I'm not sure who first coined "the elevator pitch", but an easy guess would be someone with little patience who was just confined to an elevator with another who just could not explain himself nor his business in a clear, concise manner. The phrase has been historically attributed to pitching a business, investment, or both to any given audience, in one minute or less. I say a lot less. In this day and age, one minute can take forever to pass in a one-way communication. Email is now too slow...text messages and Twitter "tweets" are the new email...short and sweet, just like any given "elevator pitch". God be with the stationary and ink pen manufacturers.
My elevator pitch? Having managed a variety of businesses, including direct-response ad firms and now in the interactive web world...there's too much to explain and most people, frankly, just don't care. Thus, here's my simple and sweet EP:
"I manage and profitably grow businesses for guys who are just tired of doing it themselves."
That's it. No background about my education, the types of businesses I've owned and/or managed, the family and/or emotional exhaustion that typically leads others to bring me in...none of that. Just a short and sweet EP that any target audience can understand.
As opposed to one person and one pitch, think about the potential for something much bigger. How about our national healthcare debate. Here's the elevator pitch that is winning, as evidenced recent polls taken just this past week:
"A government take-over of our healthcare system, like anything the government does, will be a disaster."
Maybe. Why can't we talk about Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security in such terms? Why shouldn't our gov just get out of those businesses too, if the government always leads to disaster?
What if the Cheerleader in Chief came back with this elevator pitch/sound bite at every meeting, town hall, press conference, and press interview:
"After decades of ideas and talk, now is the time to make affordable and secure healthcare available to all children and working families in America, which will result in improved educational, career, and economic development opportunities for decades to come"
No mention of "public option", insurance competition, social and class warfare issues, taxes, etc. Just a boiled down elevator pitch that hints at "sick kids cannot learn like healthy kids", "healthier families are more productive families", "pre-existing conditions are not an issue anymore", and "our economic future depends on a healthy, educated, and productive workforce". Most of all, no mention of the enemies of any change or reform of any kind.
Whether you are a CEO, a PR pro, a preacher, Commander in Chief, or Joe Six-Pack, the short and sweet explanation of your mission, passion, or advocacy of any given issue will serve you well, as long as the one you are pitching will give you the time of day.
