Have you ever thoroughly explained your business to someone only to be stared at with a confused look, or have someone ask, “Hey, what do you do again?” You are left with the look of defeat because you know that everything you just said went in one ear and out the other.
Lucky for me, I’ve been on both sides of the fence: not knowing what the hell this person was talking about on one hand, and explaining my business to someone who clearly wasn’t getting it on the other. I soon learned that the perfect business pitch should not only be less than 60 seconds, but it should also be in layman’s terms.
So, what happens if you run a business that offers a number of services, or if your product has multiple target markets? Simple. You pitch the services or products that the person in front of you would benefit from.
I run a digital consulting firm that offers small businesses and creative artists a variety of services to help start and grow their business, such as social media management, blog writing, and business coaching. A mouthful, right? Trust me, that isn’t the end of what my firm provides—I could go on and on. Which is what I did in the beginning, getting deer-caught-in-headlights looks over and over again. After several confused faces, I knew I needed to simplify my pitch.
Now, when people ask what I do, I turn the conversation around and ask who they are and what they do. Once I find out the answers, it’s my chance to tailor my services to meet their needs. If this person happens to be an author, here’s my pitch: “I run a digital consulting firm that specializes in helping authors with social media management by increasing their online visibility and connecting with their audience.” I explain what I do, include my potential client’s business in the pitch, and list the service I provide that might be of use. This way, they almost always want to hear more.
Here are some tips on what to remember when you’re giving that minute-long pitch:
- Be confident.
- Be natural.
- Be interesting and engaging.
- Talk about your product or service, but don’t oversell them.
- Remember what your goal is for the pitch (partnership, relationship, customer).
- Leave them with a cliffhanger to continue the conversation later.
The harsh reality is that everyone you will meet is on the grind, and their time is very precious. The person you are networking with could care less about your business unless it benefits them directly. So, remember: everybody—from the fancy suit-wearer who has been in business for decades, to the newbie entrepreneur who decided to turn his passion into profit a week ago—has a need for your services. You just need to figure out how you can help.