Replace Your "Elevator Pitch" With This Fun, New Branding Exercise
Truth be told, if I worked for Merriam-Webster I would go into the dictionary database and erase several "business lingo" phrases immediately:
Circle back - Sounds counterproductive from a time standpoint.
Put it in the parking lot - Sorry, isn't that where most fights happen and/or people are trying to get out of?
Take this offline - Yeah, last I checked, offline meant you couldn't connect.
Masterclass/Mastermind - This is a whole other article based in my unpopular opinion about these overused terms (or maybe I'm not alone).
But the one I'd start with is "elevator pitch." Sure, I get it, you're supposed to be able to tell who you are, what you do, what service/benefit you provide in a short amount of time based on traveling in an elevator.
A few problems with that:
Elevators have never been the hotbed of conversation. It's usually a silence met with the whir of the cables.
Is your elevator in New York or Des Moines? (I just want to know how much time I actually have!)
That phrase strikes fear and/or discomfort in anyone who's ever been asked to develop their own brand description.
As I'm a fan of "propose if you're going to oppose" I was trying to think of a new, fun way to describe yourself and what you do concisely that doesn't seem so high-pressure or sweaty palm inducing. Then it hit me...
Movie trailers.
If you think about it, most movie trailers are 30 seconds long and are built specifically for you to want to engage and learn more about the movie and then, yep, spend money on it.
See where I'm going here?
The company Masterclass (yes, ironic, but they get a pass) describes a perfect movie trailer structure in the following way:
"The beginning of your trailer should introduce the main characters, the setting, and the film's premise; the middle should heighten the conflict, and the end should feature a climax. When assembling the structure of your trailer, it's helpful to create storyboards of your scenes to guide you through the edit."
This mirrors exactly what you should be doing when presenting your value prop or personal brand.
Intro the Main Characters - Who are you and who do you serve? Don't be afraid to add adjectives.
The Setting - What industry do you specialize in? Are you geographically focused?
The Premise - What problem do you solve?
The Heightened Conflict & Climax - This builds off the premise in the sense that you can tell a quick story here. By highlighting a pain point or bringing in an emotional sensation, you are likely to hit on more of the struggle that you work with vs. trying to land the identical terms that would trigger the need for you in the other person. Additionally, nothing translates better with a solid emotional conflict description than an immediate follow up solution provided by you or your company. (ex. An M&A lawyer who specializes in startup exits may use the conflict description of "When people build a business from scratch with all of their effort and resources and want to ensure they are getting the cleanest, most fair deal when they sell it, that's where I help the most.")
Create a Storyboard - Basically, if you do 1-4, you've created yours. No need to draw it out, but please practice the flow. The more you have it down comfortably, the easier it will be to describe at a moment's notice.
So, pause for a minute and think about the last few movie trailers you watched. All of these elements were in play and it made you feel a certain way. Inevitably, when you see a movie trailer that you like, what do you do?
You tell others about it and you're excited!
Isn't that the point of a brand? To get people excited about what you have to offer, make your description as easy to repeat as possible, and have those you tell want to tell others? I've never rushed to tell people anything I heard in an elevator, if anyone even talked at all in one!
When done thoughtfully, this ends up giving you something compelling, intriguing, and conversational to convey.
I've tried this and it is actually quite a bit of fun. Like me, you'll want to take a couple of runs at it as you hone your message and talking points, but it's a new take on a critical piece of personal branding.
Now, the fun part: I also challenge you to do it in the right voice based on the type of movie you are as you build this out (please don't do it when you actually deliver it in person). Are you an action movie featuring a badass heroine? A rom-com where you're soothing the souls of those you engage? Hopefully you're not a horror flick. Let's talk soon if that's the voice you chose.
Get out of the elevator and go see a movie!
