You only have one chance…

You only have one chance…

“When people ask, ‘What do you do?’ they are really asking, ‘What can you do for me?’” said Lorraine Howell, author of “Give Your Elevator Speech a Lift!”

“How you answer that question determines whether the conversation continues or stops dead in its tracks. An elevator pitch is not a data dump, where you tell them everything about everything in 30 seconds or less. It’s that opening tease that has your audience say, “Ooh, tell me some more about that,’ or, ‘How do you do that?’”

“The end goal is to set up a follow-up time to talk.”

Communication specialist Robyn Hatcher compares elevator pitches to baseball pitches: Just like a pitcher on the mound, business owners should have several different pitches ready to throw because every listener — just like every batter — is different. Experts agree; have more than one spiel available. Time, atmosphere and, most importantly, the listener will influence your decision on which pitch to toss.

“As you pitch, it’s important to remember that you’re in conversation with another person, so be prepared to pause and be flexible and remember to engage them,” says Hatcher. “How you deliver a pitch is often more important than what you say in a pitch.”

Knowing when to give your pitch, how long it should be, how much information is too much information: is key to delivering an effective elevator pitch — a term that’s used because you should be able to complete it in the time it takes to complete an elevator ride.

Is your pitch effective enough to capture your listener?