Get Off the Elevator and Ditch the Pitch
Thursday, November 17, 2011 It seems as though every few months, someone in the legal marketing world posts advice to attorneys about crafting or framing an elevator pitch.
I’m begging you. Please stop.
I can’t think of anything worse that being stuck in a small, enclosed space, inaccessible by others, with someone who is adamant about selling me something. My only thought would be to escape, and I have to think that prospective clients who get cornered by attorneys so they can deliver a similar self-promotional rant feel precisely the same.
The reason an elevator pitch repeatedly fails is because it necessarily requires the attorney to talk about himself when it shouldn’t be about him at all. It should be about making the other person feel important and special and heard. It should be about asking questions, not making statements, about engaging with the audience.
My advice? Craft an opener, a quick sentence that piques the other person’s curiosity and brings them into a conversation. Here are some examples of what you can say when asked what you do:
- “I help business owners take care of the most valuable assets they have – their employees” (instead of “I’m a labor and employment attorney”)
- “I help the smartest people I’ve ever met protect their inventions and innovations” (rather than “I’m an intellectual property lawyer”)
- “I help businesses grow by removing obstacles and letting their owners sleep at night” (not “I’m a business/corporate attorney”)
Do you see the difference? An opener tells the audience that, first and foremost, you help others solve their problems, that you care and provide value. The description of how you help should resonate at both logical and emotional levels, and by avoiding titles like lawyer and attorney, you free yourself of any possible stigma.
Strategically, the opener seeks to do one thing – engage the other person by compelling them to say, “That’s interesting – tell me more” or to ask, “How do you do that?” The conscientious business developer will then respond with her own question, such as “Have you ever managed people?” or “Do you know about the patent application process?” or “Are you a business owner?” The ensuing exchange becomes a rich conversation rather than a boring monologue.
So please – ditch the pitch.
And if you have any other suggestions for creative openers, I hope you will share them!
Reader Comments (2)
Love it! Here's something I wrote about this subject for MarketingProfs.com. http://xrl.us/MythOfTheElevatorSpeech.
An excerpt:
The question is not about wanting a snappy summary of how you make a living. It's not about re-framing the question from the other person's point of view to come up with a non-pitch pitch.
While all of that is good (especially the part about not talking about yourself), it's based on a flawed assumption, one that assumes that everyone is being cognitive all of the time.
The truth about the question
When someone asks what you do, chances are they really don't want to know what you do. That's because the elevator speech question is really about people being people.
The question is about someone needing something to break the ice. They could just as well be saying, "Nice tie. It reminds me of my Uncle Miltie." To which you might respond in a similarly personable and engaging manner.
It's a reminder that the brain is just one of several organs that apply to sales and marketing.
Read more: http://www.marketingprofs.com/articles/2006/2140/the-myth-of-the-elevator-speech#ixzz1epY8ONvI
I agree with most of this post regarding new business development, but... I have to say that most people do not have even a template of what to say when asked the question - what do you do? An elevator speech might be a bit salesy, but it is a start. i think the point is, don't completely guess. New business development is taking advantage of opportunities which will present themselves in the strangest places. have something ready to go and modify it as the situation dictates.