Don't Fear the Elevator Pitch
We all hate it, and we’re all guilty of it.
“So, what do you do?”
Whether you’re onstage, in front of a camera, at a networking event, making new friends or writing copy for your website, you need to have a good answer to this question.
There are two questions embedded in “what do you do”.
The first is “what kind of person are you?” As in, what do you care about? What are you interested in? Which social circles do you inhabit? How do you choose to spend your time?
The second question is “what do you have to offer me?” When this question comes up in a professional context, that means the person is wondering what services or connections they might gain from a relationship with you. In a social environment, it’s more likely a gambit for some small-talk. And when people hear you speak, they want to know how you’re qualified to give an opinion on the topic.
Either way, you want your answer to keep the audience interested, and to give them something that they can connect with their own interests or experiences. And there’s so much more pressure right now, when so many people are out of work, looking for new opportunities or cobbling together different jobs in order to meet their needs.
After I quit my law career and before I started my business, I hated that question. I felt a lot of shame around the word “unemployed” even though it was a choice that I’d made. And let’s face it: “between jobs” is just “unemployed” with a bad combover. So I had to get creative. I had to stop being preoccupied with job titles, and start showing people who I actually was.
You might be in one of these three situations right now:
You have a single business or occupation, but you’re not sure how to explain it to people or make it sound interesting;
You have multiple income streams and you’re tired of rattling them all off when you meet somebody new; or
You’re looking for new opportunities or a career change.
Before we dive into these, let’s get some terminology out of the way. When you’re talking about “what you do,” sometimes you’ll be giving a cocktail line and sometimes you’ll be giving an elevator pitch.* People’s definition of these may vary, but for now let’s say that a cocktail line is just that - a line that you might throw out at a cocktail party. Meanwhile, an elevator pitch is a short spiel (lasting about 30 to 60 seconds, or about the length of time you might be on an elevator with someone)
This is a cocktail line:
“I run a luxury home-decor boutique called Laverne’s Lovelies.”
This is an elevator pitch:
“Your home is your sanctuary, and it should be beautiful and comfortable. As the owner of Laverne’s Lovelies, I sell high-quality home decor with modern styling that will make you fall in love with your home all over again.”
When creating your elevator pitch, you’ll want to consider:
why someone would want or need what you offer; and
what makes you different from other people who offer the same thing.
A great elevator pitch takes time to craft. You’ll probably go through a few drafts before you get it right. If possible, find someone who will ask you thought-provoking questions to help you identify your audience’s pain points and your own unique advantage. (Pssstt…I do that.)
But developing a cocktail line is easy. you can think up a few different ones, try them out, see what works, and use that as the basis for your elevator pitch.
Scenario #1: You have a single business or occupation, but you’re not sure how to explain it to people or make it sound interesting;
You do a thing, and you love it, but your title makes people’s eyes glaze over.
All you accountants out there, be honest: how often do you suddenly find yourself alone at the buffet table?
You need to personalize that cocktail line, friend. Tell us who you serve and what you offer.
How about: “I do Profit First accounting for small businesses.”
Suddenly, the small-business owner in front of you gets excited and says “I’ve been looking for an accountant who understands Profit First! Do you have a card?”
The non-business owner says “What’s Profit First accounting? I’ve never heard of that?” or “My sister Laverne needs an accountant for her small business! Do you have a card?” or “Profit is the root of all evil. Down with capitalist scum!”**
Or maybe your job title is so obscure that it just confuses people. In that case, just use plain language to talk about what you actually do, and who benefits.
For example, if you’re a landscape architect, you might just want to tell people that you design outdoor spaces to improve people’s quality of life (or however you prefer to define it - you’re the expert, not me).***
Scenario # 2: You have multiple income streams and you’re tired of rattling them all off when you meet somebody new
With the rise of the gig economy, plenty of people have multiple income streams and different projects on the go. Maybe you do it for economic reasons, or maybe you ‘re just one of those people who hate being limited to one thing (Liz Gilbert calls them “hummingbirds”)<https://www.mamamia.com.au/elizabeth-gilbert-hummingbird-theory/>.
Listing off all your projects is exhausting - for you and for the listener:
“I have a pilates channel on YouTube, and I do Instagram ad campaigns for paleo food blogs and artisanal vegan ice cream companies, and I hav an Etsy shop where I sell handmade pottery mugs that look like labradoodles.”
If you’re in this boat, you have two main options.
The first is just to choose one thing. Make it the thing that’s most relevant to your goals. If you’re at a conference for food bloggers, tell people about your Instagram ad business. At the dog park, your labradoodle mugs are your ticket to success.
And please, if you’re divided between a soul-crushing 9-5 job and the side hustle that you adore, talk about your side business (unless you’re getting paid to represent your employer at that event). The point of your cocktail line is to name what you want more of, and invite others to bring more of that thing into your life.
But maybe you have reason to show off all of your many hats. You’ll be walking a much finer line, but it’s doable.
Look for a common thread between your different projects. The more diverse they are, the more vague and confusing the uniting thread will be. So if you’ve got the YouTube channel and the food blog ads and the labradoodle Etsy shop, maybe your common thread is “I help people use the internet to live their best life.” That could mean…a lot of things. People will have questions. Some won’t bother asking those questions, and will go on with their lives having no idea what you do. Others will ask, and then you have a great excuse to go for a coffee with them.
Scenario #3: You’re looking for new opportunities or a career change.
First of all, let me get on my soap box and talk about what this category does and does not include. Because we’re fed a lot of BS ideas about productivity and what constitutes a valid occupation. If you’re a stay-at-home parent or caregiver, that’s your occupation. If you’re out of the work force because of physical or mental health and your focus is on taking care of yourself, that is your occupation. You deserve to hold your head up high when you tell people “This is what I do.”
So that’s not what I’m talking about now. I’m talking about when you’re looking for opportunities, either because you’re new to the work force or you’ve left a job or closed a business, or you’re looking for an exit from what you’re currently doing.
And there is no shame in this. These transitions happen all the time, and they’re incredibly common right now. But again, your cocktail line is not about where you are. It’s about where you want to go.
Your cocktail line will identify your most relevant skill or expertise, and the kind of opportunities that you’re looking for.
“Well, I’m a huge people person with experience doing client service in hotels. But my real interest is the music industry, and I’m looking for opportunities with talent agencies or recording studios.”
Above all, remember that your cocktail line and elevator pitch are about inviting more of what you want in your life. So put some thought into them. Say the things about yourself that you would want other people to say about you, and do it proudly.
Footnotes:
*There’s also a tag line, which is a pithy line that sums up the value you offer to clients or customers - but we won’t get into that today.
**You can’t win ’em all. At least the conversation won’t be boring..?
***I once met a guy who told me he was a “marine gynecologist” - someone who studies the environmental factors that determine whether marine life will develop as male or female. It’s possible he was yanking my chain.
Still need some help with this? With the Perfect Pitch coaching program, you’ll find the right words to attract your ideal audience, and build the confidence to speak up.
Photo credit: Mateus Campos Felipe