Bai-Leigh Chapman | Valley Virtual Assistance · Follow
4 min read · Sep 16, 2021
If you’ve been in the business world for a long time, you’ve probably come across the term “elevator pitch” before. But have you ever used it? You should!
An elevator pitch is a quick, effective way to promote your business in the time it takes to ride an elevator. You can use it to hook potential clients that may not have time to enjoy a more thorough spiel. However, that means you have to craft your elevator pitch with care because you want to get your point across without losing the potential client’s interest, wasting their time, or rambling unchecked.
With that in mind, here is a step-by-step guide on crafting that perfect elevator pitch!
Your audience needs to know who you are, so introduce yourself and who you are with the first sentence! For example, you could use something like:
“Hello! I’m Bai-Leigh Chapman, and I’m a virtual assistant to strong female entrepreneurs who are making an impact in other people’s lives.”
Now, your audience knows who you are, why you’re here, and why they should listen to your pitch.
As much as you’d like to go through every service your business offers, remember that time is of the essence. Pick the services you do most often and use those. For example, if you do a lot of social media work, pitch your strategies. Then, you can follow it up with examples of how those strategies have worked in the past. Using examples help the audience connect the dots, so include them to elaborate your pitch whenever possible.
The only thing your audience wants to know is this: What benefits are you bringing to the table?
Your answer to this question is the meat of the pitch, and it often determines if a client is willing to hire you or not. Use your examples to turn your services into benefits, and try to tailor them to the audience as best as you can. For example: if your audience hates running a Facebook page or sending emails, mention your skills in those areas and that, by hiring you, they will have more time to focus on the business aspects they enjoy.
If you have a Unique Selling Proposition, now is the time to use it. If not, take some time to figure out what sets you apart from the VA crowd. Is it your experience? Your marketing strategies? Your critical thinking skills? Whatever it is, your audience will want to know about it, so include it somewhere near the end.
You’ll most likely give your elevator pitch in a face-to-face setting and be interacting with one or more people, which is the perfect opportunity to ask them leading questions about their businesses! Some great questions are, “So, what’s the worst part about owning your own business?” or “What’s on your business to-do list that you hate to do?” Both questions can identify their unique problems and allow you to step in with a solution.
The most important part of your pitch is the Call to Action. It gives your audience something to do, which, in turn, helps them remember who you are. A CTA can be as simple as handing them a business card, or it can be more complex, like telling your audience where to go to find more information. Either way, it helps close out the interaction in a positive manner and lets you move on feeling more accomplished.
“Hello! I’m Bai-Leigh Chapman, and I’m a virtual assistant to strong female entrepreneurs who are making an impact in other people’s lives. I provide a variety of done-for-you social media services, complete email marketing services, general admin services, and organizational systems to give my clients a complete experience and assist them with all of their virtual assistant needs.”
“Greetings. I’m (name), and I’m a virtual assistant helping small businesses save time and money by offering a variety of data entry, clerical, organizational, and scheduling services to make sure they’re as efficient as they could be! Would you like my card?”
As you can see, an Elevator Pitch is essential for all business owners because it is a fun, quick way to promote your business in a short amount of time. Just make sure to keep it concise, tailor it to your target audience, and always end it with a strong CTA!
