The Problem with Elevator Pitches
When people ask "What do you do?" they're just making polite conversation. With rare exceptions, they don't really care.
You care to let people who visit your website what you can do for them.
But, do you care if some of those people are really interested in what you do? Interested enough to buy from you?
(Or do you have too many good high-paying clients already to bother worrying about your website, or online business directory listing?)
First, let's think about how you get people you meet in person to care about what you do. Because that is not easy, is it?
Second, we can change that dialogue into something just for print on your website or online business directory listing.
It's your job with your first response to shake them out of the polite convention.
How to Make People Care What You Do
Tim David, whose fine article on elevators pitches I just quoted, has a good 4 solution to making people care. (Read the whole article, you will enjoy it.)
Here is my summary of his solution:
1. Respond with a surprise. Here is how he answers the question, "What do you do?"
You mean, in addition to be being an international body building champion?
Tim is 5'10", weighs 135 lbs and when he steps on ants, "they live". It is obvious that Tim is angling for a laugh - or a real connection. And he gets it.
2. Now that you have their attention, maintain their interest in the original question. Get them to agree with your both problem formulation and offer a potential solution.
3. When the timing is right, and you hear in the conversation something like "How do you do that?" & give them a results based story. Something you have just done for someone just like them.
4. Finally, ask for the meeting.
How does this help us with our website or online business directory?
With a modern online business directory listing, or your own website which you can edit, you could produce a similar effect to Tim's in person dialogue. But, you would have to give up on having your 'About Us' page read like a static big yellow page ad.
Break your single 'About Us' page into 4 'Smart About Us' pages, and lead the reader from one page to another with next buttons.
Now, each vistor that goes to your website & visits your 'About Us' pages will click through your 'About Us' pages by pressing a "Next" button.
Each time that visitor presses "Next", to learn more, the closer they are to being your next client -someone whose next step is to ask for the meeting.
There's more .... 'Smart About Us Pages'
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