4 Avoidable Mistakes in Your Elevator Pitch

It’s that time of year again… holiday parties, conferences, networking events (in real life and online!), and get togethers with strangers and friends alike.

Left and right, you are probably like me, meeting new entrepreneurs doing incredible things. But by the end of the conversation, their messaging get muddled, and you’re walking away leaving a bit empty handed.

That is why the elevator pitch — that 60–90 second snapshot of you and your business — is so important.

As an entrepreneur, your business is your voice, and in return, your voice is your business.

So, think of it as a first impression: if you are authentic, clear, and visionary, you are representing your business with those same attributes.

Let’s instill that credibility into your business by avoiding these four common elevator pitching mistakes.

You forget to mention yourself.

This first mistake is so common, and it’s sad that it’s an afterthought. But many times, founders forget the YOU in your pitch. And, what I mean by that is you as in your role, your status in the company, and your name. (I’ve seen that so many founders forget to tell me their name!)

As a listener, how am I to look you up on Linked in or Google if I don’t know your name, or what makes you, you.

Don’t be afraid to show a bit of your personality as well. So, if you are a naturally bubbly and exuberant person, don’t be afraid to share a little bit of that personality when you’re introducing yourself in your business.

You don’t bridge the human connection.

We love storytelling as people, and at the end of the day, we love walking away knowing the ‘why’. (I mean Simon Sinek wrote a whole book on it.)

At the crux of every story, even as short as an elevator pitch, we love to know why.

So, when you are talking to a new audience, a new partner, a new investor, it is important that you can bridge this human connection. This ‘why’ element, the reasoning you decided to start a business and why you are the one to build this business, softens the business sell and makes you and your pitch more memorable.

Oftentimes, I remember founders by I their backstories. When someone starts a business because of a true issue they faced or their family faced, it just stays in my head so much longer than what you know about the nuts and bolts of their business does.

You are not being clear on what you actually do.

Now, I know oftentimes, when I meet someone, they boom, jump into what they do. They are so excited to share their business, that it opens up the ramble-gates.

This can create a rabbit hole of information, and which makes a clear storyline hard to find.

As a founder, you need to be clear in such a way that a seven year old to a seventy seven year old and everyone in between can understand what you do.

I know you are very excited about your tech or some of the nuances in your business, but the jargon and ramble will not land with your audiences.

You forget to follow up with an ask.

At the end of your pitch, you will want to follow up with something — from a follow me on social media to sign up for my next business focus group — because this creates a two way relationship in the communication. This makes the elevator pitch feel like a conversation, not a transaction.

As a listener, you are given a task, not just being bombarded with information. Now, there is a way I can walk away from this conversation and support you.

Want to learn more? Join the newsletter or listen in to conversations like these on my podcast.

And, if you want personalized pitching support, check out my new business Pitch Pilot Training.