I recently attended a Kelowna Chamber of Commerce networking event with 200-plus people and had the pleasure of meeting many new business owners. When I meet someone for the first time at one of these events, I usually start with something like, “So, (use their name here), what do you do at (their company)?”

It helps to be a good listener, and ask open questions. I let the other person speak first. While they speak, I’m able to assess if my services are the right fit to their needs. I can take it one step further and deduce the specific area where I might be able to help, by breaking it down between Sales, Marketing or Branding. If my service is appropriate for their business, I use my tried and true Elevator Pitch to explain my services.

I spent time with all my friends and business acquaintances and as I left the event, I realized that I had made ten new business acquaintances and found five new leads. Another successful night of networking!

You need a Great Elevator Pitch

Every day you meet people who could use your products or services, or people who know others who could benefit from what you do. But unless you tell them what you do in a clear, concise and compelling manner, these relationships go nowhere.

That’s why you need an Elevator Pitch – a short description of your business that enables prospective buyers to know who you work with and what value you bring to the relationship. An elevator pitch conveys these marketing messages in a manner that literally attracts the right customers to you.

In today’s fast-paced world, the average person is bombarded with thousands of marketing messages from multiple mediums every single day. Advertising is everywhere and most people don’t even notice them anymore.

To break through all this marketing clutter, it’s imperative to have an enticing elevator pitch that speaks directly to the needs of your customers. And it has to roll off your tongue easily, naturally and conversationally – and in about the time it takes, you guessed it,...for an average elevator ride.