Don’t overthink it and always be tweaking it

Let’s close with some reminders about making your elevator pitch work for you.

First, don’t overthink it! An elevator pitch is simply a way to make clear some combination of

• What we do

• What makes us different

• Who we serve

• How they benefit

Here’s what your elevator pitch can and can’t do:

• Your elevator pitch can’t close the deal. But it can open the conversation.

• Your elevator pitch can’t describe everything you do, how, or why. But it can quickly create important connections in the mind of the listener.

• Your elevator pitch can’t persuade anyone, right there, on the spot. But it can intrigue them enough to learn more.

• Your elevator pitch can’t be a single statement that works for every audience in every situation. But you can develop a few different versions of your elevator pitch so that you’ll have something ready for almost all audiences & situations.

If in doubt, be precise, selective, clear, and other-focused. Being clear about how you help others will help you get hired.

Brainstorm fully and develop multiple versions of your elevator pitch. Accept that you’ll create some bad versions on the way to creating the good versions. That’s part of the process. Leave no stone unturned!

Finally, test, learn, and tweak. You’ll never master your elevator pitch from the comfort of your home office. Put it out into the wild, accept fair feedback and revise as necessary. It’s not set in stone. Expect your elevator pitch to evolve as your business evolves.

Congratulations on completing this playbook, and good luck!