Strategy for Elevator Pitches: Simplify

00:01 The devil may be in the details, but that's not where you win in an elevator pitch. You maybe give a couple of details, but you can't just launch right into all the details of your latest app or your software program. You've got to simplify.

00:17 You've got to simplify, simplify, simplify.

00:20 You've really got to get to exactly what it is you're doing that you think this person should be excited about and what the benefits are to that person.

00:31 Don't go on and on with details.

00:34 Don't go on and on with facts.

00:36 If they're interested, if they express interest, take their card, send them a business plan, send them a résumé, send them a summary of your services. But don't overwhelm with too much information here. You need to whet their appetite to want more, to perhaps want a meeting with you, or to read your business summary or your business plan.

00:59 So it takes a lot of discipline.

01:02 A lot of times people are so excited about their new business or their project or their charity. Someone says, Yeah, I'll talk for a second.

01:08 And they just blablabla, and they're just dumping data point after data point after data point. It's too much.

01:17 You need to really simplify it.

01:19 Now, this is a little bit confusing.

01:22 Sometimes people say, Well, it's got to be 30 seconds or 15 seconds.

01:26 If you're at a conference somewhere and there's a coffee break and you see someone who you've really been wanting to pitch, you may have three or 5 minutes.

01:35 You've got to judge the person based on the circumstances now.

01:39 If you get on the first floor and they're on the 100th floor, you've got a little time.

01:45 If you're walking in the same direction at an airport, you've got a little time.

01:50 So always don't rush unnecessarily, but also don't try to just speak quickly and cram in a lot of detail.

01:58 You always have to be thinking about how can you simplify your message so that you're giving this person the very best of what you have so they understand the most important point and they want more.

02:11 So start thinking about how you're going to do that with your elevator pitch, because we're going to be practicing here in a minute.

02:19 This is not just listening to lectures for me.

02:21 In theory, you're going to practice again and again and again on video until you like your elevator pitch and tell you are excited about meeting with you.

02:29 That's where we've got to get.

02:31 But for right now, focus on simplifying and refining your message, because I'm going to want you to put together a message that's really about 30 seconds. Even though I fully understand there may be times when you have a five minute elevator pitch or it may be 20 seconds, but for the purposes of our planning and our exercises, I want you to start thinking in terms of a 32nd message.