Cocktail Pitch. How to form the best way to speak about your business.

I don’t know about you but I’m hardly ever having conversations with people in elevators these days.

I much prefer the cocktail pitch… those moments at a dinner party or a networking event when someone asks, “What do you do?”.

You’re going get this question so you better be prepared how to answer!

Cocktail Pitch – Components

1 | Who you are?

It’s important to know your ideal client profile and to note it in your pitch.

2 | What results do your customers/clients get?

Answer the listener’s question: “What’s in it for me?”

3 | Why you’re different.

Include your USP (unique selling proposition) or your special sauce. It could be as simple as an adjective or a colorful expression but make sure you share why you’re different than your competitors.

4 | What problem do you solve?

Make sure you’re clear on what problem you solve for your clients/customers. It isn’t about what you do but how you solve their problems.

5 | How you do it?

This is when you share how you get people results. Is it through coaching, consulting, mentoring, creating, partner, delivering… so on.

6 | What’s my goal/call to action?

Is there some type of action you want your listener to take? Is it to make a referral, become a client, or partner with you? You don’t need to have an explicit CTA in your pitch but you can sprinkle your intention into what you do, who you serve and what’s next.

Cocktail Pitch – Checklist

1. Brain dump and write down everything that comes to mind. Get it out of your head and onto paper.
2. Write down your current pitch, if you have one. What’s missing? What have you left out that is super important to share?
3. Pare it down to 4-5 sentences. Dump jargon and delete excess details. Cut out redundant words or too much embellishment.
4. Can you pare it down even further? Limit it to 3 statements and make sure it flows. 3 disconnected statements sounds forced. Make sure it sentences flow and connect and make sense to the listener.
5. Make sure you’re super clear. If I had a dollar for every time I heard: “I help women find success and happiness by helping them find their purpose”. You don’t want people to walk away confused, having more questions than answers, or worse – thinking you’re not a serious business person.
6. Say it out loud. How does it sound?
7. Share it with a few friends and ask them for feedback.
8. Commit it to memory and practice it. Practice it. And practice it some more.
9. Have a few versions in your back pocket for different audiences. (You may have a version you share with those in your industry and then a different version when you’re out socially with friends).

Cocktail Pitch – Don’t Forget

• Stand confident in your pitch. This typically gets easier the more you deliver it. So practice and use it often.
• Smile when you deliver your pitch.
• Add something quirky or unusual to your pitch – as long as it pertains to the work you do or your business.
• Share with enthusiasm. Enthusiasm is contagious. If you just rattle it off in a monotone voice while looking down – you aren’t going to find much interest from your audience.
• If you’re getting blank stares or confusion, then take that feedback and revamp your pitch for next time.
• Leave people wanting more – in a good way. If you find that people sit up when you share what you do and start asking engaging questions, you are on the right path.

• Don’t leave people wondering what you actually do.
• Don’t be monotone or boring in your delivery.
• Keep the jargon to a minimum.
• You don’t need to include all your credentials, accolades and letters after your name. You may be an MD, PhD, MBA but if what you’re doing is now coaching professionals in transition – you can save all of that for your online bio.
• Don’t forget to include your personality in your pitch.
• Don’t sound salesy or shifty by trying to hard sell someone on the spot.
• Don’t forget to have fun.

Here is a quick worksheet that you can use to work on your cocktail party pitch.

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