These days everyone is talking about Elevator Pitches. First, for those of you who may not be familiar with this term let me explain.

An Elevator Pitch (also referred to as an Elevator Speech) is a 30-second description of your business, product or service. It's a concise and compelling answer to the question, 'So what do you do?'

The reason it's called an Elevator Pitch is because it should be brief enough to deliver in the time it takes to ride a few floors on an elevator.

Any time I start hearing something talked about over and over again, I have to ask myself, is this topic really that important or is it just that everyone's on that band wagon right now?

When it comes to Elevator Pitches, I absolutely believe they are THAT important.

Yes, it's helpful in networking situations to be able to clearly communicate what you do in a way that sparks interest from others.

For example, if I'm at a networking event and someone asks me what I do, I can answer in one of two ways:

I can respond with 'I'm a marketing consultant and coach' (NOT an Elevator Pitch, but this style of response is very typical).

Or, I can say 'I help people learn how to market their own business in 10 simple steps' (my Elevator Pitch).

Which response is more interesting to you?

Which one would be more likely to prompt further conversation? Well, I've tested both and the second one wins hands-down every time.

So that's one reason I believe having a clear, concise Elevator Pitch is important. It will generate more interest in you and your business among people you meet and when you're networking, that's key.

But there's another reason I believe having a strong Elevator Pitch is important and it far outweighs reason number one.

If you have a clear, concise Elevator Pitch that communicates the benefit of the products or services you provide, you're much more likely to have marketing that does the same.

However, if you can't sum up what you do in a clear, focused Elevator Pitch, there's a good chance your marketing message is not focused and clear either.

And, if your marketing message is not focused and clear, odds are it's not as effective as it could be. That means it's not attracting as many prospects or clients as it could be.

And as you may have realized, it costs just as much to put out an ineffective marketing message as an effective one.

It just takes a little more time and attention upfront to create an effective message.

When I work with clients, developing a powerful Elevator Pitch and Key Marketing Message are two of the tasks they struggle with the most, yet I believe they are the two most important tasks you have as a marketer.

Because even if you have the greatest product or service in the world, if you can't communicate that greatness effectively you won't attract clients or make sales.

So, I challenge you to sit down, review your Elevator Pitch and ask yourself these three questions:

1) Is it Clear?

2) Is it Concise?

3) Is it Compelling?

Then measure your marketing message the same way.

If they don't pass the test, I encourage you to do whatever it takes to make them Clear, Concise and Compelling. Your Elevator Pitch and your Key Marketing Message are the foundation for your marketing and your business success depends on them.

(C) Copyright 2006 Debbie LaChusa