So, What Do You Do? How to Perfect Your Elevator Pitch

When it comes to small talk, creative business owners might not be the best. We like to overly explain what we do, who we help and why it’s amazing. We usually think the more fluff the better, perhaps because we’re so used to people second guessing our career choices and wondering if it’s an actual “business”. Well, it’s time to put a stop to that nonsense. It’s time we arm you with the perfect statement piece that sums up your business, your brand and your clientele. It’s time to perfect your elevator pitch. 

First, let’s define what your elevator pitch should and shouldn’t be. Think of this as 1-2 sentences max that clearly addresses what your business or product is, who you serve, how you help and why it’s so amazing. It shouldn’t leave the other person wondering anything at all except where to find and buy from you. It should be able to roll off the tongue easily so you’re not let stammering and over explaining. 

Consider this statement piece as the thing you go to every time someone asks, “So, what do you do?” You can also use this in your social media bios, your about me page on your website and even as a tagline on your website or email signature. It should become one with your brand and be recognizable and clear. 

There are two really great formulas that we love using to craft our own statement pieces. We like to have a true one sentence to have on hand which is especially useful for social media bios where characters are limited. We also like to have a longer sentence on hand that is perfect for sending to collaborations so they can get a better idea of who we are. 

Perfecting Your One Sentence

To create your on-the-go one sentence or “the one sentence that will change your copywriting life” we go to Nikki Elledge Brown. Nikki is amazing with words and helps people all over the world perfect their copy. She created a handy formula for you to craft your own one sentence.

I HELP *AUDIENCE* + *BENEFIT* + *FEATURE.*

That’s it. It’s super simple. By following this formula you’ll be able to cut out the fluff and focus in on exactly the who, what and how of your business. Here’s a sample of one of our one-sentences that we have used:

“We help creative entrepreneurs build a profitable and soul fulfilling business by arming them with actionable tools to get it all done.”

Still Not Know Your Audience?

When you're creating your elevator pitch it's super important to know your audience inside and out. When you know more about them you'll be able to tweak your wording to speak directly to them. The clearer your message is the more you'll have people shaking their heads and saying, "yes, this is so for me".

Creating Your Statement Piece

In order to create a longer version of your one sentence we turn to copywriting expert, Ray Edwards. His book, How to Write Copy That Sells, is a phenomenal source to learn new copywriting and selling tactics. He’s also created a formula that’s easy to follow and input your own words.

Any [YOUR AUDIENCE] can [SOLVE THEIR PROBLEM] by using [YOUR PRODUCT], because [HOW IT SOLVES THE PROBLEM]. 

This one goes a little more in depth by clearly calling out your actual product or service. If you offer multiple products you could simply change up this sentence to fit each one a little differently. Here’s a sample of our statement piece that we use when we are talking about The Biz Chic Co-op.

“Any creative small business owner can build a profitable and sustainable business from their passion by using the tools inside Biz Chic Co-op, because it will give you the tools to clearly define your focus on the core elements of your business.”

Like, whoa, right? Do those sentences totally give you goosebumps? And if they speak to you, you’re most likely asking for the “where do I sign up??” button. That’s the exact feeling you want your audience to have when reading your own sentences. 

Here’s Your Homework

Jot these formulas down on a piece of paper right now. Stare at them. Then braindump words you could fill in that apply to your own business. Then string them all together. Try out various phrases with each other to see which ones click the best. We even urge you to take it to the group. Make sure you’re a member to our (free) private Facebook community and post up your “one-sentence” or statement piece and ask for feedback! We’ll let you know if it’s clear and concise and actually working for you. 

We can’t wait to be “sold” on what you do!