How to nail your 60 seconds

Ever attended a networking event and been put on the spot to do your 60 seconds? Yep, me too. Also known as an elevator pitch, the aim of these short sales pitches is to give others an idea of who you are, what you do, and who you are looking to work with. They are popular at networking events with large numbers of people as a way of briefly introducing yourself, but they can also be used as teasers on company websites or social media. Furthermore, with networking now taking place online the prevalence of the 60 seconds is on the rise as event organisers try to add maximum value to their attendees.

Love them or loathe them, the concept has been around for a long time and it’s here to stay – so you may as well nail it.

Here are our top 5 tips for a perfect 60 seconds:

Preparation is key:

Whilst there are some people who thrive under the pressure of being put on the spot, for the majority of us it does pay off to prepare and practice. Write down the key points so you know exactly what you are going to say and in what order. Then deliver your pitch into the mirror or the video camera on your phone. Watching the recorded video back is a useful exercise to go through as it highlights anything you’ve missed or parts of your delivery that you can improve on – such as use of um’s and ah’s. You could also show the video to a family member or friend to get their honest feedback.

Be clear:

Make it easy for people to understand what you do and who you would like to work with. Remember that networking events tend to attract a mixture of different industries so what might go without saying to you, won’t to others. Stay away from jargon unless your audience is made up of peers or technical people. And try and be interesting in not only the content of your pitch, but also in the way it is delivered. Speak slowly, clearly and in short sentences.

Address pain points:

Clearly lay out who exactly you work with and what the typical pain points are that your service or product solves. You could use a relevant statistic or fact here and refer to real life examples or current topics to support your points. If possible, support your points by tangible outcomes e.g. “As a result, our client was able to save xyz on their annual tax bill”.

Clear call to action:

It is good practice to finish with a clear call to action. This could be something like: “I’m trying to grow my LinkedIn network so please connect with me on LinkedIn” or “If you have any accountants in your network who would benefit from a free website review, I’d be grateful for an introduction” or “Sign up to my mailing list to get weekly, free hints and tips on xyz”.

Review it regularly:

Whilst your core services or products may not change too much over time, the business landscape and your clients’ requirements may – so it’s a good idea to think of relevant new examples to add, mention trends or recent development, or indeed highlight different areas of your service offering.

Something to think about if you are going to video your 60 seconds and use it (in your social media or on your website) is image. Do consider what you are wearing and the background of your frame – do you have a company pull up banner than you could use as a backdrop to subliminally reinforce your brand? People subconsciously judge us first on how we look, before we even open our mouths, so this is an important consideration.

If you’d like to see an example of someone who’s nailed their 60 second pitch, why not watch Lara’s 60 seconds below.

Good luck! And if you’d like some feedback on your 60 seconds, feel free to send us your video.

Consortium is a specialist marketing agency for professional services firms and offers business development consultancy services. Book your free 30 minute consultation by emailing lara@consortiumbiz.co.uk or call 01903 530787.  

This article was first published here.