如何在30秒內讓對方點頭

Helzberg’s story is a classic example of a powerful elevator pitch. An elevator pitch gets its name from the 30-second opportunity to tell and sell your story during a three- or four-story elevator ride. The 30-second parameter is based on the typical attention span, according to the book How to Get Your Point Across in 30 Seconds or Less by Milo O. Frank. It’s one reason why the standard commercial or television sound bite lasts 30 seconds.

The more succinct you are, the more successful you will be, says Dr. Alan Weiss, president of Summit Consulting Group.

The secret of strong elevator pitches consists of grabbing the attention of listeners, convincing them with the promise of mutual benefit, and setting the stage for follow-up. Speak in terms your audience can relate to. And communicate with the passion that comes from knowing that this opportunity may never come again.

1. Know the goal. The goal of an elevator pitch is not to get funding, a job, or project sign-off. It’s to get approval to proceed to the next step, whether it’s accepting a phone call, a referral to the right person, or a chance to send additional information. Says Ken Yancey, the CEO of SCORE: Rarely are you closing a sale. Insted, your are opening the door to the next step.

2. Know the subject. Do you know your topic well enough to describe it in a single sentence? Knowing your subject well also gives you the ability to stand out from others who might be doing something similar. The issue is less what you do, and more what you can do for somebody. I’m a real estate agent is not as powerful as saying, I’m a real estate agent who specializes in helping first-time buyers like you buy great homes in this town.

3. Know the audience. The worst pitches come from those who don’t know my organization or how we operate. Pitching me on something that just isn’t possible wastes both my time and theirs, says Yancey. Before going to a conference, he identifies and does research on the individuals he wants to meet. Then he tailors his elevator pitch to match his audience’s requirements.

4. Organize the pitch. Some people are blessed with charisma and persuasiveness, says Dave Power, a marketing partner at Charles River Ventures. We all aren’t that lucky. But you can still be very effective by focusing on what is meaningful. You have to organize the flow of information to make it as easy as possible for the brain to digest. Typically, elevator pitches start with an introduction, move into a description of the problem, outline potential benefits for the listener, and conclude with a request for permission to proceed to the next step in the relationship.

5. Hook them from the opening. You have to make an immediate connection with the audience. This connection signals that it’s worth investing valuable time to hear what you have to say. Weiss suggests starting with a provocative, contrarian, or counterintuitive statement that will rev pulses. One example: Quality doesn’t matter.

6. Plug into the connection. Once you have the attention of your audience, deliver your message. Clarity is more powerful than jargon. Use analogies the audience can relate to. Power once had to explain a new technology called strong authentication. He held up an ATM card. Every time you use this card with a PIN code, you are using strong authentication, he said. The audience instantly understood that strong authentication involved multiple levels of security. Personalize your message by relating your solution to audience needs. Emotional appeals are also powerful.

7. Presentation matters. It’s natural to want to speak at an auctioneer’s tempo. But rapid-fire delivery rarely conveys confidence and command. In fact, a timely pause is an effective attention-getter. It gives your listener an opportunity to hear, absorb, and retain what you’re saying, writes Frank.

如何在30秒內讓對方點頭

1994年，巴內特‧海茲柏格正經過紐約市的廣場大飯店，聽到一位女子喊著向華倫‧巴菲特的名字。於是他走向這位傳奇性的投資大師，對他說：「你好，巴菲特先生。我是柏克夏哈薩威的股東，非常尊崇你的投資眼光。相信我的公司必定能符合你的投資標準。」

「請寄給我更詳細的資料，」巴菲特回答說。一年之後，海茲柏格將他143家鑽石連鎖店賣給巴菲特。

海茲柏格的故事，便是典型的「電梯推銷」成功範例。電梯推銷的含意指的是，把握搭乘3或4層樓電梯時的30秒鐘機會，介紹或是推銷你的構想。《如何在30秒內清楚表達想法》的作者米洛‧法蘭克指出，一般人的注意力時間僅有30秒鐘。這也是為何一般的廣告或是電視節目的簡介片段不超過30秒的時間。

「說明的內容愈簡短，成功的機會就愈高，」高峰顧問集團總裁艾倫‧衛斯說道。

電梯推銷能夠成功，當中的訣竅在於吸引聽者的注意力；提出創造互惠利益的承諾，說服對方；為後續的接觸創造機會。運用與聽眾息息相關的事物來說明。表達的時候要充滿熱情，因為你知道機會難再。

1.認清目標。電梯行銷的目標不在於取得資金、工作、或是簽定合作案。真正的目的是得到進一步接觸的機會。也許是如何電話連絡、引介給正確的聯絡窗口，或是有機會寄送更詳細資料。

得點顧問公司執行長肯‧楊希說道：「你的目的並非是為了完成交易，而是為未來的接觸開啟一扇門。」