Getting Started: Using the 5 Ws to Build Your Elevator Pitch

The last few posts in the Getting Started series have focused on naming and messaging which are crucial to any start-up. I find that many companies don't spend enough time creating their elevator pitch and then constantly change it which hurts the process more than helps it.

Recently, we looked at the 5 Ws (who, what, where, when, why) that are behind your key messages and also explored how and why to come up with a short descriptor (3-5 words) that explains what bucket your business is in. These are the cornerstones of your message.

But ultimately, what you need is an elevator pitch for your company so today's post will look at how we put these other elements together into something that you can use across your website, collateral, presentations and all communications about your company.

I thought it would make the most sense to use an example to show you how I take the answers to the 5Ws to build the elevator pitch for a start-up. And, I'm going to use this blog as the "company" in this example. To get started, I answer the 5 Ws as succinctly as possible which I did in the chart below:

To start, I created my short descriptor as part of the answer to the "who am I?" question. It clearly puts me in a bucket that everyone understands, which is that of a marketing blog, but it also creates a niche in a very noisy market by showing how it is focused on start-ups.  

Then you can weave these answers into a paragraph like I've done below or if you need a shorter option just choose the most appropriate questions to answer which are likely the first 3 and covered by the first sentence:

Dude, It’s Marketing is a start-up marketing blog that helps founders and marketers at technology start-ups launch new products and build awareness for the comapny. We look at marketing strategically and show how to implement the right tactics, within the limited resources of a start-up, to generate qualified leads, which result in a strong pipeline for sales.

As you can see, by starting with the answers to the 5 Ws it is quite easy to build your elevator pitch or boilerplate. These answers also give you the talking points to consistently respond to key questions about your business in a simple and consistent manner that your audience will remember.

Let us know any tips you have picked up to create an elevator pitch or if you have any similar framworks that you use which have proven helpful.

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Of the 5 w's, the last W is the hardest. But once you nailed all the first 4 W's then I think, the rest will be easy.

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I would stick to the first two points. Who AM I? And what problem I solve.