What Is an Elevator Pitch?

A well-crafted elevator pitch will help you know what to say if you have just a short amount of time to catch the attention of your audience in a winning message. Credit: Golden Pixels LLC | Shutterstock

If you craft the perfect elevator pitch, you will never miss another opportunity to tell a potential client, customer or business partner about your business. When properly done, the elevator pitch is a powerful tool that highlights the unique aspects of your business while opening the door for additional communication.

The key to an elevator pitch is length: The pitch should last as long as a typical elevator ride, or about 30 seconds. A longer pitch risks losing your audience's attention, while a shorter one may leave out important details. Equally important is content. Your pitch should include intriguing details about your business, paving the way for questions and conversation.

Why do I need an elevator pitch?

Great connections are made face-to-face, and are sometimes unplanned. You may find yourself at a trade show, standing next to the exact person you wanted to talk to, but you have only 30 seconds to start a conversation. A well-crafted elevator pitch will help you know just what to say if you have only a short amount of time to catch the attention of your audience to deliver a winning message.

Gee Ranasinha, CEO of marketing services provider Kexino, said elevator pitches are integral to modern marketing — and it is important to follow similar guidelines for success.

"As part of an organization's marketing arsenal, elevator pitches are no different to websites, PowerPoint decks or advertising," Ranasinha told Business News Daily. "The very worst thing you can do is what everyone else is doing."

With that in mind, remember that an elevator pitch should not contain intricate details of the business. The goal is to get the audience to understand what the business is about and what it can do for them. The purpose of an elevator pitch is not to close a deal or a sale; rather, it's to make the audience want to continue the conversation. Your pitch should contain salient, intriguing details about your company rather than dry figures.

What's the best way to prepare an elevator pitch?

When writing an elevator pitch, consider the nine C's, as laid out by author and entrepreneurship expert Chris O'Leary:

• Concise. Keep the pitch succinct and clear, with as few words as possible.
• Clear. The pitch should be easily understood by a layman, rather than filled with acronyms and industry terminology.
• Compelling. What problem does your business solve, and what can you do for your target audience?
• Credible. Spell out what makes you qualified to do what you do, without using buzzwords like "outside the box" or "synergy." Using credibility-driven words like "certified" will help sell you.
• Conceptual. Keep your pitch broad; don't go into too many details.
• Concrete. The pitch should be tangible and easily grasped by your audience.
• Customized. Each target audience is different. The pitch should be tailored to the listeners.
• Consistent. No matter how many versions of your pitch you have, they should all convey the same basic message.
• Conversational. Start the conversation, and hook your target. Keep it casual, and don't try to close a deal in the pitch.

"Remember that it's not about you," Ranasinha said. "Put yourself in the position of the listener. Shape the value message as a solution to a problem, and keep away from technobabble and jargon. Talk about how you offer a solution to the problem without getting into under-the-hood mechanics of how it works, or why it's better than the competition. Don't tie up every loose end — leave openings for questions."

Ranasinha stressed the need for concision in your pitch. You need to make you point early, and make it clearly.

"Think of your pitch like a blog post," Ranasinha said. "Start off with your strong headline — your value promise — and then spend the rest of the time backing up your position with evidence, case studies or testimonials."

Finally, Ranasinha noted that your elevator pitch shouldn't be a static, memorized statement. Instead of a canned, formulaic, verbatim regurgitation, try to get some audience participation going by asking a question posed as a problem that your product or service solves.

Following these guidelines and spending a few hours crafting, editing and refining your pitch can turn your next unexpected meeting into a world of new opportunities.

Further reading:

• To get help crafting your elevator pitch, try this Elevator Pitch Builder developed by Harvard Business School
• For a book in elevator pitches, visit Elevator Pitch Essentials by Chris O'Leary
• Learn how to share your elevator pitch on social media at Forbes.
• Business Know-How and MindTools offer articles with more information.

Video examples and instruction:

• 5 Must-Watch Elevator Pitches from Global Entrepreneurship
• 2013 University of Dayton Business Plan Competition Elevator Pitch Winner
• YouTube playlist of elevator pitch instruction

Additional reporting by Elaine J. Hom, Business News Daily contributor.

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4 Surefire Ways to Impress a Hiring Manager

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As any job seeker knows, the interview is usually the "make it or break it" point that determines whether you get hired. Therefore, it's crucial to be as prepared as possible and to give your potential employer a great impression. What can you do to make sure your meeting with a hiring manager goes well? Here are a few smart tips from hiring and career experts to help you ace your next job interview.

Be prepared for different types of interviews

In the past, you could be fairly certain your interviewer would ask you to share a little bit of information about yourself and ask you to discuss points on your résumé. Today's hiring managers don't always run their interviews this way, so you need to be prepared for alternative types of questions.

"Behavioral interviewing is a pretty common technique among hiring managers," said Joyce Maroney, director of The Workforce Institute at Kronos Inc. "That means fewer questions involving recitation of your accomplishments and more about how you produced a particular result and what you learned from that experience. Prepare yourself by reflecting on your key accomplishments and ... what you learned from each."

"Candidates need to be open to experiencing different types of interviews," added Cristin Sturchio, global head of talent at business research company Cognolink. "[They need to] think quickly on their feet to answer any question asked, whether it's on their résumé or not. Be prepared for anything that comes at you."

Go for a hard sell

While a job interview is an opportunity for you to see if the company is the right fit for you, its primary purpose is for you to sell yourself as the best person for the position. Richard Maltz, senior corporate account manager at talent management firm Instant Technology, reminded candidates that their qualifications alone won't get them a job offer.

"An interview is really more of a sales pitch in which you are both the sales person and the 'product,'" Maltz said. "You need to be able to articulate your value as an employee through examples and accomplishments that match up with what the position's and company's needs are."

Of course, as most job seekers know, it's also wise to do your research on the company before the interview, Maltz added.

Tony Beshara, owner and president of recruiting and placement firm Babich & Associates, said that candidates shouldn't be afraid to sell themselves strongly and aggressively.

"They need to ... convey what they can do for the company that nobody else can," Beshara said. "The best way to do that is to share previous experiences and tie success stories to what they can achieve in the new job. That means knowing their strengths with regard to the open position, and selling any features, advantages and benefits that would apply."

Think before you speak

One common nervous habit of job candidates is to answer too quickly and ramble on, without really knowing where their response is going. This often happens when a person is thinking about how he or she will respond to the question instead of fully listening to what's being asked. Bryan Lewis, chief operating officer of Cognolink, said that thinking about your answer thoroughly before speaking — even if it means there's a moment of silence after the question — shows that you're present and paying attention.

"Candidates shouldn't feel the need to immediately speak," Lewis told Business News Daily. "Think about the question you're asked, and ask clarifying questions to prove that you're practicing active listening."

Always follow up — the right way

When an interview is over, most job seekers know that it's polite (and improves your chances with a hiring manager) to send a thank-you note within 24 hours via email. But a good follow-up is more than just a cursory "Thank you for meeting with me." Instead, a candidate should restate his or her understanding of the job requirements and how he or she can fill those needs, Maroney noted.

"During your interview, you should have picked up on specific objectives the hiring manager has for the position," Maroney said. "Give them something that will remind them why you'd be successful in meeting those objectives — especially if you've given it more thought and have a new thought, idea, perspective or solution."

"Based on what they spoke about in the interview, candidates often send collateral material to the hiring authority, such as short- and long-term plans for what they would accomplish if they got the job, and marketing plans they have developed in the past," Beshara added.

Maltz recommended asking about the interviewer's timeline in making a decision. That way, you can time your follow-ups based on their timeline to avoid overcommunicating.

"The goal is to keep yourself in the hiring manager's mind but not to the point of being bothersome," Maltz said.

Finally, consider sending an additional handwritten note to the interviewer after your email follow-up has been sent.

"We had a candidate who sent a handwritten note on personalized stationery and hand-addressed it," Sturchio said. "It really caught our attention. Anything that can get you to stand out is great."

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The Asus EeeBook X205TA: Top 3 Business Features

The EeeBook X205TA has a sharp 11-inch display and a featherweight design. BUY Asus EeeBook X205TA >>>

The Asus Eeebook X205TA is a super-affordable business notebook that offers epic battery life and good performance. In fact, the portable 11-inch (28 centimeters) machine might be the best budget notebook on the market, beating out its closest competitor, HP's Stream 11, by offering a slimmer design, better display and much longer battery life. And the Asus EeeBook X205TA costs just $199, making it a steal for budget-minded business users. Read on for more details about three features that make this lightweight machine good for work.

Long battery life

The EeeBook X205TA boasts some seriously impressive battery life for a small, budget notebook. The device ran for 12 hours and 5 minutes in our battery life test, which involves continuous Web browsing over Wi-Fi. That's nearly double the battery life of the HP Stream 11 (6 hours and 34 minutes.) In fact, Asus' machine is one of the longest-lasting laptops around, nearly matching Apple's 13-inch (33 cm) MacBook Air (12 hours and 20 minutes). That kind of longevity is crucial for business users who depend on their machines to last through the end of the workday and beyond.

Good keyboard

Keyboards on 11-inch notebooks are usually slightly cramped compared to their full-size counterparts, and that's true for the X205TA. But the machine makes up for that deficiency with keys that offer a good amount of travel and a satisfying springiness. Plus, the touchpad is on the large side for a system this small, giving you plenty of space to navigate. 

Portability

The EeeBook X205TA won't weigh you down on business trips, or on your daily commute for that matter. The featherweight machine comes in at just 2.16 lbs. (0.98 kg) making it lighter than the HP Stream 11 (2.74 lbs., 1.24 kg). It also has a smaller footprint than other 11-inch systems, including Acer's Aspire V3-111P and C720 Chromebook.

BUY Asus EeeBook X205TA >>>

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Dropbox App Now Available for Windows Phone

Credit: Dropbox

Windows Phone users now have an easier, faster way to access Dropbox from their devices.

Not long after its partnership with Microsoft, Dropbox released this week the much awaited Dropbox app for Windows Phone. Although the cloud-storage and file-sharing service has always been available to Windows Phone users via third-party apps, the official Dropbox app delivers better integration with devices and offers the same features and experience familiar to Dropbox users.

Here's what the Dropbox app for Windows Phone has to offer and how it can help your business.

Features

Dropbox for Windows Phone has all of the features Dropbox users would expect, including access to photos, documents and videos from any device; easy sharing using a simple link; and automatic backups to keep your files safe.

Additionally, Dropbox for Windows Phone offers offline access by adding files to your "Favorites" list, as well as multiaccount support, which allows users to sign in to multiple Dropbox accounts on a single device.

Windows Phone users can also access Dropbox straight from their Start screen — just pin selected folders to the Start screen for easy, convenient access, without having to open the app.

Storage

Dropbox for Windows Phone currently offers 2GB of free storage for new accounts. Users can also upgrade to Dropbox Pro, which provides 1TB of storage for $9.99 per month, or $99 per year.

A more flexible option is Dropbox for Business, which provides business users with unlimited storage and a wide range of administrative features, such as sharing control, activity monitoring, file recovery, version histories, remote wipe and the ability to transfer accounts. Dropbox for Business also includes 256-bit security and SSL encryption to keep your files safe, as well as priority email and live support.

Get Dropbox for Windows Phone

Dropbox for Windows Phone can now be downloaded for free from the Windows Phone Store, and is available to all Windows Phone 8.0, Windows Phone 8.1 and Windows tablet users.

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30 Ways to Define Leadership

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What does leadership mean to you? Every business owner and CEO wants to be a good leader, but how can you be a good leader if you don't know what leadership really is?

Unfortunately, leadership doesn't have a one-size-fits-all definition. We all have our own ideas about what it means to be a good leader. For example, some people think leadership means guiding others to complete a particular task, while others believe it means motivating the members of your team to be their best selves. But while the definitions may vary, the general sentiments remain the same: leaders are people who know how to achieve goals and inspire people along the way.

Business News Daily asked 30 business owners and experts to define what leadership means to them. Their ideas may just lead you to create your own definition of leadership. Here's what they had to say:

"Leadership is having a vision, sharing that vision and inspiring others to support your vision while creating their own." – Mindy Gibbins-Klein, founder, REAL Thought Leaders

"Leadership is the ability to guide others without force into a direction or decision that leaves them still feeling empowered and accomplished." – Lisa Cash Hanson, CEO, Snuggwugg

"Effective leadership is providing the vision and motivation to a team so they work together toward the same goal, and then understanding the talents and temperaments of each individual and effectively motivating each person to contribute individually their best toward achieving the group goal." – Stan Kimer, president, Total Engagement Consulting by Kimer

"Leadership is the art of serving others by equipping them with training, tools and people as well as your time, energy and emotional intelligence so that they can realize their full potential, both personally and professionally." – Daphne Mallory, family business expert, The Daphne Mallory Company

"Leadership is being bold enough to have vision and humble enough to recognize achieving it will take the efforts of many people — people who are most fulfilled when they share their gifts and talents, rather than just work. Leaders create that culture, serve that greater good and let others soar." – Kathy Heasley, founder and president, Heasley & Partners

"My perspective of a leader is an individual who knows the ins and outs about the business so they can empathize with followers. In addition to being a positive influence on the people they are leading, leadership is about setting the tone, motivating, inspiring, thinking big, and never [giving] up when others feel like quitting." – Alexis Davis, founder and designer, Hoo-Kong by Alexis Davis

"A true leader is secure in creating a framework that encourages others to tap into their own skills and ideas and freely contribute to the whole of the project or company." – Judy Crockett, owner, Interactive Marketing & Communication

"In my experience, leadership is about three things: To listen, to inspire and to empower. Over the years, I've tried to learn to do a much better job listening actively, making sure I really understand the other person's point of view, learning from them, and using that basis of trust and collaboration to inspire and empower. [It's about] setting the bar high, and then giving them the time and resources to do great work." – Larry Garfield, president, Garfield Group

"I define leadership as knowing when to be in front to lead and guide a team during the journey, and when to step back and let others take the lead. Much like an athlete who knows exactly what position to move to on the field at any given time, a true business leader understands the delicate balance of how to help others become leaders, fuel career ambitions, then give them the chance to shine." – Dan Schoenbaum, CEO, Redbooth

"Too many people view management as leadership. It's not. Leadership comes from influence, and influence can come from anyone at any level and in any role. Being open and authentic, helping to lift others up and working toward a common mission build influence. True leadership comes when those around you are influenced by your life in a positive way." – Kurt Uhlir, CEO and co-founder, Sideqik

"Leadership is when someone is willing to stand up front to be either the target or the hero to take responsibility for the success or failure of a given goal. Not everyone has the guts to be a leader and the [take] personal risks that they may encounter." – Darlene Tenes, founder and designer, CasaQ 

"Leadership is stepping out of your comfort zone and taking risk to create reward." – Katie Easley, founder, Kate Ryan Design

"A leader is someone who has the clarity to know the right things to do, the confidence to know when she's wrong and the courage to do the right things even when they're hard." – Darcy Eikenberg, founder, RedCapeRevolution.com

"Leadership is the behavior that brings the future to the present, by envisioning the possible and persuading others to help you make it a reality." – Matt Barney, founder and CEO, LeaderAmp

"Leadership is caring more about the cause and the people in your company than about your own personal pain and success. It is about having a greater vision of where your company is trying to go while leaving the path open for others to grow into leaders." – Jarie Bolander, COO and co-founder, Lab Sensor Solutions

"A leader is a person who takes you where you will not go alone." – Susan Ascher, CEO, founder and president, SusanAscher.com

"Leadership means using one's influence to help guide others in successfully achieving a goal without desire for recognition, without worry of what others think and with awareness of issues, internal or external, that might change the results sought." – Marie Hansen, dean of the college of business, Husson University

"Leadership is not about finding ways to lead better or to motivate your team. It's about being there from the beginning as equals and becoming a mentor when they need you to be one." –Michael Womack, COO and co-founder, hovelstay.com

"Leadership styles differ, but at the core, good leaders make the people they are leading accomplish more than they otherwise would. The most effective leaders do this not through fear, intimidation or title, but rather by building consensus around a common goal." – Tom Madine, CEO and president, Worldwide Express

"A leader is a mix of a visionary and a left brainer — an inspiration to others who uplifts one to walk beside him, not behind him. A leader lets go of his/her ego and taps into his soul, consistently stretching himself, challenging himself, growing within." – Brigitta Hoeferle, founder and owner, Montessori Kinder International School

"Leadership is inspiring others to pursue your vision within the parameters you set, to the extent that it becomes a shared effort, a shared vision and a shared success." – Steve Zeitchik, CEO of Focal Point Strategies

"Leadership in the business world requires harnessing the energy and efforts of a group of individuals so that their outlook is advanced from an unremarkable Point A to a very desirable Point B — from bad to good, slow to fast, red to black. During that process, leadership manifests in projecting your expertise in a way that gains the confidence of others. Ultimately, leadership becomes about trust — when that confidence inspires them to align their vision and level of commitment for the betterment of the company." – Phil Blair, president, Manpower Staffing Services

"For me, leadership is an act — a decision to take a stand, or step, in order to encourage, inspire or motivate others to move with you. What's more, the most effective leaders do not rely on their title, or positional power, to lead. Rather, their ability to use their own personal power combined with their use of strategic influence are what make them effective." – Kendra Coleman, consultant, Sheppard Moscow

"Leadership is the ability to take an average team of individuals and transform them into superstars. The best leader is the one who inspires his workers to achieve greatness each and every day." – Jonas Falk, CEO, OrganicLife

"Leadership is influencing others by your character, humility and example. It is recognizable when others follow in word and deed without obligation or coercion." – Sonny Newman, president, EE Technologies

"Leadership is actions committed by a person or group that produce an output or result. It simply helps people to get things done. It is not based on position in a hierarchy." – Robert Preziosi, professor and former chairman of management, Nova Southeastern University's Huizenga School of Business

"Leadership is the collective action of everyone you influence. Your behavior — your actions and your words — determines how you influence. Our job as leaders is to energize whatever marshals action within others." – David Casullo, president, Bates Communications

"Leadership is the ability to inspire motivation in others to move toward a desirable vision. While management is focused on tasks, leadership is focused on the person. All in all, the best leadership drives change and long-lasting motivation." – Josh Kuehler, president, Internal Consistency

"Leadership is simply causing other people to do what the leaders want. Good leadership, whether formal or informal, is helping other people rise to their full potential while accomplishing the mission and goals of the organization. All members of an organization who are responsible for the work of others have the potential to be good leaders, if properly developed." – Bob Mason, founder, RLM Planning and Leadership

"Leadership is employing your skills and knowledge, leveraged by your attitude to get the results you desire." – Philip Gafka, founder, LEAP Associates

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