Let's get one thing straight: If you're connecting with a prospect for the very first time, you should never paste your elevator pitch into your email or say it as soon as they pick up the phone or walk into your trade show booth. Because that doesn't work. You sound like a salesperson trying to sell them -- which makes the modern buyer run for the hills.
So when are elevator pitches effective? When you're talking to a stranger (at a networking event, in line, while riding public transit, or yes, on an elevator), and they ask, "What do you do?" or "Where do you work?" In situations like these, you need a short, snappy, easy-to-grasp explanation of your company and its products. The person you're speaking with might turn out to be a perfect fit -- or know someone who is.
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