So what do you do? If I asked you what makes you and your massage business different and unique what would you say? You've got 30 seconds go! Tripped over your tongue yet? When you meet someone, you have about 30 seconds max, about the time it takes to ride up in the elevator together to sell yourself.
Do you invariably give the same old answer? I am a chair massage practitioner. Boring! Eyes glazed over look. You've lost them and the potential client they could have been. You need is an elevator speech. Which is not really a speech. It's just one or two sentences you've developed to promote yourself and your service in a very short space of time without sounding like an ad.
Your elevator speech a key business building tool and an effective method of self promotion. "So what's an elevator speech and why do I need one?" You need to be able to tell people what you do in the most unique way possible in the shortest amount of time. Your listeners understand immediately how you can help them. An intriguing elevator speech is one the most effective tools in your marketing arsenal.That helps you stand out from the crowd. I combined my elevator speech and USP – unique selling point / unique sales pitch into a tag line. I use one line on my business cards, my correspondence, my invoicing etc.
Four steps to crafting a winning elevator speech.
Step 1: You need to develop a hook. A hook is a catch phrase designed to catch people's attention. Some memorable hooks include:
Landscaper: Greening the world one garden at a time.
Accountant: I am a government fund-raiser.
Nutritionist: I teach food behaviour.
Lifestyle coach: I teach people how to grow themselves.
Chair massage professional: I. . . create your own hook here
Focus on the "relaxation" factor, something that enforces "relief" and "instant comfort" – this would gel with your USP, and ensure high recall. Mine is: We relax knotty backs! I've caught the person's attention and they want to know more. I'll break it down for you. We relax: what I do / what my company does. Knotty backs: your benefit. And because knotty sounds like I said something else, people will often do a double take.
Step 2: In the next step explain what your service provides and your target market. Example:
I facilitate off-site strategy development sessions for non-profits.
I develop brochures, annual reports and flyers for mid-sized companies I specialize in writing ads for the banking industry.
Mine is: I'm a corporate wellness specialist for business and service professionals.
Step 3: A one line statement the covers the unique benefits of your service.
Example:
I help companies stop overpaying their taxes – accountant
I help companies plan for growth – marketing consultant
I have the antidote for corporate stress – chair massage professional
Final step:
When you put it all together you've got your elevator speech.
Create a couple and try them out the next time you meet someone. It'll take a little tweaking until you create that magic pitch that's uniquely you. Keep this in mind while creating your speech. If you do not hook them at hello you do not have them at all. Make sure your message respects your customers. If everyone loves your idea, you're doing something wrong.
Do not forget you can use your elevator speech to develop a memorable tagline and use it on all your marketing materials.