The Elevator Pitch That Took Me a Year to Develop
Now… let me start this by saying that I’m not bragging about the fact that it took me a year to develop an elevator pitch… I’m admitting that though I’ve named dozens of products, created countless multi-faceted branding campaigns and coached clients on developing their elevator pitches, I spent a whole year struggling with creating one for my own product.
What Is FizzNiche?
Our product “FizzNiche” has been driving thousands of visitors each month for our clients over the past year and has helped us build a list of over 1,000 “Contributors” over the past few months.
Yet, any time I was asked, “What is FizzNiche?” I stumbled over the answer.
“It’s complex…”, I’d start, “We have these contributors…”, I’d add and then throw in, “of course, there’s distribution…”
“Huh?” Yeah – that is pretty much the reaction I got from most people. Even my close friends (most of them are pretty smart people 
!) were commenting, “I still don’t know what you do.”
That was true until last week – when in a Eureka! moment, I figured it out…
FizzNiche is a Premium Blog Writing Service
It was right in front of me all along. Creating daily content and posting it to our client’s websites is the core of what we do… “blog writing”.
But, we do some other unique stuff with each post which sets us apart from the $10 article writers… hence the “premium”.
I tried it out on one of my most skeptical friends this past weekend. Here’s how the conversation went:
Me: I finally figured it out - FizzNiche is a premium blog writing service.
Him: Oh, alright… so, what makes it “premium”?
Me: Two things – the way we create the content and the way that we distribute it in order to drive traffic to the blog.
Him: [Eyebrow raise as if to say, "Interesting. Tell me more."]
Me: We use a network of contributors – over 1,000 at this point – to create the content instead of having writers on staff. We ask the contributors a question like, “What are some examples of how moms can earn money by working from home?” and they offer up some amazing tips that are full of search-engine-friendly keywords. We compile these tips into articles – giving the contributors credit for their tip and a link back to their site – and we post the finished product to your site.
Then, on to distribution – we share the post across our social networks, your social networks and a variety of link building networks. Plus, the contributors also spread the word about the post, announcing that they’ve been mentioned in a post on your site.
Him: Okay, I see. So, if you were to do this for my website – how often do you post, what kind of traffic would I get, what do I have to do to support the strategy and how much do you charge?
… and I’ll stop there because he got it!
Without showing him charts of traffic and breaking down monthly costs he understood what the service was, the types of results he should expect from the service and had moved into budgeting his time and funds for it.
Key Elements of an Elevator Pitch
I’ve known the long list of dos and don’ts for elevator pitches – keep it short, just an “elevator ride long”, keep it simple and don’t seem too eager!
But actually going through the process myself, I learned that the key elements are these:
- Start with a frame of reference. Writing blog posts is just one small piece of the pie when it comes to FizzNiche. So, saying it’s a “blog writing service” didn’t seem like enough at first. But – it gives the person I’m talking to a frame of reference. Most people know what a blog is and can at least surmise the process of keeping up a blog and the reasons/benefits of doing so.
- Offer a tease to prompt a question. In my case, I used the word “premium”. My friend did exactly what I hoped he would when he heard the pitch. He asked, “What makes it premium?” That gave me the chance to summarize my unique value proposition and flesh out the product using the “blog writing” frame.
- Lead them to wonder, “How will this work for me?”. Almost everyone you talk to will imagine themselves as your customer as you talk to them. So, try using examples that relate to their business, and use the word “you” instead of “our customers” to help them picture themselves as your customer.
I hope my year-long struggle is something that you can learn from – and that it takes you much less time to come up with your own pitch!
Would You Leave the Elevator with My Card?
If a Premium Blog Writing Service sounds like something that would help your business… let me know! Or, if you know of someone that could benefit from a service like FizzNiche, we’d love to get your referrals (and pay you $100/month for them!).
And… to answer my friend’s questions (that may also be on your mind!):
- We post daily.
- Our clients average 1,500 (new) visitors by the end of their first month and 3,000 by their 3rd (50% or more from search traffic).
- We strive for a hands-free service so you can go about your every day work while we handle your content marketing, SEO and social media.
- The cost is $1,499 – $2,499/month.
All of the details are at FizzNiche.com.
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I love this — as my “elevator speech” or “pitch” is always changing. Currently, mine is:
“I am a full-service food and nutrition communications consultant.”
So what does that mean? I write, speak, tweet and blog about all things related to food and nutrition.
-VSR
Thanks, Victoria!
Great pitch – and good note… the pitch can evolve over time as your business and your service/product does.
You are right on! It takes time to develop a good elevator pitch, and input from a variety of fans, friends and customers. When it all comes together, it’s a blessing to everyone. here’s ours, “The Holistic Chamber of Commerce is a bridge, from holistic and eco-friendly professionals and practitioners to those that need their products, services and solutions!” Thanks, FizzNiche~
Thanks, Camille! I like the idea of asking fans, friends and colleagues. Sometimes we’re too close to our own businesses to see the forest through the trees.
ONLY a year Rachel? I know many women who take much longer than that to fully identify, nurture, and be able to present who they are and what they wish to do. I should know, I was one of those kinds of women and now my life work is about supporting others as they balance the tightrope between their inner Diva and their outer Mama (a “Mama” is anyone who gives more than she receives). Eventually, after many trials and tribulations, I have landed on this elevator speech:
“I use my voice to help you elevate and celebrate yours.”
When I get the interested glance or a raised eyebrow, I continue:
“Utilizing my background as a writer/speaker, spiritual vocalist and voice expert I use modalities and tools that range from spiritual to very practical. On a personal level, I serve through my private practice as a certified past life regressionist to help clear negative cellular memory (http://youtu.be/Gtfj_a1aB-c) and I help women connect, share and inspire each other through:
1) My Divas-do-Lunch programs
(http://shiraadler.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/Divas-Do-Lunch-Spring-2012-Events-v1.1.pdf),
2) Diva-Mama blog
http://diva-mama.com/ &
3) My Spiritually Sexy series for Working Mother mag. http://www.workingmother.com/blogs/diva-mama).
And if you are not comfortable using your voice to promote your company, product or project use MINE. I’m a consultant and voice-over artist with more than twenty years experience, speaking, singing, leading, hosting and teaching.
Finally, to support you through whatever your personal and professional pursuits may be, I have developed a Diva Mama Energy Spray aromatherapy line (pre-launching April 2012) which will have downloadable guided meditations to support a vibrant life by clearing, grounding, nurturing and inspiring your inner Diva!
Now take a deep cleansing breathe, exhale and smile!
Thanks, Shira!
A year felt like eternity to me – but you’re right, it is a constant process!
I help people lose weight permanently so they don’t have to do it over and over again. – Master Credentialed Coach Pat Barone
Nice to meet you, Pat! Your elevator pitch is great – it gets right to the point and still addresses pain points.
I help people to become aware of the connection between their body, eating style and personal environment and how it impacts their overall health and ability to resist chronic illness.
My clients develop their aptitude to resist food cravings and use newly found wellness, cooking and self nurturing habits to attain their health goals effortlessly.
Very concise, Celia!
As others have mentioned, mine is still evolving. Currently, I go with “DK FitSolutions improves the health of your business by improving the health of your employees.”
Love the tips. Keep them coming!
–Denny
I’m glad you like the tips, Denny! Your elevator pitch sounds great – it certainly says a whole in just a few words – good job!
Hi Rachel,
Great post! I think about how to describe my business often and this is usually what I say:
“Vestiti! by Marcella is a wardrobe consulting service that is dedicated to maximizing the clothing you already own.”
Any suggestions? Thanks!
Thanks, Marcella! I think that you’ve got a great pitch. I was looking for a suggestion to give, but all I was coming up with were follow-up questions like “Do you come to my closet or is it online?”… “Is there sewing/tailoring involved?”… and of course, “How much is it and how long does it take?”
But, like I said, I really think that those are follow-up questions. I think you’ll easily get to that point with your lead in!