8 things to never say in an elevator pitch (if you want to sell well and get what you want.)

I've been hosting networking and business growth events for 16 years and heard thousands of elevator pitches. Some epic and made me want to know more and buy, others made me wish to gouge my brains out and quit business to live in a bog surrounded by only frogs for eternity.

If you want to ensure people remember you for what you do and how you can help and to have people desperate to hand you sacks of money, then you need to excel at fast powerful communication that connects, inspires and sells.

Here's 8 things to avoid saying when networking, why and what to do instead.

I didn’t know I’d have to speak.

Always assume you will have to speak and by doing so you arrive at a networking event with a prepared elevator pitch in mind that matches up to your personal goals, business goals, teams needs and preferred outcome.

I wear many hats.

Big deal, who doesn’t?

Even the CFO of a company is expected to bring in the business in the 21st-century working environment. Showcase your professionalism (which is on the decline in my view, so by showing professionalism you will stand out easily) by being ready with something succinct and perfect to say in line with the people in the room.

I’ve written something down.

This is the height of laziness. I appreciate (having trained thousands of clients in communication skills and particular networking skills) that it’s often due to a lack of confidence and a fear of public speaking that you write it down, but it says, “I don’t know what I’m talking about.” (Check out my best seller Fight the fear - it has a whole chapter on overcoming public speaking fears and to date I've a 100% success rate of helping clients overcome them.) Click here to learn more.

The only time you use a piece of paper is if you want to reinforce your words as if they are from another – i.e. reading a testimonial – look here are the words from another about how epic we are and they are great to leave on the table in front of you for others to read later while you mingle) or if you can’t remember statistics and facts easily that again reinforces your words.

You are an expert in your field. You should be able to speak about your business expertise for 60 seconds, 10 minutes, 1 hour or a whole day. (I have taken many petrified speakers and made them excel at it. So don’t assume you can’t learn how to, you can!)

Sorry to be boring, but I’m a dreaded accountant/will writer/bank manager (choose a job you think people find dull).

Never ever start an elevator pitch with a negative unless you want to get your audience in that state. If you are looking to make them feel miserable and that they will then feel fabulous because they bought what you sell then go for it, but by starting your elevator pitch by telling the audience it’s boring, they will switch off before you’ve even had a chance to wow them.

And to be clear, in the most boring job in the world trust me I can teach you how to make it sound more exciting than pogo sticking over the moon, in a Tigger outfit while doing an Elvis impression.

It's alright if I speak about more than one thing, right?

No, it’s not and this puts the networking organiser on the spot, and most are too polite to say, “Actually everyone gets 60 seconds, so can you honour that please?” If everyone overruns by 30 seconds and you’ve 30 people in the room, you’ve eaten up 15 minutes of networking time after the structured content. Not good. Not professional.

Before any networking event find out their structure and if in doubt, ask. That way you can match up to their standards and be remembered as a great networker. Networking is a skill. It is not a chat with mates down the pub/bar/café.

It’s a process of communication that builds relationships, gets your brand, products and services known, gets you appreciated as the expert you are and leads to many opportunities beyond new business and customers. It can’t do that until you are known, liked and trusted. And that process is sped up with professionalism.

Today I’m going to talk about 3 things….

No, don’t do it. It’s 60 seconds. In my extensive experience, people attempt to say far too much in 60 seconds and end up saying nothing very well.

It is better to make one point powerfully than witter on about 3 poorly. Again, it’s about knowing who is in the room and what will matter to them. If you have done my “How to sell in 60 seconds course” you will know at least 5 structured elevator pitches to use that alter according to who you are talking to.

What matters most to that audience?

Adapt to them. Not to what you are attempting to sell.

I’m really excited to share with you this exclusive offer.

We are so over the word exclusive. It has been overused so much that you could be handing out gold-plated Ferraris on a bed of beluga caviar and we would still not believe you.

Your passion for what you do will only be exciting if you make it relevant to the people in the room. So, turn your passion into their emotion, and hey presto they will want to get excited about what you are offering.

And that’s a very good reason why you start and finish with your name, because no one has bothered to remember your name when you start talking, it is only when you’ve said something interesting in the middle do they now want to know your name and company name, so repeat it at the end and have a clear CTA (Call to Action) that enables them to keep up their excitement and phone you, email, get your business card, connect on social media.

Don’t forget after an event many have to dash so you will be reliant on the quality of follow to ensure you make the sale. A poor elevator pitch with no clear call to action often damages this too!

I never know what to say…

Before you arrive at any event, consider who is in the room?

What matters to them?

What are their issues/pain points/desires/stresses?

What will hook them instantly and what will bore them?

Next consider the style of communication they’d like. If I’m networking at the House of Lords with dignitaries, influencers, leaders and professionals, I will network in a different style (not a different way of communicating or being m;, being yourself is paramount and one of the many skills I teach networkers to excel at in communication) to how I network down my local bar with 20 regional business owners on a Monday night. Still me. Different styles of communication.

Learn what works, why and how and you can replicate powerful communication with anyone anywhere!

Need help?

Just ask. I can make you an exceptional networker. Even the shy, lacking in confidence learn how to excel at networking with me.

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