• by Jillian Lakritz , May 4, 2010

One of the business tasks I've always dreaded is having to deliver my elevator pitch. You've got 30 seconds to explain all of the complex things you do and the pressure is on to do it in a way that is interesting, distinctive, doesn't feel "salesy" and makes your prospect want to know more. Good luck!

For years I tried finding new and exciting ways of pitching that I was a marketing consultant who specialized in consumer insight work, brand strategy and product innovation but the result was always the same. At best, a polite nod, at worst, visible disinterest.

I tried to be creative, "I'm a growth specialist." I tried name dropping, "I work with companies like General Mills, Pepsi and Clorox." I tried to be direct, "I create the strategy that drives products and messaging." But over and over again, I failed at finding the right words that would spark a meaningful new business conversation.

The problem with my approach was that it was all about me, not about how I could help my prospect. Telling someone that I do brand strategy doesn't tell them anything about what I can do for them, it simply describes a function that I perform.

A few years ago I learned a new way to think about the elevator pitch from a sales trainer named Colleen Stanley at Sales Leadership Development. Colleen's approach not only made me feel comfortable doing my elevator pitch but it also dramatically improved the reactions I got from potential buyers.

The Sales Leadership approach is based on the belief that the features and benefits of your business are only meaningful when the buyer connects them with an acknowledged pain or problem they're experiencing. The buyer sees your value in relation to their pain. If you can solve their pain, there's a reason to learn more about your products and services. If you can't solve their pain, there is no reason to continue the conversation.

The way to get the buyer to acknowledge pain is to talk in "pain points." Drafting a pitch composed of pain points starts with a simple exercise.

Step 1: Begin by listing all of the features and benefits of your products and services.

Step 2: Next to each feature or benefit, write down what happens when you have the opposite of that feature or benefit

Step 3: Write down the symptom your prospect experiences when the "opposite" is a business reality.

Feature/Benefit of My Business	Opposite	Pain Symptom
Create clear, compelling positioning strategy	Messaging is inconsistent, confusing or uninspiring	Sales aren't meeting expectations
Develop new product strategies	No new product pipeline	Losing shelf space to competitors
Define and profile a strategic target audience	Marketing efforts directed to the wrong people	Not showing up on the radar of high value prospects

After you've developed your pain points, you can put them together a brief statement that can serve as your new elevator pitch.

"I do marketing consulting and work with business leaders who are ...

• Frustrated because they have a great product or service but their messaging isn't compelling and as a result sales aren't meeting expectations

• Struggling because they don't have a new product pipeline and as a result are losing shelf space to the competition

• Missing out on business opportunities because they're not on the radar of important customer and consumer prospects"

It's easy to see the value this new approach delivers. Your prospect can instantly recognize if they have a need for your services, they won't feel "sold," and you won't be in a position to defend why the solutions you offer are relevant to their business.

While it may sound harsh to suggest you purposely cause your prospects pain, pain is a powerful motivator. Pain is what drives people to action. Pain will create opportunities for you to provide solutions. Solutions results in profits for both you and your clients.

I can't tell you what a game-changing tool talking in pain points has been for my business, and I encourage you to try it for yours.