level. Based upon that level of interest, you move to...
- #4: The call to action. This is the request for a meeting to discuss the matter further, thereby moving moving the opportunity into your pipeline. These vary according to the level of interest that the other person shows.
Now that you understand the concept, here's the sample that I received from the Sales Machine reader, who's a newly-minted sales professional:
- Lead-in: "We make quality parts for die cutters at a fair price, saving our customers 25% of what they would have paid for brand-name parts."
- Differentiator: "We have a unique innovation called the "Plus Bar," which has its components bolted rather than welded to the shell. That way, when something breaks, it can be fixed immediately and the bar is still intact-saving time and money."
- Engagement Questions: "Ha, I guess you can relate to that problem! What kind of die cutters does your company use?" or "You must know the industry. What's your story?"
- Call to Action (if prospect skeptical): "If we could really trim down your maintenance budget and save some money, what would your thoughts be on having an initial conversation with us to hear more?"
- Call to Action (if prospect neutral): "What would your thoughts be on having an initial conversation with us about trying the Plus bar? What is your availability over the next few weeks?"
- Call to Action (if prospect obliging): "I would love to have an initial phone conversation with you about saving some money with the Plus Bar. What's the best way to get on your calendar?"
- Call to Action (if prospect interested): "How can I get on your calendar?"
So, then, who is this paragon who "gets" the concept, and then does a fantastic job of writing? Her name is Rachael Davis, and she's the VP of Sales and Marketing at Conway Machine. Amazingly, she's new to sales, having served several years working in politics and public policy while attending college.
Congratulations, Rachael! You're the Sales Machine star of the week. (In fact, you're the only one who's ever won that award.)
READERS
: You'll find plenty of similar tips and techniques - including an entire chapter on elevator pitches - in my new book How to Say It: Business to Business Selling now available for pre-sale here: