Elevator Pitch Archives

Elevator Speech Part 4: Delivery

By Tim Berry | Oct 25, 2016

So in my last three posts, I’ve written about a simple one-minute business description that every business owner should know, which I’m calling “the elevator speech” because that’s what they call it in a formal way for grad-level business plan competitions. I say every business owner should be able to do a simple elevator speech.…

Elevator Speech Part 3: What You Offer

By Tim Berry | Oct 18, 2016

So you’re rounding the corner now on the elevator speech, which I say is something all business owners should be able to do. You’ve done the market story, which was part 1, and the why you, part 2. You’re about 30 seconds or so into your one minute talk. And I hope you agree that this…

Elevator Speech Part 2: Why You?

By Tim Berry | Oct 11, 2016

In my post Elevator Speech Part 1: the Market Story I suggested that all business owners should be able to describe their businesses well in a single measured minute. The formal elevator speech is a reference to grad-level business plan contests, but I say it’s a good exercise for all business owners. What do you say when…

Elevator Speech Part 1: The Market Story

By Tim Berry | Oct 4, 2016

Can you describe your business in 60 seconds? In grad-level venture contests, and in startup groups and the startup eco-system, they call it “the elevator speech.” It’s a formal event in many business plan competitions, but aside from that specialty use, do you agree with me that every business owner should be able to do it?…

It’s Never Too Early to Start Selling to Customers

By Marty Zwilling | Aug 3, 2016

Savvy entrepreneurs start testing their ideas on potential customers even before the concept is fully cooked. They have enough confidence in their ability to deliver that they don’t worry about someone stealing the idea to get there first, and they don’t forget to listen carefully to critical feedback. They become walking public relations machines for…

Value Proposition, Positioning Statement, Elevator Pitch: Know the Difference

By Susan Solovic | Aug 19, 2015

When you’re trying to sell something, you want to have answers ready for any question that may come up. It’s an impossible—but good—goal to have because if you take it seriously, it forces you to understand what you are selling and who you are selling to. Further, whether you’re selling a new client on your…

The “Inciting Incident” and Investors

By Dave Berkus | Mar 20, 2014

If you are a screenplay writer, you are familiar with the dogma of the inciting incident. In a movie, the inciting incident is the event at the beginning of the story which causes the hero’s life to be completely transformed and irrevocably changed, and which makes the whole story unfold.

8 Startup Gaps That Will Frustrate Funding Efforts

By Marty Zwilling | Dec 10, 2013

Too many people still believe the urban myth that you can sketch your idea on a napkin, and people will throw money at you. Fundraising is indeed brutally tough at all stages, and the seed funding is the hardest to find.

Elements of a Successful Value Proposition Strategy

By Angel Naya | Oct 17, 2013

In order to make that statement functional and useful to you, though, there are certain features you should be sure to incorporate. Your value proposition should not only be clear and concise, it should also be precise, specific, and targeted to your target audience.

Your Elevator Pitch is Costing You Clients: Here’s How to Fix It

By Danny Iny | Aug 26, 2013

Defining what you do is way more difficult than doing what you do. Delivering the value to your client is easy—but being able to describe to a complete stranger what you do and how you do it, so that they are sufficiently impressed to want to hire you?