Friday, March 16, 2012

Nobody cares if you’re the president


Seriously, how does telling me that you’re the president, founder, vice president of business development and secondary market strategy, and chief cook and bottle washer help ease my pain? This is my biggest elevator pitch pet peeve and Rule #6: Nobody cares if you’re the president.

You only have a few seconds, so don’t waste any of them giving a list of your titles and qualifications. Remember rule #1: It’s not about you.

Whenever I hear a business owner giving a pitch and they use their first one or two sentences telling me about their qualifications and titles, I just quit listening. It reminds me of my favorite Margaret Thatcher quote: “Being powerful is like being a lady. If you have to tell people you are, you aren't.” If you have to waste your precious few attention-getting seconds telling me how great you are, you probably aren’t!

The person you’re speaking with isn’t going to do business with you because you’re the president of the company. They will do business with you because your product eases their pain and they like you personally. Rule #6 addresses both of these points.

Rule #6 doesn’t require much explanation.  Thoughts?

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.

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