You're listening to Business English Pod, the Business English podcast for professionals on the move.
Welcome back to Business English Pod.
My name's Edwin, and I'll be your host for this episode on delivering an elevator pitch.
A sales pitch is a presentation designed to introduce a product or service in order to convince people to buy it.
An elevator pitch is a very short presentation designed to do the same thing in 60 seconds or less, and often the product being presented is you.
An elevator pitch should be short enough that you could complete it during an elevator ride.
A key point being that you're not asking the person to do something for you.
You're telling them what you can do for them.
In today's lesson, we'll be listening to two pitches.
First up is Jonathan, a university student visiting a job fair in search of his first job.
Then we'll hear Dominique, a manager for a logistics company, make his pitch to a potential customer while attending a local chamber of commerce meeting.
Try to answer the following questions as you listen to the dialogues.
One, what does Jonathan highlight as his key strengths in the first dialogue?
Two, in the second dialogue, how does Dominique get Graham's attention?
Three, what's the key advantage of Dominic's company?
Yeah, okay, will do.
Nice meeting you and good luck.
Hello, are you waiting to speak to me?
Yes, hello, Rebecca.
My name's Jonathan Geis.
I notice you're advertising for risk auditors, and that's a field that really interests me.
As a matter of fact, I'll be receiving my master's in risk management this summer from Queenstown.
So not only do I know how to plan and execute audit assignments, I'm also comfortable working in teams, having completed extensive group studies at university.
I see.
Sounds good.
Thanks, but what I think is most relevant to your needs is my hands-on experience with RiskGate, which I believe is what you use at Jameson.
Would you be able to tell me how much experience you're targeting for junior positions?
Queenstown, huh?
We've hired their graduates before.
Well, as I said, I have plenty of experience with risk case studies.
Plus, I did a four-month internship setting up RiskGate for Fielder and Associates.
Okay, Jonathan.
Let me have a copy of your resume and we'll take it from there, okay?
Dominic, let me introduce you to Graham French, president of Chesapeake Bakery.
Good to meet you, Graham.
Dominic Gervais, FX Shipping.
Shipping?
I hear a lot of that is going online now.
Indeed.
Except for the actual shipping, of course.
But you're right.
GPS and online tracking have completely changed the shipping business.
Did you know that FX has a 98% success rate and we're moving into order fulfillment this year?
Very interesting.
Certainly is.
And I know that a lot of companies have a tough time finding reliable shipping services.
But at FX we make it easier for people to sleep at night, knowing that we've got their shipping needs under control.
Do you see what I mean?
Believe me, I know exactly what you mean.
Well, our order fulfillment operation will be open soon and we can offer Chesapeake superior support for online sales, cutting your costs and making happy customers in the process.
Sounds promising.
I'll keep FX in mind.
Could you give me your card?
Thanks, and here's mine.
Well, it was nice talking to you, Dominic.
Now, if you'll excuse me, I see someone over there I need to...
Those situations were quite different from each other, weren't they?
In our first example, Jonathan is finishing his master's degree and is out job hunting before he graduates.
In the second example, Dominique's company is introducing a new service and he is pitching it to Graham by demonstrating his company's excellent service record.
However, both Jonathan and Dominique have well-prepared elevator pitches and know how to take advantage of an opportunity.
Let's start with Jonathan speaking to Rebecca at the job fair.
I'm sure you noticed how Jonathan quickly read Rebecca's name badge and used her first name.
Yes, hello, Rebecca.
My name's Jonathan Geis.
I notice you're advertising for risk auditors, and that's a field that really interests me.
As a matter of fact, I'll be receiving my master's in risk management this summer from Queenstown.
After he's made his introduction, Jonathan immediately goes on to state the position he's interested in and then mentions his own interest and experience in connection with the company's need.
This is a crucial step at the beginning of your pitch, so let's practice a few more examples of connecting your experience to the company's need.
To tell the truth, I've been doing research in this area since 2005.
In fact, I've worked on the same applications you're using.
As a matter of fact, I've been running a change management project that's very similar to the one you mentioned.
As you will see, my qualifications are an excellent fit with a job description.
Rebecca is working at a busy booth at the job fair and Jonathan needs to be able to make an impression quickly.
He doesn't have much experience, but he knows how to communicate the skills he has that suit this job.
He does this by providing a concise explanation of his talents.
My master's in risk management this summer from Queenstown.
So not only do I know how to plan and execute audit assignments, I'm also comfortable working in teams, having completed extensive group studies at university.
In order to strengthen the impact of his pitch, Jonathan uses a language technique called inversion to emphasize two of his strengths.
Not only can I do A, but I also excel at B.
Notice how I can is inverted after not only, but in the second part of the sentence the pronoun and verb are in the normal order.
You can hear variations of this technique in the following examples.
In addition to heading up the planning phase, I worked on implementation and delivery to see the project through to completion.
Beyond simple supervision I'm able to motivate employees to better performance.
I work well on my own, but I enjoy teamwork as well.
While I'm very comfortable writing code, I really excel in debugging and testing.
Despite his lack of experience, Jonathan has identified a special area where he could really be useful to Jameson.
Listen again to how he explains this to Rebecca.
But what I think is most relevant to your needs is my hands-on experience with RiskGate, which I believe is what you use at Jameson.
Mentioning RiskGate, a software package for analyzing accounts, shows that he's done his homework.
He has obviously researched the company, and he knows what kind of specialized software they use.
What else can you say to highlight your value to a potential employer?
Your projects have tight deadlines and I consistently beat deadlines.
I think that my attention to detail is exactly what this position needs.
My record shows that I don't just meet sales targets, I demolish them.
I see that the position requires specialized knowledge of mobile processor design, which is exactly the area I did my grad work on.
Now that Jonathan has presented his qualifications for the job, he needs some information.
Jonathan's weakness is that he has no experience and he wants to know if this is a potential hurdle or obstacle, which I believe is what you use at Jameson.
Would you be able to tell me how much experience you're targeting for junior positions?
After you have made your pitch, you may have a brief chance to ask a question or two.
This is a good time to ask for follow-up information about the job.
Can you fill me in on the scope of the position?
Do you mind telling me the starting salary?
I didn't see it mentioned in the ad, but is this an entry level position?
Could you tell me how much travel this job involves?
Is this a contract position or a permanent one?
As Jonathan doesn't have much actual work experience, he focuses on his abilities in relation to the job on offer.
He talks about his practical experience in school and again brings up his knowledge of risk gate, which should make him attractive to Jameson.
Well, as I said, I have plenty of experience with risk case studies.
Plus, I did a four-month internship setting up risk gate for Fielder and Associates.
If you have work experience, you should highlight areas that relate directly to the job and company you are pitching to.
If you lack work experience.
It's important to look closely at your studies and even your personal interests or volunteer activities to find experience that relates to the position.
Connecting your experience to the company's need is key to a successful pitch.
So let's practice a few more examples.
I have more than five years of experience implementing turnkey solutions.
I gained hands-on experience with inventory control whilst working in Sydney.
I mastered all the marketing basics running a similar business two years ago.
I have extensive experience with carrying out cost-benefit analysis.
So that was our first dialogue with Jonathan pitching himself for a possible future job.
We looked at language for connecting your experience to a company need highlighting your value and asking for follow-up information.
Now we come to Dominique, who is pitching his company to a prospect or potential client at a Chamber of Commerce event.
As this is primarily a networking opportunity.
He won't have a lot of time to talk to Graham, so it's a perfect opportunity to use his elevator pitch.
After they've been introduced by Sarah.
Dominique uses a rhetorical question to keep Graham interested and start his pitch.
GPS and online tracking have completely changed the shipping business.
Did you know that FX has a 98% success rate and we're moving into order fulfillment this year?
Asking a rhetorical question like this is a great way to start your pitch.
So let's practice a few more examples.
Would you be surprised to hear that we also do quality control?
Did you know that most consultants' recommendations are far too tame?
And you know who received the highest rating in our industry, don't you?
Can you name the airline with the highest number of on-time departures?
Dominique's basic pitch is straightforward and catchy.
After getting Graham's attention, he quickly follows up with his company's key advantage.
Their reliability means less stress for customers.
Listen to how he frames this advantage.
And I know that a lot of companies have a tough time finding reliable shipping services.
But at FX we make it easier for people to sleep at night, knowing that we've got their shipping needs under control.
Do you see what I mean?
When making a pitch, confidence is key.
To build confidence, you need to prepare, write down and analyze what you have to offer.
Try to focus on a single key benefit and cut out anything that might distract from your message.
Rehearse your statement and practice saying your pitch out loud.
Keeping your pitches short and to the point not only makes your message stronger.
Your audience will be more receptive to what you're selling.
Try to state your advantage in 15 words or less, as in these examples.
Our processing is so quick that clams are cleared within a week.
We can train anyone, anywhere to use this system in under 60 minutes.
Our new handset makes wireless ordering in restaurants as easy as pie.
Data integration in a centralized location means instant access all the time.
Throughout your career, you'll be presented with opportunities to make a strong impression in a short period of time.
You can't predict where this might happen at a conference, at a chance meeting or even in an elevator so you should have your elevator pitch prepared, just in case.
Whatever kind of elevator pitch you're making, it's important to be clear what specific benefits you are offering.
Listen to how Dominique finishes his pitch by mentioning two concerns that are extremely important to virtually every business.
Well, our order fulfillment operation will be open soon and we can offer Chesapeake superior support for online sales, cutting your costs and making happy customers in the process.
Once you have finished your pitch to a potential client, state the main benefit of working with you or using your product.
Remember that in any pitch, the other person wants to know what you can do for them and what benefits you can provide them.
One week is all we need to pinpoint the reason for high staff turnover.
Regarding personnel, our agency can supply staff even on short notice.
We can design an ad campaign that will have an immediate impact.
Research shows that our software increases the efficiency of mobile processors.
So that was our sales pitch, our second example of an elevator pitch, which included asking a question to generate interest, pitching and stating particular benefits.
Now it's your turn to practice some of the techniques we've looked at today.
Let's review some of the language used in elevator pitches.
We'll practice two different kinds of elevator pitch with three functions for each type.
We'll tell you which function to carry out and give you some language to use.
For example, three functions for pitching yourself at a job fair are 1.
Saying what you can do.
2.
Highlighting your value to the company.
And 3.
Asking for follow-up information.
For example, if you hear Function.
Saying what you can do.
Work on my own.
Enjoy teamwork.
You can say, I work well on my own, but I enjoy teamwork as well.
We'll practice the job fair pitch first.
Are you ready?
Let's give it a try.
Function, highlighting your value to the company.
Position requires Spanish, my second language.
Function, asking for follow-up information.
Could travel involved.
How did that go?
Compare your answer with this example function saying what you can do.
Example answer.
In addition to public relations, I also have experience in online publishing function, highlighting your value to the company.
Example answer.
I see the position requires Spanish, which is my second language.
Asking for follow-up information.
Example answer.
Could you tell me how much travel this job involves?
Okay, now let's try the sales pitch.
Again, we'll tell you which function to carry out and give you some language to use.
We'll use the three functions we covered today for pitching your company.
One, asking a question to generate interest.
Two, making the pitch.
And three, stating a particular benefit.
Function.
Asking a question to generate interest.
Expanding rapidly over 32 countries.
Function Making a pitch Easier to focus on business.
Take care of your staffing needs.
Function.
Stating a particular benefit.
Now, here's an example to compare with your version.
Function.
Asking a question to generate interest.
Example answer.
Did you know that we're expanding rapidly and will be in over 32 countries by the end of the year?
Function.
Making a pitch.
Example answer.
We make it easier for you to focus on business by taking care of your staffing needs.
Function, stating a particular benefit.
Example answer.
One week is all we need to pinpoint the reason for high staff turnover.
Next we'll review some of the vocabulary and idioms that we've studied in this episode.
You'll hear a series of sentences with a word replaced with a beep.
Repeat the whole sentence, saying the missing word.
For example, if you hear... You can say... After each response, we'll play the correct answer.
Let's begin.
Case are used by universities so students can practice analyzing real-life situations.
Answer.
Case studies are used by universities so students can practice analyzing real-life situations.
His background is largely theoretical, so he has little hands experience.
Answer his background is largely theoretical, so he has little hands-on experience if you don't have your inventory Control.
Production will be difficult to manage.
Answer.
If you don't have your inventory under control, production will be difficult to manage.
The results look very... And we can expect improvement over the next few quarters.
Answer.
The results look very promising and we can expect improvement over the next few quarters.
That's all for this episode on elevator pitches.
We've studied language and expressions for pitching yourself as a candidate at a job fair and pitching your company to a prospective client.
Thanks for listening and see you again soon.
