| 27 July 2011
Remember the last time you were stuck inside an elevator, waiting in line for a coffee or on the subway, and had to make idle small talk with a stranger? Instead of talking about the weather, it might have been the perfect opportunity to bring in some business. It's time to perfect your 60 second pitch and the following tips will help you do that;
The Right Audience
Pitch to the right audience. You don't have much time, so you'll have to use your judgement by observing how the person is dressed and their body language. You might need to use different pitches to different types of people.
Short & Sweet
Ensure that your speech stays short and sweet. Make sure you cut out all the unnecessary details and get to the point. It is essential that you make your message sound as smooth as possible so describe your business in one or two sentences and then explain its unique selling proposition in one or two sentences.
Offer a Solution
People want to invest in something that will make life easier for them. Explain how your product, service or business does this and give a quick example to make it easier to understand.
Benefits, Benefits and More Benefits
Make sure that you distract your potential client with the benefits of what you are offering. A golden rule of the thumb you have to remember is that you are not only pitching a great idea, but you are pitching benefits of the product that the other can use. You have an idea that the other person may have absolutely no clue about. It is your job to convince him that what you are offering is the best and that it in turn will be able to benefit him as well. You have to ensure that you will be able to give your product to them and convince them of what you are offering.
Conclude with a memorable tag line
Having a good tag line is also quite important as it helps to encapsulate all that you say. At the same time, it adds the finishing touch to your pitch. Remember that the tag line should be able to grab the attention of your audience and it might be the only thing they remember after you've finished talking
Have a call to action
A call to action is what you want the person you are pitching to do. It could be giving them your business card so that they can call you about it later, or passing them a website address for further research. Make sure that your potential client knows how they can follow up, otherwise they won't.
