"What’s a verbal brand?" I hear you ask. The answer: your elevator pitch. None the wiser? Read this and it will all make perfect sense.
If you've ever worked with a tender writer, proposal writer, sales copywriter or marketing copywriter, you'll know how important it it to describe in writing the key benefits you bring to your clients.
Well, there's also something called a verbal brand, or elevator pitch. A while back, Carolyn Stafford of Connect Marketing interviewed me about my verbal brand for her book Small Business Big Brand. Here’s what she wrote, and what I said:
Put simply, a verbal brand is your 5 to 10 word statement on what you do and is most often used when someone asks you the stock standard question: “What do you do?” Many people also refer to it as the ‘audio logo’. Think how many times a week you must be asked this question - at a party, at a networking function and by other parents at your kid’s school. Do you say, “I’m a financial planner”, “I’m an accountant”, “I’m a dentist”? If you do, all I can say is "boring"!
It’s a big mistake to be so literal because you’ve just missed one of the biggest marketing opportunities ever and it was presented to you on a platter. In fact, what you have just done is either sent that person to sleep or given them the opportunity to change the subject entirely.
The biggest problem with how we respond to this type of question is that we focus on what we do and our process, not what’s in it for the person who actually asked you the question. So next time, instead of telling that person you are a financial planner, tell them that you "make your clients fabulously wealthy". Instead of telling them you’re an accountant tell them that you "help your clients pay the tax man less money". Instead of telling them you are a dentist, tell them you are "the only dentist in Baytown that kids actually love coming to visit".
Audio logos like this can give people a smile and let them know you that you really care about your customers’ well-being and not your own pocket. They can also kick-start a conversation that turns into a genuine connection, leading to an exchange of business cards that could ultimately turn into mutually satisfying business.
I have had a number of business owners say that the audio logo can often sound a bit gimmicky. Two things here – work on it until you find an audio logo you are comfortable with and get used to it! And then practice, practice, practice. If you don’t do it, you are simply missing out on potential business.
But the verbal brand extends beyond the audio logo. The other verbal brand you must develop for your business is the "elevator pitch". Imagine you are in an elevator with a potential client, or at a formal networking function, and you have 30 or 60 seconds to tell your audience about yourself and your business. Could you do it in an entertaining, eloquent and engaging way that would make your business stand out? Could you do it in a way that would get people wanting to know more about how you can help them?
Basically, your elevator pitch must answer these questions:
• Who you are
• What you do
• Who you do it for (type of clients)
• WIIFM (what’s in it for me?) factor
• How you charge
• What experience customers can expect.
Don’t forget to end with a question about them so you can find out more and of course, let them know you would love to continue the conversation later over coffee.
Lastly, if your staff don’t know your audio logo or aren’t religiously using the elevator pitch too, then you could be missing out on lots of new business. As a small business owner you can’t afford for your staff not to be marketing your business. Sit down and work on your pitch with your team. Get them engaged and practice it with each other. Make it fun and check out other people’s response to your pitch before narrowing and refining it.
CASE STUDY
PROOF COMMUNICATIONS & ROSEMARY GILLESPIE
Rosemary Gillespie runs a copywriting and editing business based in Sydney. Whilst she works with words in print rather than the spoken word, she believes that many businesses need to pay more attention to what they say about their business, and not just what they put in print.
“We were asked at a recent networking breakfast to give our elevator pitch in 60 seconds. I’d already honed my pitch and used it a few times, so I felt comfortable about presenting myself and my business,” she said.
“I noticed that some of the other people seemed embarrassed about talking about their business. They were almost apologising for what they do. But there were lots of good elevator pitches. Those that stood out spoke slowly, clearly and confidently, and they smiled. So they came across as professional, yet warm, not pushy or arrogant.
“That’s what makes a good verbal brand for me – a clear, succinct description of what their business does, and how it helps their clients. And brevity is an asset. No one wants to listen to a long, boring spiel.”
It was while she was crafting her elevator pitch and audio logo that Rosemary realised that in the past she had undersold herself and her skills.
“My elevator pitch made me focus precisely on what I do, and, more importantly, how I help my clients. It made me clarify my brand and the benefits I bring to my clients.
“It did feel strange saying it to people at functions, and even to acquaintances in social situations. Even reading it on paper makes it sound strange, but I’ve found that the more I use it, the easier and more natural it sounds. And I always alter it slightly, depending on who I’m talking to. The main thing is to know it inside-out, so that I always cover my main points.
“It’s such a fantastic way to present my business. As well as generating an enormous number of contacts, using my elevator pitch has directly lead to new work projects. I’ve just finished one for a new client that I met at a Melbourne Cup lunch who heard my elevator pitch after they asked me, “What do you do?
“I really believe that a business can’t be a business without an elevator pitch – as long as it’s succinct, clear, and spells out the benefits that the business brings to its clients.
“And audio logos are a great opener for a conversation. When people ask me, I say that I make businesses lively, interesting to read about and I make them jump off the page. That always generates a quizzical look, which leads me into my elevator pitch.”
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