Baby, I’m Hooked on You

David Gates 1977 classic “Hooked on You”, performed by Bread tells the story of a man who falls in love and gladly pays the price to be with the woman of his dreams. We’re still talking elevator pitches and you’re wondering what mediocre 1970s soft rock hit has to do with anything. Well, it’s a loose connection at best, but does lead me to Rule #4 for creating successful elevator pitches: Start with a hook.

A hook is a question or statement that is enticing and grabs the person’s attention. You need something so that the person will actually pay attention. It doesn’t do any good to have crafted a wonderful story in the form of a pitch if the other person never listens. You’ve been at networking events before. How many elevator pitches have you heard only to have forgotten before the person finishes delivering?

Think of this opportunity as a fishing trip to catch the “big one.” Once the fish take the bait, you jerk the line to set the hook. Then you reel in the fish being careful not to let it off the line. You’re doing the same thing here with your elevator pitch. When you get an opportunity to give your pitch, set the hook with a dramatic opening. It can be in the form of a question or bold statement about some pain in your prospects life. Then you tell a quick story about how you can make their life better.

Be sure to use lots of sensing language. That is, use words that share what you see, hear, smell and taste. This will engage your prospect on a whole different level than mere words. The goal is to get your prospect emotionally involved in your solution. They will become an advocate for you as they feel their life getting better and sense the happiness that it brings. Okay, that’s a little over the top, but you get the point. Sensing language engages the prospect and helps them feel the solution, not just understand.

Do you have a great elevator pitch that you’d like to share? If so, list it in the comments or send me an email.