You know what you do for work, you know why you do it, and you know the value of your product or service. But can you put it adequately into words – and do so in a minute or less?  The worst time to try to figure out how to describe your business is when you are suddenly face-to-face with a potential customer. So here’s your chance. You’re standing in an elevator with only a few moments to pitch your company. This is known as the elevator pitch. Use it whenever appropriate, but keep it short enough for an elevator ride.

Beth Goldstein, President, Marketing Edge Consulting Group, had this to say about elevator pitches in a recent article. Read the whole article at BusinessWeek.com, or get the gist of it here:

In general, your elevator pitch or your brief introduction to somebody should include the following:

1. Your name, company name, and your role in the organization.
2. A clear, brief description of your product or service and the benefit(s) it provides.
3. A statement about what makes your product or service unique or sets it apart from competing products or services.
4. A brief but compelling statement about your product’s or service’s value (i.e., improves health or saves money).
5. A demonstration of your personal energy and passion for making this business succeed (words not always required for this).

The following is a general template that you can customize to develop your elevator pitch:

Hello. Thank you for asking about my company. I’m [your name], and I’m the [title] for [company name]. We offer [competitive advantage, value/benefit] to the [target customer] to meet or satisfy the [target customers' major want or need that your company fulfills—this is a benefit statement].

We do this by [product/service brief description].

We feel passionately about this because [i.e., your passion, skills, and technical expertise].

If this is of interest to you, I’d love to provide you with a little more detail when we have more time [when we aren't stuck in an elevator or on the soccer field]. Can I get your business card so I can call you to set up a time to speak further?

These tips work whether you are selling your company services or selling your skill set during a job hunt. Just keep it brief and professional, have business cards at hand, and practice before you get in that elevator.

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