Perfecting Your Personal Pitch

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How do you come up with a personal elevator pitch that works for you and also the organization for which you work? Whether you work for a Fortune 500 company, a local non-profit, or yourself, a personal pitch is a professional imperative. This presentation goes over how to perfect your personal pitch (and also reveals why bad pitches happen to good people).

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PERFECTING YOUR PERSONAL PITCH

HOSTED BY WVDO

OCTOBER 24, 2012

Why are you here today?

What is your personal pitch?

Top 3 Reasons Bad Pitches Happen to Good People

1. You’re boring2. You say too much3. You think people care about you

Effective messaging is concise, compelling and repeatable.

”Perfection is reached not when there is nothing left to add, but when there is nothing left to take away.”

Antoine de Saint-Exupery

SUCCESS = A QUESTION

Supporter questions

Do you believe what I believe?

What do you do?

Why you?

Org answers

We believe that...

We are known for...

What makes us compelling is...

BRAND: yours, theirs, ours

Brand Gears

BREATHE

YOUR BRAND PERSONALITY

3 ADJECTIVES

PERSONALITY

What 3 adjectives would you use to describe her?

What 3 adjectives would you use to describe him?

Which words say “friendly, informed, responsive?”

Org A

EnvisionSeekingChildrenUnsanitaryPupilEnsureSincerelyHello

SeeLooking forKidsDirtyStudentMake sureCheersHi

Org B

What 3 adjectives would you use to describe the personality of your organization?

Of yourself?

MESSAGING

Effective messaging is concise, compelling and repeatable.

What yoursupporterscare about

What yourcompetitionwants to beknown for

What youwant to beknown for

MessagingSweet Spot

READ vs. SAID

SAID

3 Step Messaging 1

Meta message

2

Supporting message(s)

3

Personal message

Example: Splash1

Meta message

We clean water for kids around the world.

2

Supporting message(s)

We do this in places where you’d expect the water to be clean—schools, orphanages and hospitals.

3

Personal message

What I personally do is install the systems that clean the water. I was drawn to Splash because…

Example: Splash (program)1

Org message personalized

I install purification systems that clean water for kids around the world.

2

Supporting message(s)

I do this in places where you’d expect the water to be clean—schools, orphanages and hospitals.

3

Personal message

I was drawn to this work because…

Example: Splash (fundraiser)1

Org message personalized

I raise money to clean water for kids around the world.

2

Supporting message(s)

These kids are getting dirty water in places where you’d expect it to be clean—schools, orphanages and hospitals.

3

Personal message

I was drawn to this work because…

Example: Splash (exec dir)1

Org message personalized

I head up an organization that cleans water for kids around the world.

2

Supporting message(s)

We do this in places where you’d expect it to be clean—schools, orphanages and hospitals.

3

Personal message

I was drawn to this work because…

Personal Pitch: by role

Role PitchProgram staff I install water purification

systems that clean water for kids around the world

Fundraising staff I raise money to clean water for kids around the world.

Executive Director I head up an organization that cleans water for kids around the world.

Board member I serve on the board of an organization that cleans water for kids around the world.

What is your personal pitch?

WE BELIEVE THAT...

We believe hunger is unacceptable.

We believe technology can play a pivotal role in creating the greater good.

We believe every child deserves to be agreat reader.

What do you believe?

WE ARE KNOWN FOR...

We develop water filtration processes to improve water quality.

We clean water for kids.

We train staff to maintain filtration systems.

We advocate for better water quality standards.

We teach safe hygiene methods.

We develop water filtration processes to improve water quality.

We clean water for kids.

We train staff to maintain filtration systems.

We advocate for better water quality standards.

We teach safe hygiene methods.

Everything = Nothing

What do you want to be known for?

BREATHE

WHAT MAKES US COMPELLING IS...

BenefitsBenefitsBenefitsBenefitsBenefitsBenefitsBenefitsBenefitsBenefits

Feature

Museum exhibit

Education

Environment

Housing

Benefit

Passport to the world

A brighter future

Wide, open spaces for future generations

Dignity

What makes you compelling?

Supporter asks

Do you believe what I believe?

What do you do?

Why you?

Org answers

We believe that...

We are known for...

What makes us compelling is...

Effective messaging is concise, compelling and repeatable.

Technology—Nonprofits—Savvy

NPower NW is where savvy nonprofits turn for technology.

Children—Reading—Kid-to-Kid

Team Read trains teens to take grade school readers from struggling to successful.

Kids—Water—Transparency

Splash cleans water for kids around the world.

3 Step Messaging 1

Meta message

2

Supporting message(s)

3

Personal message

What is your personal pitch?

THANK YOU!

Erica Mills | Claxonwww.claxonmarketing.comerica@claxonmarketing.comTwitter: @ericamills206.351.8504

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