In the game of golf, a pitch is a very short, high shot intended to get you closer to your final destination… the hole. Let me say that again, the intention is to get CLOSE. When your ball is lying 40 – 50 feet from the green, it never seems to fail: aim for the hole, you’ll miss it and by a mile! Aim for 'close' to the hole and you just might get it in, or so close, you can’t miss the final shot.
The very same philosophy is true for your business Elevator Pitch. This is your time to get close… not close a deal.
I was at an event recently where I witnessed an audience member grabbing the evening’s guest speaker, saying, “I really just need a minute to give you my 30 second elevator pitch!” Never mind the fact that she contradicted herself in the opening statement, (a minute = 30 seconds? Hhmm...) but she stepped ahead of several other people who were patiently waiting their turn- including me.
I then witnessed that ’30 second pitch” turn into a full out, close the deal sales call. She told him what she did, how she did it, why she is the best, why she loves her job and why she really needed to speak to him further so she could explain what she did. He asked her to leave her card, she insisted he give her his. He said his assistant would be calling to set up appointments; she told him that she would call him.
Some might applaud her forcefulness, but I felt her fate was already sewn up tight…and the prognosis wasn’t good. Her target saw first hand how she treated others- she cut in line, while grabbing his arm; she misspoke by claiming to need a minute and then did not honor her word; she demonstrated her lack of understanding of pitches, and finally did not listen to or comply with his instructions. Everything she said about herself was lost in that shuffle, so that the intended message was over-shadowed by her more direct message.
In business as in golf, we all play against ourselves- trying to improve our own game, improve on our personal best; and there is outside competition. It all comes down to you and one other player. Who will win the cup?
In the next seven weeks, I will discuss Elevator Pitches. I’ll use real life examples to illustrate how these short pitches can get help you win the game and make the deal.
-Greta Muller
Talent Coach
