{"id":403,"date":"2012-11-14T18:03:21","date_gmt":"2012-11-14T18:03:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.poly.com\/?p=403"},"modified":"2012-11-14T18:03:21","modified_gmt":"2012-11-14T18:03:21","slug":"how-to-make-an-effective-elevator-pitch-in-two-minutes-or-less","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.poly.com\/how-to-make-an-effective-elevator-pitch-in-two-minutes-or-less\/","title":{"rendered":"How to make an effective elevator pitch in two minutes or less or less"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>Consider the following.\u00a0You have less time to make an effective elevator pitch than it takes to boil an egg. You can cook an average-size egg in three minutes.\u00a0 The short overview you need to present your small business to investors or customers must be two minutes or less.<\/p>\n

While the analogy may be apples to oranges, you get the point. Two minutes \u2013 which is sufficient to complete an average elevator ride, hence the name\u00a0 — is not a lot of time to state your case. But whether on the phone, in e-mail, at a business function or during a chance encounter \u2013 two minutes is about all the time you have to get someone\u2019s attention and explain why your small business is different.<\/p>\n

Just what do you say in two minutes to win over your audience and get to the next step in the process of securing an investment or a sale? Here are the five basic elements of an effective elevator pitch:<\/p>\n

Get attention:\u00a0 At the outset, explain what your company does or sells and why your audience should be interested. For example, a personnel recruitment might point out that finding qualified candidates takes a lot of time — something companies have little of these days. Emphasize that your firm can bring qualified candidates in the door within days of getting a req.<\/p>\n

Provide a solution: Explain how your product or service will solve a customer\u2019s problem; for investors focus on a market or industry problem or trend<\/a> and show how your small business can resolve it or take advantage of it. The bottom line is to convince your audience that you can answer a particular need.<\/p>\n

Describe your difference: Differentiate yourself from others in your market. Substantiate why you are worth buying from or investing in.<\/p>\n

Use hard data: Back up your pitch with hard data that validates your difference and potential. Be sure what you convey answers the needs or questions of your audience.<\/p>\n

Request action:\u00a0 Encourage the audience to take the action you desire. You could ask for another meeting to talk further about your product or services or offer to submit a proposal.\u00a0 With investors, you might want to ask for another due diligence session.<\/p>\n

In addition to these tips, here are some other dos<\/p>\n