How Coaches Grow

Recently I’ve been doing a lot of work with new coaches, coaches in transition and coaches who need to get clear about their niche. I’ve realised that there are many ways to gain clarity about what we do as coaches but the best way is to start long with a business plan then chunk down with a mission statement, target market profile and the likes until you get to the crux of the issue with dum-dee-dum… the dreaded ‘Elevator Pitch’.

Groan, moan, I hear you complain. Yep, they are HARD to write yet they are the most beneficial little spiel you will ever use to (a) get clear about precisely what it is you offer and (b) be able to confidently throw it out there to anyone and everyone in less than a minute.

I’m not talking about pitching to investors and other professionals who may or may not give you money or other wonderful opportunities to grow your biz. I’m talking about sharing what you do with potential clients.

Say you’re in a lift (it’s not called an ‘elevator pitch’ for nothing!) and you get talking with someone about the weather. You share a laugh over something, then he asks the dreaded question: ‘So… what do you do for a living?’ How do you answer? Do you mumble something about being a life coach or do you jump to attention, get all excited on the inside and confidently deliver an awesome few sentences that make his eyebrows hit his hairline and his mouth struggle to form words because his brain is in overload mode with a million and one questions to ask you to find out more information? Exactly.

Here’s two questions you may want to ask yourself right now:

1. Do I have an elevator pitch?
2. Is it any good?

My Cheat Sheet (aka tips to write a good elevator pitch)

An elevator pitch is a brief overview of your product, service, or project. The pitch is so called because it can be delivered in the time span of an elevator ride (say, thirty seconds).

You want your pitch to stand out and be unique, so give it life and personality by allowing your pitch to paint a picture or tell a story. Here’s some points to keep in mind:

• Focus on the opportunity/problem you’ve encountered and why your solution is the most unique in providing value and benefit to the client.
• If possible, use a tag line
• Stick to hard facts and numbers
• Make the pitch easy to understand
• Avoid acronyms or any jargon that your clients won’t understand
• Spend time figuring out why your service stands above your competition
• Mention the size of your market and who would be willing to pay for it
• Make sure it’s only 30 seconds long. This will help you focus on what’s really at the core of your message
• Maintain integrity in your message

Once you’ve created your elevator pitch, memorize it completely and try it out on your friends, family, and colleagues. When reciting your elevator pitch convey passion, confidence, and instil some of your personality into the pitch. It really makes a difference when your message has some feeling to it.

I hope this helps you get clear about how to effectively convey what you offer. If I can assist in any way, please contact me.

Do you have a great elevator pitch?

Great! Let us know. Share it by leaving a comment.

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