How do you quickly summarize what your company does? Do you have the proverbial “elevator pitch”? Is it relevant? Is it effective?
We have found it important for all employees to know and understand how to quickly explain what we do when asked. And it is more than just making hardwood lumber.
A few years ago, we at the Baillie Group, engaged in a joint exercise to develop a new statement that helps quickly describe how we serve those in the hardwood industry.
This is what we came up with:
Succeeding in business is hard. Buying your hardwoods shouldn’t be. At the Baillie Group, we make it simple and easy.
Our unmatched supply and industry expertise, together with our passion to serve, ensures you access to the right hardwoods at the right price and time.
Don’t waste time and energy worrying about your hardwood needs. Leave your frustration and anxiety behind and move forward with confidence by choosing
THE BAILLIE GROUP as your trusted hardwood advisor and supplier.
When is the last time you looked at your company’s positioning? If it’s time for a fresh effort, here are a few tips that helped us develop ours.
Know your audience. To be most effective, you must speak to a target audience’s specific needs and pain points. This can only be achieved with a thorough understanding of what drives customers to act, and how your products or services can best spur that action.
“Challenge yourself to pin down the top three things you want your audience to remember about you and your business,” advises Entrepreneur. “This will help keep your pitch succinct and answer why your target audience should choose you.”
Seek out differentiating factors. It is important to set your business apart from the competition. Be ready to paraphrase your company’s unique value proposition. Business News Daily recommends stressing “the key points of your business and top-selling offerings to engage your audience.” Always consider “the big picture, and instead of just listing product benefits, show value.”
Be on the same page with your sales team. Ensure your sales reps, and for our industry lumber buyers, are using the same positioning in the market. Prospective customers can get confused if they come across different versions of the positioning and can’t properly understand what your business specifically has to offer.
Keep it exciting! Do your best to inspire excitement on the listener’s part. A boring statement means your target audience “might forget your name, your idea, or your business, or they might not feel compelled to follow up with you,” notes LinkedIn. To remedy this, employ narrative elements like “a hook, a story, or a question to grab your audience’s attention and curiosity.”
So is your company elevator pitch do for a refresh? Maybe some of these ideas will help. If you are looking for more information on how to start, drop me a line. I would be happy to help!
Tony C.
The Baillie Group