Who Cares? So What? Why You?
So, you want to start a business? Update your existing brand? Position yourself differently?
Congratulations
on taking that first step in acknowledging that you have something
original and relevant to bring to the marketplace
Consolidating your vision into a concise declaration is a critical first step. Whether you're selling a product, a service or yourself, perfecting your elevator pitch and delivering it anytime, anywhere, can mean the difference between acquiring additional funding, signing a new client, securing a new job, getting media attention or not.
Every day we are flooded with an overabundance of information, details, stories and ideas that it becomes easy to lose the message amid the noise. An elevator pitch needs to cut through the clutter and ensure that your audience will relate to what is being said, providing an immediate personal or emotional connection which, if successful, will create the urgency and necessity you and your business desire for the listener to take immediate action. The message overall informs, entertains, educates or inspires or all of the above.
To help you come up with your elevator pitch, you need to ask these three questions to uncover your unique positioning:
1. WHO CARES?
2. SO WHAT?
3. WHY YOU?
WHO CARES
Ask yourself, "Who cares what I have to say?" Take yourself out of the question; define and know your target audience—who are you speaking (or selling) to? Once you identify your audience, think about what really matters to them. WHO CARES allows you to drill down into who your message is really for and define the who cares audience.
This allows you to understand your audience's age, sex, profession, income, interests etc. What are they reading? Where are they going? Who are they listening to? Where are they shopping and what do they care about. Remember, different audiences have different needs, so knowing who you are speaking to will help you in your elevator pitch.
SO WHAT?
What is the emotional hook to your message? Are you providing a solution to a problem? Are you fulfilling a need? Define your value and give your audience a reason to take immediate and massiveaction-connect, respondand leave them wanting more. You will spend the most time on the SO WHAT if this is a new product being launched. You want to be able to establish the demand or need as well as the urgency for why anyone would care about the SO WHAT. The SO WHAT is what matters; you want to make your message count.
WHY YOU?
Define your Unique Selling Point (USP). This is
the most important component to a conspicuous and attention-grabbing
elevator pitch.
Why are you the best person to answer this
question, solve this problem or fulfill this need? In order to convey
who you are in an elevator pitch, you first need to know what makes you
different. What makes you stand out? What are you offering that is
unique?
This allows you, your business and your brand to attract
attention in an overcrowded marketplace. What can you provide that no
one else can? How does your WHY YOU return to your SO WHAT?
Try this yourself.
TIPS FOR A SUCCESSFUL ELEVATOR PITCH:
• Answer WHO CARES, SO WHAT, WHY YOU or WC, SW, WY
• KISS - Keep it Simple Silly
• Make it Personal
• Remember when delivering the pitch -- SWSWSWN -- Some will, Some won't, So what, Next...
Timing
is key. Not everyone will listen to your pitch and "get it" or be the
right audience for you -- but don't quit! Keep going, for you're only an
elevator ride away to your success.