Create and Deliver a great 60 second Pitch

How good is your 60 second pitch? Whether it be to present an idea to a manager or your community service organisation, ask for a loan, or promote your business - the 60 (or so) second pitch is essential to get right.

Don't take this 60 seconds lightly. We all know the importance of a good first impression.

If you're still not convinced read this "Five Ways to Screw Up Your Sales Pitch"

This is something that needs to be scripted, practised and ready to deliver to different audiences.
Yet, it needs to sound natural, relaxed and engaging.

Your elevator pitch MUST be: clear, concise, tell a story, aimed for a specific audience and grab your listener's interest and makes them want to know more.

An elevator pitch should clearly but simply state what you are, how you are different and why your listener should care-throw in some numbers if you can and always leave them wanting more.

When I started Marketing Workouts last year, delivering, practising and refining our 60 second pitches was the first thing we did each week and I was absolutely chuffed at how everyone improved.  The pitches improved in content and delivery.  So you would think that I would have mine absolutely polished and I felt quite confident until I went to a business breakfast last week and had to stand up and deliver.

I hadn't practised in a while. I hadn't thought about who this particular audience would be.  I just thought I would be fine to deliver "off the cuff". 

Then as it came around the group to me I started to feel more nervous, stopped listening and started thinking, then delivered a very average 60 seconds that would have inspired no-one.

So I thought it time to go back and do some research to help myself and others refine their 60 second pitch.

9 Tips for Writing your 60 second Sales Pitch

1. Start writing each pitch with your audience in mind
   
2. Start with a greeting, your name and business name
   
3. Outline the problem/s you solve for people
4. Describe your solution
5. Define your model of delivery
6. Make it clear why you are different
7. Finish with what action you want that person/people to take
8. Find a trusted friend/colleague to give you honest feedback and play the devil's advocate
9. Avoid jargon - if you can't help your audience understand what you do, don't expect them to make the effort to work it out

Try this fun online tool to help - after some tweaking, my results are below.

3 Tips for Delivering your 60 second Sales Pitch

1. Establish rapport - read more here if you don't know what I mean by this
2. Stick to your script - don't start rambling and lose their interest
3. Include a pause at the end for the other person to respond - avoid the "oversell"

Have a go and I would love you to share your pitch below with a link to your website.

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Here are my results from the online pitch tool above:

Answer to "What do you do"
I help small to medium businesses with their marketing especially when they don't know where to start.

Elevator Pitch
I offer a broad range of marketing solutions, so let me share a recent client success.

A business owner approached me through referral because they needed help with marketing their newly aquired business.

They joined my 6 month 1:1 Coaching program that involved me coaching and teaching them what they needed to know to market their own business. Within 3 months sales started to become more consistent, at the end of 6 months they had a plan of action and felt confident they could implement it.  I'm still helping with the odd technical issue, specific projects when they get too busy and happy to give advice over the phone or email.

My name is Marian MacLucas from Marketing Hat and if you want to avoid the costly mistakes I see other businesses make with their marketing when they're not really sure what they need, hand me your business card today for an obligation free chat over coffee.