Comments on: Elevator pitches are for wimps.

By: Dennis Van Staalduinen

Dennis Van Staalduinen — Fri, 26 Nov 2010 16:42:03 +0000

It’s true in so many realms: Web optimization, social media usage, consumer product choice, speed dating, job hunting, you name it. Anywhere a human is faced with something or someone new that they have to make a choice about, you’ll see the 1.3 second rule at play. In networking events, I’ve always thought it’s like the Darwinism of ideas. And it’s all tooth and claws out there.

By: LenFardella

LenFardella — Fri, 26 Nov 2010 16:21:59 +0000

Personally, it’s always a struggle for me. More interestingly, is the application of this same pitch theory to job seekers. There’s that same window of opportunity, to make a good impression, create trust and engage. I don’t think it’s fully recognized. If you watch a room, at the next networking or business event, you’ll definitely see it in practice, painfully so sometimes.

Len

By: Dennis Van Staalduinen

Dennis Van Staalduinen — Thu, 25 Nov 2010 19:28:46 +0000

Thanks Elliot. That’s totally been my experience. Great companies SHARE one vision. Also-rans share 50.

By: Elliot Ross

Elliot Ross — Thu, 25 Nov 2010 18:37:05 +0000

Nicely stated! I think the key though – for ourselves personally, sure we can use a pitch – but in business, it is key that all staff know the companies pitch as well

as a Canadian VC once said;

I ask everybody in the company “What do you do” and am always surprised how the company’s success trajectory can usually be linked to to the granularity of the answer(s).

(link here http://strategitech.ca/2009/08/what-do-you-do/)

By: Dennis Van Staalduinen

Dennis Van Staalduinen — Thu, 25 Nov 2010 18:26:36 +0000

Logline, strapline, tagline. Maybe mine can be “spotline”… hmmm.

Character and conflict are suspiciously similar to the Terry O’Reilly branding formula of Promise plus Differentiator, don’t you think? That which creates empathy / trust coupled with that which creates interest, excites, or challenges.

For yours, try just “fall in love with your creative process” but I might add “again” just to remind them that this has always been their passion, no matter how much of a slog it seems to be right now. Make sense?

By: Alison Gresik

Alison Gresik — Thu, 25 Nov 2010 17:13:54 +0000

I’ve been thinking about this from the perspective of pitching a novel. Blake Snyder, author of screenwriting book, “Save the Cat”, talks about having a logline: basically one sentence that describes your story, capturing both character and conflict.

Sounds like your Spotlight Pitch is like a logline for your business — it needs to be simple and hooky, and it needs to describe the people you work with and the transformation that your business provides.

Here’s the current incarnation of my business logline: I help writers and artists fall in love with their creative process.