Have you ever wondered where the term "elevator pitch" comes from? Urban legend has it that, back in the day, a writer or producer would catch a studio exec in an elevator and would use that very limited time to persuade them to make their film.

Posted in Risk Management on Thursday, October 18, 2018

Regardless of its true history, the elevator pitch is an important, and often overlooked, tool in your marketing repertoire. Whether you're graduating and starting a practice, interested in joining an existing office, or beginning to look for job opportunities, the right pitch will give you the competitive edge you need to succeed.

Effective deployment takes some skill and practice. If you find yourself in an elevator with someone, and they ask who you are and what you do, could you convey your message by the time you reach your floor? And would the message be memorable enough to make an impact on the listener? In business terms, could you sell your product by the time you got off the elevator?

Taking time to develop an elevator pitch will pay off in the long run. Find quiet time to take inventory on the following factors, making notes as ideas come:

• Who is my audience?
• What are my biggest strengths?
• What problem am I solving?
• What do I hope to influence the listener to do as a next step?

You may decide you should have a couple of different pitches geared toward different audiences. For example, one for a potential client and one for someone considering bringing on an employee or partner. Regardless, the best pitches are short, succinct and can properly describe you in 30 seconds or less.

Practice until you feel comfortable reciting your pitch with appropriate passion and rhythm. For instance, if a potential new patient asks what you do, an unproductive and uninspiring response would be, "I’m a dentist."

Instead, consider something like this:

"Sunshine Dentistry is a family practice. We love working with adults and children. We work hard to provide preventive care and dental support that will help busy families maintain a healthy mouth and avoid problems that can be costly and uncomfortable."

Much more memorable, right?

Looking for more information to manage and grow your practice? Find articles on topics such as writing a business plan, starting and implementing a marketing campaign, and getting hired right at your fingertips.