Do Your Elevator Pitches Stand Up and Stick Out?

Today’s Topic: Vendor/Sponsor Elevator Pitches




As you know, I’m here to help you find that “unique” factor in your life and in your business to help you stand out among the competition because to blend in means to go unnoticed.And people don’t buy from people they don’t notice. And today I want to talk about vendor/sponsor elevator pitches.

 As a motivational speaker, I attend a LOT of conferences, most of which include vendors or sponsors who are often given opportunities to stand in front of the entire group and introduce themselves. And I watch eyes glaze over as one by one the vendor runs up, spits out some memorized commercial, smiles, waves, and runs off. And I shake my head, wondering if they are aware that they lost us at “Hello.” 

These are golden opportunities to make a connection with your potential clients. And most of them are wasted because they all start to look the same. And I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: If you blend in, you go unnoticed. And people don’t buy from people they don’t notice.


Don’t hear me wrong – some of these are very well written commercial clips – with perfectly planned pauses and gestures for effect. And that’s the problem. It’s not perfection we seek – it’s authenticity. We want you to be REAL – and we want you to be DIFFERENT – if you want to get our attention. So, relax – this isn’t about taking your pitch and making it better. It’s about taking that pitch and making it different. Why? So that YOU are the one they  remember.

Notice that I’m not talking about sales presentations – that’s a story for another day.  I’m simply talking about that two minute window you get in front of the entire room. You might not think it matters. I think that it not only matters more than you think – it might make you the one person they go find. And isn’t it great when our clients come seeking us?  

 Let me give you one example of what I’m talking about: I’m sitting there watching fifty vendors stand up to “say hello.” Once the audience saw the first two and realized what they were in for, people started checking out. Texting. Thumbing through the program. Planning what they wanted for lunch.   
I’m a performer. I know exactly what bored looks like. By the time that last vendor ran up, I couldn’t even remember where I was, much less a single name or company represented. It took forever for me to pick the energy back up in that room. And all it would have taken would have been one joke – one funny joke, and that vendor would have been remembered. Because people remember humor.

 Or someone to say something clever instead of something scripted. Or instead of someone telling us he sells alarm systems – to tell us how many homes were broken into just that morning. Or for the financial guy to get up and say, “I have one question: Are you prepared for a financial disaster?”  Or get up and tell us in thirty seconds of your grandfather who taught you principles that have helped you become a leader. Those are the kinds of things that get our attention. 

 Why? Because they are different. They aren’t what we expect you to say. And it’s not better we notice – it’s different. And they aren’t just different, they reach us on an emotional level. There are many ways to do this, but here’s a quick recap of six easy components of a pitch that hooks: humor, sell the story, show your imperfection, make it about them, be passionate, or do something different.


The next time you get the opportunity to pitch yourself think about all your competitors and what they will be saying. Even if it’s just you – think about all the pitches they’ve ever heard and how they probably went. And how, no matter what the industry, they will start to sound alike. Now think about what you could do that would be different from anyone else. 

Make it relate to your subject so that it have some value – and Bingo! You’ve just found a way to Stand Up and Stick Out. And I promise – they will remember you.

So go out there and be the pitch that’s different so you can Stand Up and Stick Out in this crowded market! Why? Because nobody notices normal.

This has been another Stand Up and Stick Out Moment, brought to you by Motivational Speaker Kelly Swanson


 
 Kelly Swanson

Motivational speaker KELLY SWANSON is an award-winning storyteller, comedian, and author of "Who Hijacked My Fairy Tale". She has been described by Our State Magazine as one of North Carolina’s funniest women. 

She uses hilarious comedy, powerful stories, and a wacky cast of southern characters to make people laugh, remind them of their value, and show them how to stand up and stick out in their lives, businesses, and communities.
Her shows have delighted audiences from coast to coast, from board rooms to cruise ships.