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Keith Reynold Jennings

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The problem with elevator pitches

It’s a classic piece of business advice— you should be able to describe precisely what you do in the time it takes to ride an elevator with someone.

As if a stranger cares or would dare ask.

The traditional elevator pitch comes from an advertising mentality—it’s a live 30-second commercial.

Instead of a pitch, try a story.

Not a story about how great you are and how bad you think I need what you do.

Rather, tell me a story about what someone like me is doing to solve a problem. Tell me how they are doing things differently.

The true goal of an “elevator pitch” was never to sell. It was to earn a second conversation.

That’s what content marketing does exceptionally well. It influences second and third encounters.

So how do you craft a story short enough to engage but long enough to explain?

Stay tuned…

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