As a small business owner, we have various marketing options to promote our business: advertising, telemarketing, direct mail. But my favorite is definitely networking. First, it is the most low cost marketing tool and second it is a way to build long-term relationships with people. If advertising can give you a great result in one shot, networking will bring you more in the long run.
Organizing many business networking events, in the past were a great opportunity for me to meet a tremendous amount of people, make deals, get clients, make friends and learn from other entrepreneurs.
But I noticed that a significant number of people had great products or services but just didn't know how to present them. And as a result were not able to attract the clients they were looking for.
One of the keys to networking is to be able to introduce yourself and your business in 30 to 60 seconds or less, in one or two sentences, in a very concise way. In other words, you need to have a very efficient elevator pitch. You should be ready to deliver your elevator pitch in the blink of an eye at a moment's notice.
But what is an elevator pitch?
An elevator pitch is a short presentation that introduces you and your business' mission and makes you memorable. It focuses on the benefits you provide and can be delivered in 30-60 seconds or less, even in an elevator, hence the name.
If you are passionate, excited and eager to create and manage your own business, then you should be able to describe, in one or two brief and concise sentences, exactly what you do, why your offering is the best in the marketplace, and in effect, why the person should buy from you.
The best way to develop your elevator pitch is to summarize or list the most enticing, exciting and valuable benefits that your customers will get when they use your products and services. How can your products and services solve problems or meet needs?
An effective elevator pitch makes a lasting impression, demonstrates your professionalism and allows you to position yourself with your target customers.
Remember that your clients' main concern is: "What benefits will I receive when I buy your product or service?" So when you prepare your elevator pitch always make sure that your audience need to answer this question "What's In It for Me?".
People are always more interested in how you can help them than in what you do or how they can help you.
Consider these points when you develop your elevator pitch:
1/ Write down the "deliverables"- the products, services and features that you provide. Then, analyze your offering and put yourself in your customers' shoes. What good things will they get or what good things will happen to them when they make a purchase?
2/ Be specific. Use numbers and statistics when you can. For example, double your revenue in less than 12 months, achieve a 30% increase over last year, lose 20 pounds in 10 weeks, triple your number of subscribers in 5 days or less.
People are driven by numbers because they add a sense of credibility to a claim. Numbers also generate curiosity and anxiety, another useful tool that motivates people to make a purchase.
3/ Never reveal your entire story in your elevator pitch. Highlight the main benefits your products and/or services provide, which will encourage people to ask questions and start the conversation.
4/ Create a tagline that will grab your listener's attention and force him/her to stop what he/she is doing and listen to you. The most effective openers leave the audience seeking additional information. Compare your elevator pitch to the cover of your favorite magazine. Most likely, you'll find the titles of the key stories in that issue. If the titles don't grab your attention and raise your curiosity quickly, then you probably won't buy that issue.
5/ Practice your elevator pitch to the point where you can recite the language with perfect ease, great confidence and clarity and total poise immediately. It is extremely important that you feel totally comfortable whenever you deliver your elevator pitch. Learn it; practice it; master it; but never read it. Your delivery must be very smooth and totally fluid. Continually practice your elevator pitch in front of the mirror and before your friends until your Pitch becomes part of you.
So do you have a better idea? Are you ready to write your elevator pitch?
Try this the next time you describe what you do. Choose your words. Hook your listener. Make them ask questions. Make them want to meet with you and buy your products and services.
© 2006 Biba F. Pédron
How to Introduce Your Business in 60 Seconds Or Less Check For The New Release in Health, Fitness & Dieting Category of Books NOW!
Check What Are The Top Cooking Books in Last 90 Days Best Cheap Deal!
Check For Cookbooks Best Sellers 2012 Discount OFFER!
Check for Top 100 Most Popular Books People Are Buying Daily Price Update!
Check For 100 New Release & BestSeller Books For Your Collection
If you like this article, and want more networking tips, get my free e-course "15 Ways to Maximize Your Networking Secrets" and Free Audio "Networking Made Easy" at http://www.theconnectionqueen.com.
Biba F. Pédron, Business & Marketing Consultant, founder of Biba4Network, also knows as "The Connection Queen", helps solo-entrepreneurs to maximize their networking results and reveal proven strategies to attract more clients and double your business with simple but effective networking system.
Biba is the author of "Start Your Dream Business Today! The Proven 11 Steps to Start and Grow Your Own Business". And "Power of Networking Secrets" a program teaching you step-by-step how to turn more networking contacts into business boosting clients in 7 simple steps.
mobile phone watches Buy Extra Containment Receiver For Ef 3000
0 comments:
Post a Comment