30 seconds is all you get

30 seconds. That's all you get for your elevator speech. That's all the time you have to tell your listeners your history, your philosophy, your business, your pitch. So, what do you choose? There is most likely information that is useful for your audience to know that exceeds a 30 second tell. You have to think clearly about how you want to present yourself.

I think that it is more than just what you say, it's HOW you say it. If you get the chance, have a few pitches in your pocket; ones that might be appropriate for certain groups. For instance, a new networking group would need a more formal pitch, to show your professionalism. Your regular or more familiar networking group might enjoy a more entertaining pitch... something that shows your personality.

The focus of the pitch is to GRAB attention. Be memorable. Have your listeners remember your business, your name and why they should want to work with you.

This article is not going to tell you what to say, only you can do that. What I want to encourage you to do is be CREATIVE. This idea relates to the Why that you read so much about when determining your core purpose in your business. Doing your business to make money is not a very compelling argument for someone to choose you over another business. Making money for you will make your customer want to focus on cost rather than anything else.

My passion is numbers and finance. I enjoy bookkeeping because it causes order among chaos. The chaos of sales, expenses, loans, note payments, payroll, credit cards, checks, debit cards..... all these activities emitting from many accounts with one filing system to make sense of it all. One system that can bring order and logic to the status of the business. One system that, with proper attention and care, will make the difference in business decisions moving forward or will determine the value of the business itself.

Bookkeeping isn't Glory. It's behind the scenes, after-the-fact record-keeping for the most part. But what you can do with the information is beautiful. You can place a distinct financial value on the business, or on the activities for a specific time frame. It's marvelous! Not to mention, the mandatory taxes, payroll and tax filings that are completed much easier when your finances are organized.

But, I digress.... getting back to 30 seconds..... and being memorable. Some hints at being memorable:

Tagline: find your one to two sentences that is at the heart of why you do your business. Make it sticky. Sticky means that people will remember it (and say it with you in their minds) time and again.

Make it simple: don't get caught up in the mundane or detail; they won't remember it. Think big results for your prospects.

Be humorous: notice I didn't say funny. Humorous is a bit more sophisticated; it engages the listener to think about what you just said. They may also relate to the humor so then it becomes personal.

Be calculated: don't just wing-it.... many times you end up off on a tangent which brings out TMI and can distract from any attention you were getting until then. Know either exactly what you are going to say, or know the key points.

Finally, PRACTICE: practice makes perfect! Practicing your 30 seconds will help it become memorable to you. You will then be able to speak it with ease or at the drop of a hat. It doesn't take much, just get to know your 30 seconds so you do not start winging it. (see above about that)

I hope you find this information helpful. I'll end with the memorable portion of a 30 second promo I created just this morning for my Tuesday networking group; a great group of people I've known for two years.

There was a young girl from Nantucket,

Who kept all her bills in a Bucket.

She found Common Cents Online,

Now her books are mighty fine,

And to her bucket, well, she says, "Common Cents Bookkeeping keeps track of your financials to the penny!"