Like it or not, everyone has been in a situation where they have needed to give an elevator pitch. Yesterday morning SFBIG (Bay Area Interactive Group) hosted "The BIG Minute of Innovation", an event that challenged 15 start-ups to present and pitch their company in a mere 70 seconds.
You only get one chance to make a first impression and with a panel of brand and agency judges, not to mention a room full of 300+ members of the digital community, lets just say you want to put your best foot forward.
In an "American Idol" style of judging, the distinguished judges provided their opinion as to what is critical to establishing this important first impression. In listening to their feedback and comments, here is what stood out to me…
User accessibility – don't over complicate the experience. How will our customers be able to engage with the brand?
How does your product or service work? While we all like to "geek out" on our latest and greatest technology, make sure your first impression clearly articulates your solution as it relates to your audience.
Understand the brands willingness to change, or not change. Not all brands want a dramatic difference in their marketing approach. Some brands just want to make tried and true methods more effective.
Do your homework! This seems simple, but is far too often overlooked. Use specific examples that will immediately grab attention - be sure those examples are specifically relevant to your audience and their business challenge.
Be consistent. When speaking to different people within the agency/brand, be sure to be consistent in your message.
Stats – Data never gets old. Reach, Engagement, Results. Bring it on.
Love what you do – passion and heart makes up the "intangibles". If you don't have them, why should your client care about what you're saying and selling?
If there is one thing I took away from this event, it's truly amazing what you can accomplish in just 70 short seconds. First impressions … keep it simple, relevant, and have fun… after all you only get one, make it count!
Stay informed. Lindsey Thomas will be an ad:tech Ambassador at the upcoming ad:tech San Francisco, April 19-21. http://www.ad-tech.com/sf/adtech_san_francisco.aspx?ref=IMCEDI"> Learn more.
Hey Lindsey,
We Enjoy your blogs and unique understanding, we provide marketing solutions for new product launches and our clients suffer from the same thing. We believe you must be passionate about what your selling other wise there is no emotional connection between your product and service. If there is not an emotional connection between you and the product and service - your clients will see that same lack of passion and disbelief.