Why Your Business Needs a Mini Elevator Pitch (And How to Create One)
“When you speak to everyone, you speak to no-one”
Distilling the essence of your business into a 60-second pitch is no easy task. But when you start working on your mini-pitch, things get even more interesting!
What is a business mini-pitch?
Your mini-pitch is your business summarised in a single sentence. Delivered in 15 seconds or less, it’s the short and to the point introduction to your business that’s your go-to answer to, “so, what do you do?”
And it can be really, really tricky to get right.
Why do you need a mini elevator pitch for your business?
The point of your mini-pitch is not to explain every nuance of what you do or all the ways you work with your clients. It’s an invitation to know more - a snapshot of the key elements of your business.
Your mini elevator pitch goes right to the heart of your business and the why behind it. If you’re in a situation with just ten seconds to do a quick introduction, you can use that sentence to make a powerful first impression so that people clearly understand what you do very quickly.
And because of that, your mini-pitch needs to be concise, comprehensive and memorable. Lots of pressure for a single sentence!
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A simple framework to create your mini-pitch
Often, the biggest challenge when creating your mini-pitch is deciding what information to leave out. To help you filter the possibilities, use these 3 core elements to craft your mini-pitch:
Who you help
How you help them
What the results are for them
By combining these ingredients, you can build a mini-pitch that follows this three-step format:
I help [type of client] with [how you help them] so that [type of results they get.]
Let’s look at each of these elements in a little more detail.
Who do you help?
When I ask my clients who their ideal customers are, they’ll often reply with something like, “I can help anyone that needs it.” But at a networking event, as an intro and as part of your core marketing message, “anyone” isn’t going to cut it. The people you’re speaking to need to understand exactly who you help. Not just to know if they need you, but so they can effectively refer your business to someone else.
For example, if you say,
“I'm an accountant, and I work with business owners."
Can you get more specific?
Do you work with startup business owners, established businesses or companies who want to scale? Are your ideal clients in a particular industry or geographic area? Narrow it right down and fine-tune the description of who you work with.
How do you help them?
How do you work with your client? Is it through coaching, mentoring, or training? Do you partner with them or provide done-for-you services? What goods and services do you offer to facilitate your work with your customers?
If you say,
“I help entrepreneurs to earn more money from their business.”
Are you an accountant? A business coach? A systems and processes expert? An HR consultant? For your mini-pitch to resonate with the listener, you’ve got to get very specific here.
What results do you help them achieve?
The final piece of the framework is to identify the results you help your customers achieve. Think of this as the "so that" element of your mini-pitch. How have your clients’ lives or businesses changed for the better as a result of working with you?
For example, you might say,
“I partner with startup businesses by providing financial advice and accounting services so that they can grow their business.”
In this case, the "so that" element is the fact that your clients' businesses grow as a result of working with you.
Using my own services as another example, here’s my mini-pitch:
“I provide communication and presentation skills training for professionals and teams so that they can communicate with clarity and present without pressure.”
Highlighting the results with the “so that” format paints a very clear picture of what potential clients can expect from working with you - making it much easier for them to imagine the transformation.
Why is a mini-pitch such a powerful tool for your business?
When you get the opportunity to introduce your business, there’s often a very limited window to get your message across. Summing up your business in a single, focused sentence means your listener can immediately understand what you do. It also means you’re not scrambling to figure out what to say each time and potentially missing the opportunity to make valuable connections.
Your mini-pitch will become a pivotal piece of your business and marketing communications. You can use it:
In your social media bios
For your LinkedIn cover video
On your website, as a tagline
In your email signature
As part of your “author bio”
To introduce yourself as a podcast guest
It also becomes the impactful opener for your 60-second pitch, where you’ve got a bit more space to introduce your business and talk about what you do.
Related Reading: 5 Fresh Ways to Use Your Elevator Pitch You May Not Have Thought Of
How to Make Your 60-Second Pitch Better With Just 3 Simple Tweaks
Treat your mini-pitch as a constant work in progress
Don’t worry if it takes some time to figure out your mini-pitch; this is very much a process of experimentation and iteration. Come up with a few variations and test them out on someone who’s not familiar with your business. Using their feedback to guide you, you can tweak and adjust until you hit the version that immediately clicks with your listener.
If you’re struggling to shape your pitch into something you can’t wait to share, I would love to help. If you’d like to know more about working with me, let’s have a conversation to discuss your unique needs.
Click here to book your complimentary intro call.
Would you like some help with your 60 Second Pitch basics? Download Three Essential Ingredients of a Powerful Pitch
