“The problem is that the moment you say that, you have lost the interest of the person in front of you,” she continues. Though it makes sense, it’s a mistake, since what you do isn’t limited to the point you’re in your career right now, but the type of executive you hope to be. If you were at a dinner party tomorrow and someone asked you ‘What do you do?’, what would your response be? According to certified career coach Emeline Roissetter, most professionals discuss their current state of employment. Mistake #3: Talking only about your current situation rather than your professional identity Once they’ve got their power bullets down, the next step is to organize them in a way that is in flow with their pitch,” she adds. When you’re editing down your pitch, Pearson suggest only including information that will elicit a ‘wow’ response, while also answering the basic ‘who’, ‘what’, ‘when’, ‘where’, ‘why’ and ‘how.’ “There is zero room for fluff or anything that doesn’t tell the audience what sets themselves, or their product, apart from everyone else. It should include only the most impressive accomplishments and key areas of strength.” “When the pitch is built to clearly communicate the benefits to the audience, it conveys confidence, self-awareness, experience, and professionalism,” she explains.” This is the opportunity to provide a brief summary of their background. You know: who you are and why you’re here! As executive career coach Elizabeth Pearson explains, the purpose of an elevator pitch is to provide a sneak peek into what makes you tick and unique, not about your hobbies, your children, your pets and other unnecessary noise. In the journey to create a compelling elevator pitch, some professionals get lost in creative language, super-cool examples and other points, that they forget the basics of an elevator pitch. Mistake #2: Forgetting to state basic info Perhaps he puts it best when he says words are powerful, but numbers back them up. “Rather than simply saying that you’d make a great addition to the marketing team, talk about how you increased positive sentiment of the brand by 20 percent, helped win $50 million in RFPs, raised client retention by 70 percent, offered a 300 percent ROI off seven marketing events, and so on,” he explains. Vahab recommends using data-points that coincide with case studies and examples of success to differentiate yourself or your company. The same is true when you’re landing a client. And they all come with various strengths and weaknesses, making it your duty to ensure you stand out from the crowd. When you’re doing your best to compete for a job, it’s important to remember many applicants are likely being considered. Mistake #1: Not including metrics or KPIs The situations may change but overall, your approach should remain branded to you and the listener. It could involve a slide deck or a PDF handout. In practice, this may look like a speech introducing yourself. “The hope is that you are able to make a compelling enough case to persuade someone to believe something.” “An elevator pitch is a short and concise statement meant to quickly persuade someone of something, such as an idea, product or service, or even a person trying to sell themselves to potential hiring managers, employers,” he continues. As the president of DRV Staffing Daniel Vahab shares, that’s exactly the goal when you’re creating your presentation. Probably less than five minutes, right? When you have a killer elevator pitch, this is all the time it should take to win over your audience. Think about the time it takes to go from ground to a high floor at an office building. If you want to reap the most reward from this masterpiece, avoid these mistakes, according to experts. Though many modern career-forward people discount this practice, crafting an effective elevator pitch is instrumental to success. Rather, this short, concise and powerful messaging allows current and potential influencers know exactly who you are, what you can offer - and why they should choose you for the opportunity. From the job interviewing process to client relationships, an elevator pitch isn’t reserved for sales. Regardless of industry, how you position yourself as a professional can make or break your career.
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