The Intromercial Elevator Speech One version of an elevator speech is a 3-sentence answer to the question what do you do? Within those three sentences, there are 4 parts. In order to craft each of those sentences, you need to answer some questions to get the precise words that are going to make you irresistible to clients. 4 Parts of an Intromercial Elevator Speech 1) Identify your target market 2) Talk about their pain 3) Describe your solution, using benefits 4) Tell why they should hire/buy from you 1) Identify Your Target Market Who are the people that you serve? What constitutes an ideal client or customer for you? Who needs you most? If you ve been answering Everyone! it s time to narrow that down. If you try to serve everyone, you ll end up serving no one. If you serve a specific and narrow target market, you can be seen as an expert and experts command more respect, sell more, and charge higher prices. Target markets can be defined by Occupation teachers, doctors, dentists, service professionals, government employees, etc. Demographics men, women, age range, income level, etc Geographics people within a certain geographic area
Psychographics likes and dislikes people of a certain political party, people who love dogs, people with ecological concerns, etc. EXAMPLES Entrepreneurs who don t like marketing (both occupation and psychographics) Single moms in corporate positions (occupation and demographics) Seniors (demographics) People in county (geographics) many service professionals such as doctors, dentists, etc. seek their patients from only one or two counties Cat-lovers (psychographics) What s your target market in 15 words or less? 2) Talk About the Pain That You Will Help Alleviate What problem does your target market have that you re going to solve? The best types of problems to describe are Transactional Problems that is, they have a specific and measurable solution. Are you unhappy? and Do you not have enough joy in your life? are not Transactional Problems. Although most people would say that they d like to be happier, it s not readily measurable. Therefore it s not a Transactional Problem, and it s much harder to work with. Transactional Problems include: Want to lose weight Want to be in a relationship Not making enough money
Physical complaint (back pain, joint pain, dry skin, no sex drive, etc) Write down the pain(s) that your target market experiences: Now we ll take parts 1 and 2 and put them together into your first sentence. Tip: Start your Intromercial with You know how rather than I work with. Starting with the word You engages the person that you re talking to. Note: This ONLY should be used if the problem that you help solve is widely known. It doesn t make sense to say You know how if you help with a situation that only a very few are familiar with. Tip: Avoid words that you wouldn t say normally say I help rather than I assist. In these examples, the first bold is the target market, the second is the pain. You know how women over 40 who are yo-yo dieters/ keep regaining their lost weight, and are frustrated because the weight just won t stay off? You know how women entrepreneurs are burned out trying to reach more people, and not making enough money? You know how career professionals with families are feeling overwhelmed, and don t have the time to work on their jobs and play with their kids? You know how many folks over 50/ don t have enough energy, can t sleep well, and their bodies just ache? Action Step: Put parts 1 and 2 together into your first sentence:
3) Describe Your Solution, Using Benefits This is the section in which you begin to talk about yourself, but very little. The focus of this section is the benefits that the customer will receive from your solution. The error that most people make in this section is talking about features or process, not benefits. This was mentioned earlier in the examples of mistakes. EXAMPLE OF WHAT NOT TO DO! Herbalist: I use herbs to balance the heart, lungs and liver. This doesn t mean anything to most people (except herbalists!) Balancing the heart is the process of what the herbalist does. The benefit is what the client gets from this. Instead: I have a solution that allows you to sleep better, double your energy, and lose weight. These are transactional, and they speak to the customer. EXAMPLE OF WHAT NOT TO DO! Coach: I help people love marketing. Most people who don t like marketing can t even relate to this statement! Instead: I help service professionals and entrepreneurs get more business, make more money, and have it all be fun and easy. Here are some hints about how you can determine your benefits. What do your customers or clients say about your work? How do you help people get one of these three: more money, more time, more love?
EXAMPLE Gray areas Coach: I help people have more joy, feel more fulfilled, and discover their hearts. These are very nebulous. This is one of the reasons that life coaching can be challenging to market! If you specialize in one area, it will improve your marketing, sales, and money and you can speak more clearly, and in a transactional way about what you do. Instead: I work with career single dads to balance work and home so they spend more time with their kids. Balancing work and home isn t transactional, but spending more time with your kids is VERY measurable. What is your solution, describing the benefits? Try to come up with 2 to 4 benefits.
Action Step: Put these benefits into a sentence. Begin with: I have a simple system that I have a special process that I consult with (target market) to I coach people to EXAMPLES I have a simple system that teaches entrepreneurs how to make more money in less time in an authentic, heart-centered way. I have a special process that helps women in mid-life to have fabulous relationships, including communicating with their partner so that they re heard, getting full support, and having a great sex life. I consult with real estate investors to help them negotiate the banks, handle their paperwork, and make lots more money. Note: all these examples include the target market. If you ve already said the target market in sentence 1, then you can say them or these people instead of re-stating the market. My 2 nd sentence is:
4) What s Special About You? Tell them why they should hire you, or buy from you. This is the time to mention testimonials, statistics, and credentials, although college degrees aren t usually helpful. EXAMPLES Wellness Coach: 80% of my clients achieve their goal weight, and maintain it over a year. Financial advisor: I ve been in business over 10 years and helped thousands of people. If you re new in business, and don t feel that you have statistics like this, you have several different options. You may have experience in related fields that you can mention. EXAMPLE You ve spent 20 years in a business and now you re a business coach. I have 20 years of experience in business. Tell them something unique about your or your methods, or try a general endorsement of your product or service. EXAMPLES New Business Coach: Unlike most business coaches, I won t just tell you what to do, I ll make sure you know how to make it comfortable and fun. New Coach: Coaching has helped thousands of people in this situation (not my coaching ). New Financial Advisor: 93% of people who use a financial advisor have a financially comfortable retirement.
What s your specific reason that people should work with you? Hint: List lots of these you ll only use one or two in the Intromercial, but you ll use the rest later.
Putting it All Together Now let s put it all together in a couple of examples. EXAMPLES: You know how most new mothers struggle to lose the weight that they gained in pregnancy? I have a simple process that gently guides their bodies back to their optimum weight, and increases their energy level at the same time. It s worked for dozens of new mothers, safely and naturally. You know how so many middle-class baby boomers are unprepared financially for retirement? They worry about being able to maintain their lifestyle, and being a burden on their children. I have a proven system to help them create a financial plan that gives them the money they need and the peace of mind, and I ve been doing this for over ten years for hundreds of people. Action Step: Follow the four steps to create your own Intromercial tm. I suggest writing it out at first, and reading it a few times. Then try to create it from memory. Try it on your spouse and your friends until it s comfortable and natural to say. Your wording will change, and you ll want to use wording that is natural and authentic for you. Practice this frequently before you try it at a networking event.
My Intromercial
Intromercial Extras Most entrepreneurs have important information about their business that they d like to share, but that doesn t belong in the Intromercial. These fall into the category that I call what comes after the question. Here s what that means: After you deliver your Intromercial, the person you re talking to will usually say How do you do that? or Can you tell me more! This is your opportunity to mention other important or interesting information that wouldn t fit in your Intromercial. Examples include other services that you provide, or more details about your benefits. Remember, the Intromercial is just to open the door, and give people a glimpse of what s inside. Don t tell them everything that s inside up front. You ll want to have 4 or 5 additional statements that describe this other information. Prepare it ahead of time, so that you can deliver the information smoothly, comfortably and confidently. Here s the key to being effective with that: What if, after the Intromercial, someone asks you for more and you either stumble, or rattle on and on? You ve destroyed the great impression that you created at the beginning. You want to have single sentences of 15-20 words to share, then STOP TALKING. You want your listeners to ask for more. EXAMPLE A feng shui expert who focuses on business spaces also works on houses. Because her target market is business owners, mentioning in the Intromercial that she also works on homes is distracting from her message. It s a perfect thing to mention in later conversation.
My extras:
Everything is leading up to you getting their contact information. Here s how you do that! They say Wow, that s interesting. How do you do that? You deliver one or two of your extra sentences. Then you say: I have a free report (or free audio) about. I d be happy to send this to you. May I do that? Or I d love to talk to you more about this in a less noisy (or hectic, or crowded) environment. Why don t I call you tomorrow and we can chat? Or I d love to talk to you more about this when we can both be more focused. I offer a free consultation so I can hear more about what you re interested in may I call you in the next few days and schedule one? Note: Offering them the free report is usually much MORE effective. It doesn t commit them to anything. Use your intuition, or gut feeling, about which approach will be better in a given situation. Then, after they ve received the freebie, you can follow up with an email or phone call, ask how they enjoyed what you sent, and see if they have any more questions.
Other Ways to Use Your Intromercial Short Version There are times when you ll want a shorter version of your Intromercial tm. Social situations, such as parties, casual meetings in a store, etc. are good examples of times to use your short version. Here s how you do this: Combine a brief description of the pain with a brief description of the benefits. Here are examples from the full Intromercials tm we looked at earlier. EXAMPLES: You know how most new mothers struggle to lose the weight that they gained in pregnancy? I have a simple process that gently guides their bodies back to their optimum weight, and increases their energy level at the same time. It s worked for dozens of new mothers, safely and naturally. Short version: I help new mothers who are struggling to lose their pregnancy weight to do so safely while increasing their energy level. You know how so many middle-class baby boomers are unprepared financially for retirement? They worry about being able to maintain their lifestyle, and being a burden on their children. I have a proven system to help them create a financial plan that gives them the money they need and the peace of mind, and I ve been doing this for over ten years for hundreds of people. Short version: I help middle-class baby boomers who are unprepared financially for retirement to get the money that they need. Hint! If you re tempted to say this: I help middle-class baby boomers who are unprepared financially for retirement create effective financial plans You re giving them process (the plan is process) not benefit (the money is the benefit). Long Version
Often at networking events you ll be given 1 ½ or 2 minutes to speak. Since your Intromercial tm is 15 to 30 seconds, you ll want to expand it. You don t need to fill all the time, just give them a bit more. You ll still use your Intromercialtm, you ll just add some extra sentences. 1) Say your first sentence, including target market and pain. 2) Insert an additional sentence about their pain. 3) Say your second sentence, about your solution with benefits 4) Insert an additional sentence about the benefits. You may want to use a sentence from your after the question list. 5) Say your third sentence what s great about you. 6) Offer your freebie like this: I have a free report called. I ll be happy to send it to you if you ll come up and give me your card. (Hint: it s better to use you and not anyone. It sounds more personal). What I m going to offer to a prospect in return for their contact information: Example: Free report, free audio, newsletter tips, free consultation Examples are on the next page. If you re a coach for new mothers, or a financial advisor, please create your own wording these are examples only.
EXAMPLE 1 You know how most new mothers struggle to lose the weight that they gained in pregnancy? I have a simple process that gently guides their bodies back to their optimum weight, and increases their energy level at the same time. It s worked for dozens of new mothers, safely and naturally. Long Version: You know how most new mothers struggle to lose the weight that they gained in pregnancy? They re short on time to exercise, and short on the energy to take care of themselves. I have a simple process that gently guides their bodies back to their optimum weight, and increases their energy level at the same time. It helps them with those middle of the night feedings, and helps their bodies meet the demands of caring for their new babies. It s worked for dozens of new mothers, safely and naturally. I have a free audio CD on 12 Ways to Care for You and Your Baby Together and I m happy to send it to you. Just come up later and give me your card. My Ideas:
EXAMPLE 2 You know how so many middle-class baby boomers are unprepared financially for retirement? They worry about being able to maintain their lifestyle, and being a burden on their children. I have a proven system to help them create a financial plan that gives them the money they need and the peace of mind, and I ve been doing this for over ten years for hundreds of people. Long Version: You know how so many middle-class baby boomers are unprepared financially for retirement? They worry about being able to maintain their lifestyle, and being a burden on their children. Some of them are really scared, because they expected to have a pension, and that s fallen through, or they ve lost money in the stock market. I have a proven system to help them create a financial plan that gives them the money they need and the peace of mind. We find ways to maximize their money most people don t know about, and the returns are fantastic! I ve been doing this for over ten years for hundreds of people. I have a free report The 10 Financial Secrets to a Successful Retirement and I m happy to send it to you. Just come up later and give me your card. My Ideas: Congratulations! You ve taken a significant step towards exploding your profits.