Ditch the Pitch and Elevate the Conversation

Write an elevator pitch, they said.

Commit it to memory, they said.

They also said It should be a slick summary of my accomplishments and skills that, in 30-seconds or less, instantly compels anyone within earshot to trust me and hire me.

Trust me, no one hired me. Because what I ended up delivering was a robotic, 30-second, trauma-inducing disaster.

Today, I’m going to share an easy, engaging way for you to introduce yourself and feel less salesy — a four-part framework that helps you ditch the pitch and elevate the conversation.

I don’t know about you, but when someone launches into one of those hyper-drive “bragologue” elevator pitches…my mind wanders off. We all know what’s coming, so our brains try to remember if we locked the front door or think about what we need to buy at the market on the way home.

So, the next time someone asks you what you do, try this. Instead of launching into a rapid-fire elevator pitch, pull them in and connect with a good story that includes these four elements:

1) The People you help,

2) The Problem you solve,

3) The Payoff you deliver, and

4) The Prompt to keep the conversation going.

Let’s’ say you’re at a dinner party, and what if instead of sharing your job title, “I’m an interior decorator,” or spouting off a canned elevator pitch, you answer “What do you do?” with something like:

“You know how when people move into a new home but don’t know how to integrate their existing furniture and art into their new space? I’m an interior decorator. I help them take stock of what they have, create a game plan, and blend old treasures with new ones so they can have the dream home they’ve always wanted. What’s your story?”

So your short story has…

1) The People you help — New homeowners.

2) The Problem you solve — Blending new and existing decor.

3) The Payoff you deliver — The dream home they’ve always wanted.

4) The Prompt — What’s your story? Immensely important.

Always keep the conversation going with a return question that requires more than a simple yes or no answer.

Now you try it.

If you want help, download my free worksheet at danaprowe.com/elevate. It has prompts and additional examples to help you formulate your introduction.

People, Problem, Payoff, and Prompt. That, my friend, is how you ditch the pitch and elevate the conversation.

If you’re looking for more posts like this one, be sure to check out the rest of my blog posts for Creative Artists and Entrepreneurs here.