How to write an "elevator pitch" without feeling the ick
Thank you so much to Ellie Kime (from Eleanor Mollie) for writing this brilliant guest blog post!
Ask a group of business owners what they hate most about being self-employed, and the chances are they’ll say self-promotion. (I’d also, of course, say tax return time – every year, I’m convinced I’ve accidentally done it wrong.)
For many founders and entrepreneurs – whatever you prefer to call yourself – self-promotion is seen as a necessary evil. Whilst it may feel like pulling teeth, it’s an unavoidably important part of running your own small business, because put simply: people can’t pay you if they don’t know what you do.
So how can we make self-promo less icky? I could tell you all the things you already know: that the world needs what you have to offer, that you have every right to ask for payment for something you’re highly skilled at, and that if you’re worried you’re being pushy, the chances are you’re not the kind of person who’s capable of being pushy.
They’re all true, but they’re also all things you’ve heard before: what I want to give you today is something tangible, something concrete that you can action when you need it.
Introducing: Your Elevator Pitch
I know, I know - I promised to make self-promo less icky, and suddenly I’m throwing around one of the ickiest phrases in the English language. But it doesn’t have to be icky!
When you get it right, your ‘elevator pitch’ – and I put that in inverted commas because I don’t 100% believe in an elevator pitch in its strictest definition – is a really useful piece of business kit that will help you in situations where you need to introduce yourself.
Instead, if it’s easier, let’s think about building up your ‘intro bio’. (Aaah, much better.)
Now, the reason I don’t believe in an elevator pitch in its strictest sense is because: the world has somewhat moved on from the situation they were invented for.
How often do you get in a lift with the big boss of a company who you need to pitch? Not that often, I’m willing to bet.
Whilst the core idea of the elevator pitch is still totally relevant – needing something that can quickly summarise exactly what you do and why you’re worth someone’s time – I don’t like the idea that we have to have only one, and that’s it.
Instead, I think it’s helpful to have a framework that you can change depending on who you’re talking to!
How to write your Elevator Pitch/Intro Bio
Ok, let’s get into it.
What do you do?
Firstly - let’s tell them what you do. Do you have a well-recognised job title? Something that people from your nan to your neighbour can grasp the concept of? If so, that’s an excellent place to start.
E.g. “I’m a coach…” or “I’m a chef…”
If not, describe what you do:
E.g. “I own a marketing agency…” or “I write…”
Who do you help?
This doesn’t have to be your hyperspecific, super niche ideal customer; but more the group of people that you serve with your work.
E.g. “for self-employed mums”, “working with farmers” or “specialising in eco-friendly businesses”
How do you do it?
How do you help your clients? If you’re an accredited practitioner of a named technique or affiliated to a particular framework, you could introduce that here if it’s relevant; or you can talk more generally about how you spend your day.
E.g. “providing CBT therapy” or “organising and managing their inbox”
Why do you do it?
This isn’t your Simon Sinek ‘why’, but the outcome you provide for your customers. If this feels hard to work out, another question you can ask yourself is: what do you help them avoid?
E.g. “to streamline their finances and maximise their profits” or “to help them avoid burnout”.
Big yourself up
This bit is what we call social proof. If you’ve won awards, got a big number that sounds impressive – could be financial, number of downloads, number of years in business – or a name you can drop – someone you’ve worked for or with previously – then you should weave that in too.
E.g. “We’re the first ever business to…” or “With x years of…”
Now put it all together…
This doesn’t have to be done chronologically, obviously – the above are more prompts to get you thinking about the components of your intro bio. When it comes to putting them together, try a few different sentence structures to see what works best.
E.g. I’m a [job title] [doing what I do] to help [client type] [outcome].
As a real life example, for me this would be
What I do: I’m a writer
Who do I help: small business owners
How do I do it: by helping them explain what they do in words
Why do I do it: to help them make more money
And put together, this could start something like “I’m a writer specialising in helping small businesses explain what they do, so that they can match with more of their ideal clients and make more money.”
Additional elements
Sometimes, additional elements of your story might be relevant, depending on who you’re talking to. For example, the fact that you’re a parent might be useful when talking to someone who works in PR who’s got a piece upcoming about working mums, or the fact that you speak Spanish might clinch a new contract for you.
This kind of stuff can be added in as and when, using the situation to gauge what’s appropriate – which, as an introvert, you’re very good at.
Why does this work?
This approach to an elevator pitch/intro bio focuses mainly on the client, and the impact you have on them. I find doing this takes away some of the ‘ick’ of self-promo.
It makes it a tiny bit easier to trick the brain, because it doesn’t feel as much like you’re talking about yourself! It is also just really useful in the situations that you need it for too: because it’s human nature for people to want to know what’s in it for them.
I hope that’s helped you make a start on your intro bio. Remember, you got this!
Ellie Kime is a writer specialising in helping small business owners explain what they do and why they're so good at it (so they can connect with more of their ideal clients and run the business they've always wanted). She's also a freelance copywriter, delight designer, podcaster, and founder of The Enthusiast & Co.
Find out more about Ellie’s work by visiting her website Eleanor Mollie or following her on Instagram @eleanor_mollie ✨
If you’ve got an event coming up where you can put your shiny new intro bio into practice, check out my Networking for Introverts Workshop to help you prepare even more 😃
