How To Create a Great Nonprofit Elevator Pitch – aka “Verbal Branding”

To raise funds you must first raise friends.The initial step is making folks aware of who you are and what you do.  In our daily lives (and in the daily lives of our volunteers) many opportunities arise where we can begin the friend raising process.  We have to be prepared to take advantage of these opportunities.  One place to start is to assure that everyone connected with your organization knows how to craft and deliver a winning Elevator Pitch.

An “Elevator Pitch” is a concise, carefully planned, and well-practiced description about you that your mother should be able to understand in the time it would take to ride up an elevator (not the EmpireStateBuilding; think 15 – 30 seconds). It’s the way you position yourself to make a memorable impact upon the listener.  Like a brand, it’s

We all need to be ready, both in our personal and professional lives. Because opportunity presents itself in the strangest places – even in elevators!  Have you ever been on an elevator (or maybe at a party… in line at the grocery store… waiting for a bus?) and you happen to run into someone who could make a difference in your life?  Maybe it’s a prospective donor with whom you’ve been longing to connect.  Maybe it’s the E.D. of the next organization for whom you’d like to work.  You introduce yourself. And then they say:

You should have a few well-rehearsed lines that answer this question in a manner that piques your listener’s curiosity and leaves them wanting more. Say something intriguing; then pause. They’ll ask a question that stems from the curiosity you invoked. Answer with your well-crafted pitch. Then gracefully hand off your business card.

·        What you do
Briefly describe your role and why the mission is important to you personally. Share what you love. Perhaps say something unexpected. Think of what might capture someone’s attention. Make it memorable. GUSH.

            Why is what you do important?  Scale of the problem?  How will a donor’s support make a difference? Whose life will be transformed?  Do not go into excruciating detail.  Pick something compelling and interesting. If people are not genuinely curious when you tell them what you do that means your brand needs to be better. You want people to want to hear more.

·        Scope of the impact you make: Share a quantitative result
How many people did you help last year?

·        How others can make an impact: Spell out the opportunity
Complete this sentence: “With some additional resources, we could …”

What are you exceptional at? In what area(s) are you perceived as a leader?How are you different/better than other organizations doing something similar? (You should be able to think of this in just 5 seconds). KEEP IT SIMPLE.

Say it to a friend, partner, colleague or your pet. Make sure you’re comfortable with it. Make it warm and conversational; it should sound natural, and not like a sales pitch. Get used to responding when people ask common questions like “What do you mean by…?” “Aren’t there a lot of organizations doing the same thing?” Keep improving your pitch until it becomes routine for you and crystal clear for your audience.

Get out and talk to clients and constituents. Spread the joy you feel about the organization. Share a story of how someone you helped really touched you.  Talk about a donor and how encouraged you are about their help. Everything you do is about the people you serve. Get to know them. Get to know your own passions.  When you connect your passion to what you do and who you serve, then you’ve got a verbal branding statement that will withstand any elevator question!

Elevator image courtesy of William Freeman