When someone asks what you or your organization does, are you prepared with an on-message, concise explanation? Follow these steps to come up with a response.
If somebody asked 10 people in your organization what your company does, would they get similar answers? If not, you may be missing countless opportunities to establish and reinforce brand awareness. To maintain consistency of message across all your audiences, I suggest you develop and share an elevator speech with your organization.
Elevator what?
Okay, everyone might not know what an elevator speech is (you can probably figure it out). Simply put, an elevator speech is brief description of your organization—who you are, what you do and why it matters—delivered in the time it would take to move between floors in an elevator (that’s not a long time).
An effective elevator speech should leave your audience wanting more, while answering the essential questions about your company. A great place to start your elevator speech is to adapt your boilerplate. Whether you have a boilerplate or not, here are four tips for creating an intriguing elevator speech:
1. Incorporate a positioning statement. Why should someone care about you, your organization or endeavor? When possible, emphasize an emotional connection.
2. Include a distinctive. For example were you the first or only one to do something? Perhaps you are the largest or oldest. These distinctives help set you apart and provide credibility.
3. Don’t forget the basics. Who does your organization/endeavor benefit? How does your organization benefit someone?
4. Finish with an ‘ask’. If applicable, be sure to close by saying what others can do to get involved and incorporate a website address where people can get more information.
Bonus tip: Can your elevator speech answer the “so what?” question before it’s asked? When you deliver your elevator pitch, most people will unconsciously be saying “so what?” Answer it for them. For example, instead of “XYZ company makes your grass grow slower,” try “XYZ company makes your grass grow slower so you don’t have to mow it as often.” See how the “so what?” is answered in the speech?
Here’s another tool to get you started. Just fill in the blanks to start working on your elevator speech.
[YOUR COMPANY NAME] helps [TYPE OF CUSTOMER YOU SERVE MOST] to [BENEFIT/VALUE YOU DELIVER]. Unlike other companies that provide similar solutions, [YOUR COMPANY] [DIFFERENTIATOR - HOW YOU DO IT DIFFERENT - THIS IS WHERE YOU ANSWER THE "SO WHAT?"].
Want to see it in action? Let’s answer the question, “What Does Journalistics.com Do?”
Journalistics is a blog about public relations and journalism, helping communications professionals keep up to date with the latest trends and developments in the industry. Unlike other mainstream PR trades and blogs, Journalistics takes a no-nonsense approach to its content, often providing honest, practical advice PR professionals and put into action today.
It’s not perfect, but it’s a start.
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