The door opens and you step into the elevator. Instantly, you recognize the other person on the elevator as the prime prospect you've been trying to reach for weeks. The good news is the prospect is now a captive audience. The bad news is you have less than a minute to introduce yourself and create relevance with your prospect. You need an "elevator pitch."
This concise message with a hook right up front is very different than your 45-minute detailed board room presentation. Without that hook, you can't keep the prospect's interest for the whole elevator ride. Once their attention is captured, you have the opportunity to explain who you are and why they will benefit from working with you. Before the doors open again, you have to create engagement.
Most elevator pitches aren't actually delivered in elevators — it's just a metaphor. Someone once said if your idea doesn't fit on the back of a business card, you don't have a very well-thought-out idea. My experience is salespeople who can't give an elevator pitch are usually pretty dreadful at delivering a more detailed presentation as well.
All of which brings us to the politicians who are trying to sell an alternate version of health care reform. Watching the news — especially the TV and cable outlets — it seems there aren't many in the political class who understand the necessity of a well-formed elevator pitch. Surely the Republican spokespeople and operatives must know they are going to be asked about their vision of what would follow the repeal of PPACA. Yet there doesn't seem to be anyone who can summon an elevator pitch's worth of useful sound bites.
