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About Kindra Hall (https://kindrahall.com/) -------------------------------------------------------------------- Kindra knows the challenges executives, top performers and brands experience as they try to capture attention in a crowded marketplace. Kindra is former Vice President of Sales for a multi-million dollar enterprise, national champion storyteller, 2014 Storytelling World Award recipient, a former board member of the National Storytelling Network, and she earned her Master’s Degree in Organizational Communication and Management conducting original research that examined the role of storytelling in organizational socialization. Kindra has been seen in Glamour Magazine, Success Magazine and Entrepreneur.com and has worked with innovative brands like ConAgra, Stryker and Rodan & Fields to use the irresistible power of storytelling to capture attention and connect in a distracted marketplace. Kindra has become a conference favorite for her clients who invite her back for consecutive annual events. Her presentations include revealing research, eye-opening case studies and, of course, stories attendees will remember and retell long after the event ends. Audiences leave inspired and motivated to apply Kindra’s actionable content. Transcript (https://kindrahall.com/the-storytelling-sales-pitch-in-an-elevator) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I heard the craziest thing on an elevator the other day... and I thought of you. Here’s the story: I stepped onto an elevator at the airport and three people followed behind me -- a young woman and two young men. The door closed and the woman turned to her friends and asked, "Do you know where my parents are right now?" The guys shook their heads. "They're at a burial service for my grandfather's friend who died at Pearl Harbor. They just found the body, and they're going to pay their respects to good ol' Uncle Mike." One floor later, the doors opened and the trio stepped off, leaving me alone in the elevator……………. I admit, I almost jumped out after them but the heavy steel doors slammed shut; mocking both my curiosity and hesitation. Now you’ve probably heard the debate -- For decades, sales and marketing experts have been trying to solve the "elevator pitch" conundrum: how to deliver enough information and create enough intrigue that if all you had was a one-floor elevator journey with a prospect, they would want to learn more. Certainly, these travelers weren't trying to sell anything--but that's exactly the point. Their elevator pitch wasn't a pitch at all--it was a story. Which made me think – that’s probably what ALL pitches should be…. If you’ve ever struggled with the dreaded elevator pitch, here are three simple steps to help. FIRST, – the story needs a sense of wonder, intrigue, or mystery….World War II, Pearl Harbor, and finding the remains of a forgotten soldier decades later is heavy on intrigue….Your pitch can tap into this same element of disbelief and intrigue. Did you stumble upon a solution you couldn't believe actually existed and built a company? Tell that story. Did you or someone you know encounter a problem you couldn't believe didn't have a solution? Tell that story. And if, after 30 seconds, it's time to exit the elevator, at least you'll leave the listener with a mystery they'll want to investigate. And when they do, they'll find you. SECOND. Leave out the information (yes, almost all of it). It’ll be difficult to resist mentioning the features of your product or the year-over-year revenue growth, but resist you must. All of those facts and bits of information are utterly forgettable. If you only have a few moments with someone, use it on a story they’ll remember. LAST, Disconnect from the outcome--let the story do its job… What if Jesus told the story of not hiding your light under a bushel and then asked listeners for a bulk order of candles. Or if Martin Luther King Jr. told the world about the dream he had and then asked people to please leave their business cards in a bowl at the back of the Mall. Spend time developing a story compelling enough you don’t even NEED a call to action. I arrived home from the airport that evening and told my husband the story of the best elevator pitch ever (and admitted to almost losing a limb in the elevator shaft trying to chase them down to hear the rest). Together, we Googled "Mike Pearl Harbor body found" and read about the new DNA testing that meant families could finally lay their loved ones to rest. Indeed, there had been a service that day--the one the young woman's parents were likely attendingI hope this helps the next time you have to explain what you do in the amount of time it would take to ride from one floor to another in an elevator… until next time!
