Elevator Pitch for Networking

Have you ever sold anything? Everyone should answer YES to that question. We sell things every day whether it is to our spouse, child, co-worker, friend or boss. Every morning we wake up there is always a chance for networking with people we encounter throughout our daily activities.

Have you ever wondered how to sell yourself better at a networking event or to a potential employer, co-worker, customer, etc? You need to have an elevator pitch about yourself that tells them as much as possible in 20 seconds.

Elevator pitch, what's that? Think of it as if you were in an elevator with the hiring manager or your top customer going from floor 20 to 1. In that limited amount of time, can you tell them as much about yourself that they could walk away and really want to add you within their networking circle?

Why 20 seconds? Well, it comes from the Rule of 7's which states:

• 7 seconds to make an impression
• 14 seconds to create interest
• 21 seconds to tell your story

So, let's get to the meat of the elevator pitch developed around building your networking skills. There are four main parts:

• Undeniable Truth
• Positioning
• Segmentation
• Example

Undeniable Truth

Something the listener agrees with. You use it in the form of a question. You always want the answer to the question to be YES. This is referred to as the question opening.

Positioning

What you offer and why it is better. Everyone has experience and expertise that is unique and this is the area to talk about it.

Segmentation

Who are your customers or who have you worked for and why do the buy from you/hire you. This area is where you need to communicate the value add that you bring.

Example

Although giving examples is quite forward, many people forget to add it in. This section is where you tie everything together with a real life example.

Here is an example for when I am selling the Sales Leadership Center at DePaul University when networking with prospective clients who need to hire entry-level sales reps:

Watch the video to hear the below Elevator Pitch used in a networking situation!

You know how it’s hard to find talented sales rep? Our Sale Center at DePaul is the largest in the country (what you offer) where we train reps before they are in the field (why it’s better). Partners like 3M, Target, Chase (who we work with) value us because we provide reps who immediately generate revenue(why they buy/hire). Specifically, 3M tracked that reps from a Sales Program produce 30% more than undergrads with a marketing degree and no sales education (example).

Please provide in the comments section your examples of your elevator pitches that you use in networking situations!