career advice, career management, Careers, Elevator Pitch, Job Search, Networking, personal brand management, Personal Branding

How To Create A Memorable Elevator Pitch

Mary Rosenbaum | March 9th, 2015

What type of reaction do you get when you introduce yourself at a conference, meeting or networking event? So much has been written about the elevator pitch yet most people still have a hard time making it sound compelling, authentic and memorable.

I attended an event a few weeks ago and was surprised at how people described themselves when asked about their job or business. It was as if they had memorized a speech – not a long one of course because this was their elevator pitch, but they sounded canned and well rehearsed. Needless to say, they weren’t memorable.

If you are doing something you enjoy and are good at, describing it to anyone else should be easy; it should flow. And even more importantly, it should excite or create interest in the listener. Instead these descriptions sounded as if they were reading a label describing the contents of some packaged food product. Even worse were some of the catch phrases like – “problem-meister” – cute but could be off-putting to some.

When deciding on what to include in your introduction, think in terms of what you want them to remember about you. Here are some ideas you might want to include.

Your Introduction Should Answer These Questions

– What you do?

– Who you do it for?

– What are your deliverables (the pain points you eliminate)?

– Why should I hire or use you?

You Want To Tell Them Why

Adding some insight into who you are and why you do what you do provides an excellent foundation for connecting with other people. We always look for some commonality when we meet someone new. Sharing a passion or interest, especially if it relates to what you do opens the door for further conversation. So answer:

– What am I passionate about?

– How does my work help me feed that passion?

– What makes me feel good about what I do?

Give Them Results – Validation

– How has my experience enabled me to be successful in the work I do?

– How does the work I do satisfy my clients’/company’s needs and goals?

Be Genuine

Authenticity is magnetic. If what you say is genuine, this will elicit further questions not only about your service or work, but about you as well.

Mix It Up

Whenever I introduce myself, I have a different way of saying it each time. Although there are points I want to make, by not memorizing a script it’s more authentic and can be geared specifically to the audience I am addressing. By trying out different introductions I get a much better sense of what resonates with my audience.

Now give it try and put more of yourself into your introduction or pitch.

Need help strengthening your brand positioning? Whether you’re looking for a job or seeking a promotion, and you want to take control of your career, let’s talk about how I can help. Contact me.

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Make Your Story PITCH Perfect

Mary Rosenbaum | November 11th, 2010

Developing your pitch is probably one of the hardest things to do when marketing or selling you or your service. I know that it is more difficult to sell yourself than it is to sell your company or a particular product. You don’t want to brag so instead you understate your abilities, your messaging is not that clear, or you create a laundry list of skills and abilities that are quickly forgotten.

The questions you should ask yourself when developing your pitch are:

– Would they remember it tomorrow?

– Could they repeat it in six months?

– Was your core message clear?

– Did you connect with your listener?

Here are some tips to help you put your pitch together.

1. Make sure you are emphasizing a differentiating skill or ability that is unique to you and that can’t be easily replicated by others over a reasonable period of time. It’s important to communicate how this translates into a better result for your client or employer.

Here is my example:
When I started up an executive recruiting firm focused on the financial services industry I knew that my experience of having worked on the other side of the desk provided me with the ability to understand candidates better when screening them for searches. I knew the industry, understood the language, had better filtering capability, required less involvement from my clients, and completed searches in less time.

2. Create a narrative, a story, that addresses the arc of how you arrived to where you are now, how that impacts what you do, and how it affects the results of who you work for. Making the story personal makes it memorable, interesting, and keeps it authentic. It allows people to connect with you on a very different level than if you were to describe the whole thing in corporate speak.

Here is my example:

My journey from Wall Street to Executive Search to Personal and Leadership Branding and Career Management has provided me with unique insight into how companies think when looking for executives who can lead and how to position yourself so that your differentiating strengths and value added are spotlighted. My passion is to make an impact, to make a difference on people’s lives and each time I came to a fork in the road my internal compass kept pointing me in the direction that fulfilled my need. I know that when I help clients understand, communicate and leverage what is best about themselves I am having a significant impact on their confidence and on their ability to make the right decisions going forward. Their success becomes my success.

3. Include stories that highlight the strengths you bring to the table. Skill based stories are valuable ways to show rather than tell your successes and allows the listener to extrapolate how he/she might benefit from your services or employment. Instead of saying that you are creative tell a story that illustrates your creativity in resolving a problem or issue. I wouldn’t advise telling many of these stories in a pitch but bringing up a story that the listener can relate to because of his/her own needs would be more effective.

4. Test drive your pitch. Try it out on everyone and watch their reactions? Ask for input. Remember, you are trying to make it real and to connect while still providing the information you want them to hear to keep the conversation going.

Do you have some horror stories about delivering your pitch? Share them with me by emailing me direct. Would love to hear some of your stories.

Utilizing her experience of over 25 years Mary Rosenbaum helps careerists and entrepreneurs position themselves so they can stand out from the competition. Get her free report Top Strategies for Getting Visible and Getting Ahead.

Follow me on Twitter @Careersguru

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Marketing: Lead With Your Beliefs

Mary Rosenbaum | October 7th, 2010

Recently I listened to this TED Talk by Simon Sinek called How Great Leaders Inspire Action. He turns the whole concept of marketing to clients, customers or prospective employers inside out.

What’s the most common way you market your services or your product? Nine times out of ten you sell your services or product or even yourself this way:

– What you do, what product or service you provide

– How you do it, your differentiating qualities, benefits

– Why you do it, your beliefs and values

Sinek believes that successful marketing starts with the Why, then the How, and ultimately the What. One of the examples he gives to illustrate this point is Apple. Apple’s marketing goes something like this:

(Why)In everything we do we believe in challenging the status quo by (How) designing products that are easy to use, cutting edge, pushing the envelope, making sure we keep you ahead of everyone else. (What) Oh, by the way, we make computers and phones.

Who does this appeal to? Anyone who wants to be cutting edge, wants to be the first to have or use the product, who believes in challenging the status quo. Customers are attracted to the company (and its products) because they share the same beliefs.

How does this apply to you? Lead with your beliefs – your values and passions define your beliefs. I always say that people do business with people they like. Another way to look at this is that people are attracted to those who have similar beliefs and values. Marketing based solely on the product or service and its benefits doesn’t raise the bar high enough. Eventually the competition will catch up and then you are just back to a discussion on price – a commodity, not a differentiated or unique service or product.

So take the time and watch the video. It’s worth the 18 minutes you invest. I would love to hear your views on the content.

Utilizing her experience of over 25 years Mary Rosenbaum helps careerists and entrepreneurs position themselves so they can stand out from the competition. Get her free report Top Strategies for Getting Visible and Getting Ahead.

Follow me on Twitter @Careersguru

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Personal Branding – Put Some Passion in Your Pitch

Mary Rosenbaum | June 3rd, 2010

What type of reaction do you get when you introduce yourself at a conference, meeting or networking event? So much has been written about the elevator pitch yet most people still have a hard time making it sound compelling and authentic.

I attended an event a few weeks ago and was surprised at how people, when asked about their job or business, described themselves. It was as if they had memorized a speech – not a long one of course because this was their elevator pitch, but it sounded canned and well rehearsed. I kept wanting to ask them: Where’s the PASSION? Why are you doing what you are doing? Why is it special?

If you are doing something you enjoy and are good at, describing it to anyone else should be easy; it should flow. And even more importantly, it should excite or create interest in the listener. Instead these descriptions sounded as if they were reading a label describing the contents of some packaged food product.

As I have stated many times, your personal brand is about ALL of you. Your elevator pitch should incorporate your personal branding statement – WHY you do what you do and for whom. It should elicit further questions not only about your service or work but about you as well.

There are some basic rules about what should be included in your elevator pitch. Your pitch should provide the following information in a few sentences:

– What you do?
– Who you do it for?
– What are your deliverables (the pain points you eliminate)?
– Why should I hire or use you?

Your answers to the above questions have more resonance if they include not only what you do and the value you provide but how the passion, vision and values you bring to your work make you the person I want to hire, promote, or get to know. You are providing a reason for WHY I would have an interest in hearing more about you, your business or profession.

In crafting your introduction or elevator pitch think about the following:

– What am I passionate about?
– How does my work help me feed that passion?
– How has my experience enabled me to be successful in the work I do?
– How does the work I do satisfy my clients’/company’s needs and goals?

For example, I am passionate about helping people gain greater control over their lives. My experience of over 25 years in executive recruiting, career coaching, and personal branding has prepared me well for the work I do: helping professionals and entrepreneurs gain a greater understanding of their vision, passion, values, skills and talents. It’s only when they have that understanding that they can more effectively communicate their worth, their value added, and then – achieve their desired professional goals. It’s been my experience that having control over their professional lives gives people more choices resulting in greater satisfaction and control over their personal lives.

This is not a canned introduction. I change the way I introduce myself every time I have the chance. That way it’s more authentic, does not sound memorized, and can be geared specifically to the audience I am addressing. By trying out different introductions or pitches I get a much better sense of what works and what doesn’t.

Now give it try and put more of yourself into your introduction or pitch.

Any other thoughts on how to get the passion into your description of yourself? Please share them with us.

If there are topics you have an interest in learning more about please contact me and let me know.

Utilizing her experience of over 25 years, Mary Rosenbaum helps careerists and entrepreneurs position themselves so they can stand out from the competition. Get her free report Top Strategies for Getting Visible and Getting Ahead.

Follow me on Twitter @Careersguru

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More About Elevator Pitches

Mary Rosenbaum | October 14th, 2009

I attended an interesting conference for coaches yesterday and came away with far more than I had anticipated. Although the content was great, it was during the networking time that I learned the most. First I learned that there are so many different coaching disciplines and specialties. Everything from improv coaching to executive leadership coaching. What I found most enlightening was that many coaches find it difficult articulating who they serve and what they actually provide, including their value added. Instead, they rely on catch phrases that sound good but convey very little; and unless the listener is really interested in finding out more, it becomes a conversation stopper. If this behavior sounds familiar to you, then read on.

Is your elevator pitch really cute? Do you call yourself the go-to person or the fix-it guy or something else that only you understand why people come to you? Here is a quick way for you to hone in on what the “unique” you really offers clients or employers.

First, who do you work for or provide services to? What industry, what demographic within the industry, what specific part of the population? Is your work in trading equities in the financial services industry, do you work with the baby boomer population or women between the ages of 30-50, is your expertise in outsourcing in Asia for the insurance industry? The more specific you are the better a picture you can paint.

Next, what is the service or work you actually provide? If you call yourself the fix-it guy – what do you fix and how do you fix it? For example, do you help companies that need to streamline operations to reduce costs, are you a visionary who can anticipate economic events and their impact in specific industries, is your specialty building and growing sales teams for the insurance industry, you get the idea. Again, the more specific the information you provide, the better.

Lastly, why are you the expert? Is it because of your years of experience, your credentials and education? This is the validation part of your pitch. This must answer the question, why should I go to you, or why should I hire you?

Now see if you can come up with a couple of sentences that describe who you serve, what you do and why you are the expert. Try it out on a few people and ask them if it sounds compelling, does it tell the story, and does it prompt them to ask for more.

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Personal Branding – Not the Latest Fad

Mary Rosenbaum | September 30th, 2009

What are the similarities between a job seeker, someone in career transition, and an entrepreneur? The basic and most important similarity is that each one has a personal brand. I spoke at a career seminar last week and after my talk someone came up and commented that personal branding is just the latest fad and that job seekers need more than words to secure a new position. No he’s wrong and yes he’s right.

Personal Branding is not the latest fad; in fact it’s been around for decades. The only difference is it didn’t have a name when it was applied to individuals as opposed to corporations. As a former recruiter for over 20 years, I instinctively knew how to “brand” my candidates by highlighting their differentiating qualities – the strengths that would enable them to stand out from those competing for the same job. At the time I called it positioning rather than branding.

Simply put, Personal Branding is being able to plant words that you want others to use when they describe or think of you. My work with clients helps them find those words that not only focus on their strengths, abilities, skills, and experience, but also targets how those words should be used and to whom. The adjectives they use to describe themselves reflects their value added. Your value added is the benefit your employer or client derives from working with you. It’s what distinguishes you from everyone else. It is the essence of your Personal Brand.

The definition of a Personal Brand is the reputation others hold of you in their hearts and minds. The words you plant become your reputation if you are consistent, clear, and constant in your messaging to others. A consistent message that clearly demonstrates your unique promise of value, your value added, repeated often to your target audience will result in gaining the visibility you need and want when opportunities arise.

Judging from the comments I receive from clients, having a brand makes them feel like the expert in their particular field or area of specialty. Identifying what it is and formulating the right words to convey their brand is hard work, but the rewards are worth it. So whether you are an entrepreneur, a job seeker, or someone in transition, knowing how to sell yourself so you stand out from the crowd is a critical ingredient to achieving your goals.

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