Comments on: The Elevator Pitch: 15 Second Marketing http://www.javenackerman.com/2009/06/the-elevator-pitch-15-second-marketing/ Wed, 25 Aug 2010 17:52:51 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: BrentLundeen http://www.javenackerman.com/2009/06/the-elevator-pitch-15-second-marketing/comment-page-1/#comment-514 BrentLundeen Tue, 09 Jun 2009 17:47:11 +0000 http://q-burger.com/2009/06/04/the-elevator-pitch-15-second-marketing/#comment-514 Well excitement is contagious. Get someone interested in "what the heck is so exciting to that guy"? People are drawn to passion they can feel and interact with more than a monolouge of information. 15 seconds is hardly time to say "hello my name is....". But in that 15 second spirit, and building incrementally, say just enough to illicate a response or query. That way your pitch can evolve as Shane commented earlier and also is expandable. Test different tibits with different kinds of people and see what sticks what kinds of questions they elicit and what comes from you most naturally. thats my thoughts..... Well excitement is contagious. Get someone interested in “what the heck is so exciting to that guy”? People are drawn to passion they can feel and interact with more than a monolouge of information. 15 seconds is hardly time to say “hello my name is….”. But in that 15 second spirit, and building incrementally, say just enough to illicate a response or query. That way your pitch can evolve as Shane commented earlier and also is expandable. Test different tibits with different kinds of people and see what sticks what kinds of questions they elicit and what comes from you most naturally. thats my thoughts…..

]]> By: Shane http://www.javenackerman.com/2009/06/the-elevator-pitch-15-second-marketing/comment-page-1/#comment-513 Shane Tue, 09 Jun 2009 16:38:53 +0000 http://q-burger.com/2009/06/04/the-elevator-pitch-15-second-marketing/#comment-513 The nice part about an elevator pitch is that it can evolve rather easily. You're not married to it, and should always be tinkering with it. I like the sound of MHH's principles. I think it's missing one, though. You can't separate who you are from what you do when you're marketing. You're selling yourself. Not in a Bangkok kind of way, but in a "I'd be a great person to work with" kind of way. So the person needs to see that you really like what you do. Not so much the content of the pitch as the delivery, I guess. It's not just the information you're conveying about what you do, but also (and equally important) how you feel about what it is that you do. Maybe you never had to worry about that in the first place, but I think it's a vital element to any pitch. The nice part about an elevator pitch is that it can evolve rather easily. You’re not married to it, and should always be tinkering with it. I like the sound of MHH’s principles. I think it’s missing one, though. You can’t separate who you are from what you do when you’re marketing. You’re selling yourself. Not in a Bangkok kind of way, but in a “I’d be a great person to work with” kind of way.

So the person needs to see that you really like what you do. Not so much the content of the pitch as the delivery, I guess. It’s not just the information you’re conveying about what you do, but also (and equally important) how you feel about what it is that you do. Maybe you never had to worry about that in the first place, but I think it’s a vital element to any pitch.

]]> By: javen http://www.javenackerman.com/2009/06/the-elevator-pitch-15-second-marketing/comment-page-1/#comment-512 javen Tue, 09 Jun 2009 13:21:56 +0000 http://q-burger.com/2009/06/04/the-elevator-pitch-15-second-marketing/#comment-512 @Shane - Good points all. I think there is a way to include them all under an umbrella pitch. It's coming up with that pitch that bamboozles me. (And sorry about not showing your comment sooner...wordpress didn't like the look of you for some reason. Shouldn't be a problem going forward) @Ms. Huis Herself - I think I've heard of that book. I'll put it on this list of "Check this book out" books. @Shane -
Good points all. I think there is a way to include them all under an umbrella pitch. It’s coming up with that pitch that bamboozles me. (And sorry about not showing your comment sooner…wordpress didn’t like the look of you for some reason. Shouldn’t be a problem going forward)

@Ms. Huis Herself -

I think I’ve heard of that book. I’ll put it on this list of “Check this book out” books.

]]> By: Ms. Huis Herself http://www.javenackerman.com/2009/06/the-elevator-pitch-15-second-marketing/comment-page-1/#comment-511 Ms. Huis Herself Tue, 09 Jun 2009 12:36:10 +0000 http://q-burger.com/2009/06/04/the-elevator-pitch-15-second-marketing/#comment-511 Huh, I think my dad once helped Martin get an anvil, in fact.... :) And if he ever comes across one at a farm sale, I bet he thinks of him. Anyhoo, this might not help with your 15-second spiel specifically, but I recently read "Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die" by Chip Heath & Dan Heath. Fun read, and yes, very "sticky" - I can still tell you that the 6 characteristics of a sticky idea are that it's simple (core), unexpected, concrete, credible, emotional and has/is a story. I read it a couple of months ago. To have a 6 part outline like that stick in my (also SAHP) head tells you they've got some good info there. Huh, I think my dad once helped Martin get an anvil, in fact…. :) And if he ever comes across one at a farm sale, I bet he thinks of him.

Anyhoo, this might not help with your 15-second spiel specifically, but I recently read “Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die” by Chip Heath & Dan Heath. Fun read, and yes, very “sticky” – I can still tell you that the 6 characteristics of a sticky idea are that it’s simple (core), unexpected, concrete, credible, emotional and has/is a story.

I read it a couple of months ago. To have a 6 part outline like that stick in my (also SAHP) head tells you they’ve got some good info there.

]]> By: Martin http://www.javenackerman.com/2009/06/the-elevator-pitch-15-second-marketing/comment-page-1/#comment-515 Martin Sun, 07 Jun 2009 13:27:31 +0000 http://q-burger.com/2009/06/04/the-elevator-pitch-15-second-marketing/#comment-515 Funny enough I need to do the same when it comes to old tools, especially anvils. While you can occasionally get lucky and find something good at a flea market, garage sale or antique store more often you'll get better luck with good old networking. Talking to anyone you bump into about your unusual hobbies will occasionally result in "You know, my Aunt Ester has an anvil in her shed, it has been there for years." And if you leave a big enough impression the networking doesn't stop with the person you talked to. My last anvil came to me from 3 degrees of seperation. My only problem is that my hate and loathing of everyone in general makes the whole talking-to-people thing difficult. Funny enough I need to do the same when it comes to old tools, especially anvils. While you can occasionally get lucky and find something good at a flea market, garage sale or antique store more often you’ll get better luck with good old networking. Talking to anyone you bump into about your unusual hobbies will occasionally result in “You know, my Aunt Ester has an anvil in her shed, it has been there for years.” And if you leave a big enough impression the networking doesn’t stop with the person you talked to. My last anvil came to me from 3 degrees of seperation.

My only problem is that my hate and loathing of everyone in general makes the whole talking-to-people thing difficult.

]]> By: Shane http://www.javenackerman.com/2009/06/the-elevator-pitch-15-second-marketing/comment-page-1/#comment-510 Shane Fri, 05 Jun 2009 15:16:55 +0000 http://q-burger.com/2009/06/04/the-elevator-pitch-15-second-marketing/#comment-510 I've heard all about the elevator pitch. Also called the Skyway Pitch in Minneapolis. Don't follow that Pavlina guy's example. Talk about having too many irons in the fire. There's a pretty obvious line between bragging and selling someone on what you do and love. If someone tells me "I'm an entrepeneur, author, speaker and blogger" my first thought is not "I gotta do business with enterprising individual," it's "make up your g***amn mind," or "you're probably not very good at any of them, then." You have great material for an elevator pitch. You've been developing a comic for 4 years, and have probably learned a lot about developing web content and format along the way. I'll bet you could come up with one or two solid pitches based on this foundation. I’ve heard all about the elevator pitch. Also called the Skyway Pitch in Minneapolis. Don’t follow that Pavlina guy’s example. Talk about having too many irons in the fire. There’s a pretty obvious line between bragging and selling someone on what you do and love. If someone tells me “I’m an entrepeneur, author, speaker and blogger” my first thought is not “I gotta do business with enterprising individual,” it’s “make up your g***amn mind,” or “you’re probably not very good at any of them, then.”

You have great material for an elevator pitch. You’ve been developing a comic for 4 years, and have probably learned a lot about developing web content and format along the way. I’ll bet you could come up with one or two solid pitches based on this foundation.

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