So at the weekend I was badly introduced by a colleague to someone I was very interested to meet.  It caught me completely off guard and it didn't leave a great first impression.  I realised then that I need to work on my own 30 second elevator pitch.  So when moments like that happen again I can take control back.  Weirdly enough I had helped in the creation of one for my husband recently and so when he is in a business situation.  I think he's got a great one. Here's what he says!  

I like it because it has all the skills, confidence and goals of a quick, clear and understood pitch. Control is firmly in his hands and I think he leaves room for the person he is expressing it too to ask more questions.  ​What do you think of it? Do you like it? Do you think it can be improved? Do you get what he does and how can help. Do let me know!

So, Why an Elevator Pitch?

So anyway.... after last weekend I really think its important to have one for myself.  It also reminded me of how important it is when you are introducing someone else too. So my first question in the future before I introduce someone to someone else is to ask if they have an 30 second elevator pitch or kind of create one based on a few key principles.

​​There are some great benefits to having a good elevator pitch like:-

a) Helps you be more clear and confident about who you are and what you do.  How often do we get derailed with thoughts when we meet people for the first time or feel less confident when we meet someone we are super excited to meet yet nervous too!!!  A clear, confident pitch just eases all of that!

b) It take the, 'uh..er....' moment out of the equation and you don't have to worry about sentencing a collection of exciting nouns, verbs and adjectives because you have already done it and its ready to go.

c) As you practice it, you become more and more connected with your pitch and you become more passionate about it. The way you say it becomes more embedded in you and you become more authentic.

d) If you are of a nervous disposition when you meet people for the first time and feel awkward setting the pace of the conversation then having a pitch could relieve some of the anxiety that's created in these first few moments.

What Makes a Good Elevator Pitch?

​Through my research I've discovered that a good pitch has some clear elements

a) A goal. What are you trying to achieve with your pitch. So personally I reckon you should have may be 2 or 3 'go to' pitches based on your audience you are talking too. Clients or potential suppliers will have different themes so it makes sense to me to vary your pitch slightly.

​b) Describe the problem your business aims to solve and then share how your business solves that problem.  Keep it simple too. Too many problems you are trying to solve can be overwhelming for the person you are pitching to. We want them to remember what you did, not leave them saying....'uh...he does a number of things but can't remember what'..

c) Identify your unique selling points.  It is important identify your strengths, your products or companies key attributes and wrapping them up into the rest of your pitch so you sound clear, understandable and actionable.

d) Simplicity is also a key point.  How often do you read a company's 'about us' page and you get dizzy reading the words because they've tried to be clever by weaving fancy words together?  I know I have and I land up reading the sentences two or three times just to 'get' what it is that they do.  So work your magic on being simple and using language that is conversational as best you can. 

My Pitches (Always Work In Progress)

So reading up examples and keeping in my the key elements I created two pitches because I do two key activities. Here they are: - 

My Podcasting Pitch.....

'I’m a podcaster and I interview and share the stories of the entrepreneurial women of the Middle East.  From across the region, I get to speak to women who are trail blazing, creating changing, building businesses and thriving.  My platform is an audio blog which you can listen to anywhere at anytime via ITunes, Stitchers, Soundcloud, my website or via social networks.  I have been credited many times for helping my guests feel very proud of their accomplishments and helping them summarize their efforts.  For the listeners, these ladies offer shared experiences, opportunity, success and the real story of how it really is to have a business in the Middle East'.

My Social Media Pitch.....
​
​I love social networks and their ability to create, connect and share with family, friends, colleagues, clients, and suppliers.  Because of its power I’ve created Facebook groups as large as 40,000 members and created fan pages with a total of over 30000 fans.  I have helped numerous people over the last 6 years find the right platform for them and then helping them generate their own leads.  I want to help small businesses brainstorm the right strategy for their businesses. 

So what do you think?  Did I get it? With all these types of things they can be refined and improved as we use them, so I'm going to start with these and then go from there!  See how my audience responds.

Great Resources To Help Create Your Pitch.

Like I said earlier though I didn't do this without some help and inspiration from articles and examples out there. So if you want to check them out, these are the links to the articles that I looked at to help create my pitches. I hope you will find them useful too.

​a) Crafting an Elevator Pitch
b) The 7 Key Components of a Perfect Elevator Pitch [with Video]
​c) A quick guide to writing your elevator pitch (with examples!)
​

And Finally, Practice, Practice, Practice

Make those sentences an extension of yourself so they naturally roll of your tongue and put you in the right light and send the right impression. I won't be making this mistake again.  Authenticity is important these days and builds trust and relationships. 

Do let me know what your elevator pitch is. If you have comments about mine, then please do share. I don't want what happened at the weekend to happen again.  Its just embarrassing.....

When it comes to entrepreneurial life, anything that makes your world a little easier is really worth its weight in gold.

Meetings, emails, proposals… It can all get a little too much sometimes. We’re sure you’ve had times when you’ve found yourself staring aimlessly at your inbox because you don’t even know where to begin (psst… We’re talking from experience).

Well, the following 4 business tools are a blessing. If you don’t already use them, give them a go and if you do use them, tell us just how much of a difference they make to your days!


#1 – Canva
All of those graphic designers out there will be cringing at this point but let us be clear: Canva is no replacement for a talented graphic designer. It’s an easy tool for any entrepreneur who has no design sense to jump on and create a decent enough looking graphic. It’s especially useful when you’re looking to boost a Facebook ad or sort other simple forms of marketing so that you’re not forced to splash out cash unnecessarily.

#2 – SourceBottle
Especially when you’re just starting up, spending hundreds or even thousands of dollars on PR and publicity just isn’t going to happen. SourceBottle is a site where journalists, authors, bloggers or anyone really, posts a ‘call-out’ as to what sources they’re looking for (for example, a fitness expert, finance expert and so on). Sign up and you’ll receive a couple of email alerts per day. From there, it’s a matter of simply sifting out what’s relevant to you and responding to an alert before it expires.

#3 – MailChimp
MailChimp is pretty much email marketing made easy for anyone! It’s simple to use in terms of composing and sending emails… It’s all trackable and it really takes your marketing to the next level. Dedicate just an hour of your time to getting your head around it all and you’ll see just how beneficial to your business MailChimp can be.

#4 – Skype
Once upon a time, speaking to someone from overseas, would see you raking up a ridiculous phone bill. These days, you can talk to anyone anywhere with Skype and a working internet connection. This takes the notion of global connectivity to a whole new level… The U.S., the UAE, the UK, Australia, New Zealand… there’s no place that is off limits these days.

So we’ve had our say… What are your favourite business tools? 

“Do. Or do not. There is no try.” – Yoda, Jedi Master

We’re channeling the wisdom of Yoda from Star Wars here in order to tackle the first big question in our month long focus on entrepreneurs. That question is…

Can all of us become entrepreneurs?

The answer is… It’s complicated! Fact is, not everyone can be their own boss. Ask any entrepreneur and they’ll tell you that you have to put a lot on the line to be an entrepreneur.

You have to be willing to lose things in order to make way for all of the things the universe is likely to be throwing your way.

Additionally, you need to have drive – The kind of drive that means you’re working into the early hours in the morning instead of sleeping or hitting the party scene with your besties.

Focus, commitment, self-belief and the ability to overcome fear… They’re all key ingredients any successful entrepreneur boasts.

Most importantly, you need to have a mindset in which you’re okay with being outside of your comfort zone. A lot.

This way of life isn’t for everyone: Some people enjoy routines, stability and not having to worry about how they’re going to transform an idea into more.

Some people just aren’t risk takers and that means they’re not cutout to be an entrepreneur. We’re talking about the kind of people who take calculated risks and are willing to back themselves when others wouldn’t.

When you look at the most successful entrepreneurs, they see beyond themselves. They’re big vision people… The kind of people who fail five times and get up six times.

Failure is part of the entrepreneurial journey. Often, what differentiates a successful person from everyone else, is their ability to pick themselves up and continue going when others would give up.

This is harsh but oh so true: It’s not going to get you far just by being ‘good at something.’ An entrepreneur is more than just talented… They have a business brain and while they don’t have all of the answers, they’re good at asking the questions they need to and digging until they find those answers.

They’re the kind of people who don’t just have an ‘idea’ – They’re the kind of people who have an idea, make sure it’s more than just a passing whim and do

whatever they need to in order to determine their ideal client and to make their business profitable.

Not to mention, these days, business is about so much more than making money – Organisations have a social and commercial responsibility and if you look at the most successful entrepreneurs, they always have a vision that’s bigger than themselves. They seek to change lives.

Finally, any entrepreneur needs to be good at networking and communicating. Even the most talented of people get help on their way up… Being able to make people listen to your message and having the ability to think outside yourself and ask how you’re going to help others first, is essential.

Why? Without people, you have no business.

So, let’s answer the question that’s front-and-centre: Can all of us become entrepreneurs?

Yes. Ultimately, anyone can do anything they set their mind to… But that doesn’t mean they should!

Before we go, here’s a 55-point checklist to grading entrepreneurs published on Forbes.com.

And don’t forget to check out our interviews with a selection of female entrepreneurs to discover how they’re making a difference.

What do you think? Can everyone be an entrepreneur (share your thoughts below)?

Got a topic you’d like us to blog about? Click here to tell us now.