Why you need an elevator pitch

Feel free to insert "story" in the place of "elevator pitch."

From the book "Platform" by Michael Hyatt, here are his reasons:

1. It forces you to achieve clarity yourself
2. It helps you understand your customer's perspective
3. It provides a tool for enrolling strategic partners

Here's my take. Whether you are a product or a person, you need an elevator pitch. 

His first point suggests that if clarity of mission is lacking, why should others be interested? Please refer to "Start with Why" for ideas on communicating a clear mission. 

His second point should be slightly modified for career managers by changing "customer's" to "hiring manager's." Does your story resonate with the person you are trying to engage? The best way to find out? Ask them. 

His last point speaks to the importance of having advocates for your cause. Promoting a product or person requires others to speak positively about your offerings. Lack of mission or lack of advocates will leave you stranded in neutral. 

The term elevator pitch is a bit outdated due to the platforms Michael Hyatt discusses in his book. Social media provides the ultimate platform for carrying out your mission of demonstrating uniqueness in a noisy world. 

The $2,000 dare

The first time I read it I had to re-read it. The second time I read it I laughed. Soon after I saw the brilliance.

Imagine approaching a new employee during training and offering them money to quit if they are not fully committed to your business? I didn't think so.

When you bring in the right employees who will commit to your mission you will have fewer problems providing high level customer service. If you have a workforce loaded with people "collecting a paycheck"...you will. It's great to be customer focused, it's better to be employee focused.

Tony Hsieh at Zappos.com is a genius. He took the time to calculate the financial hit as well as the customer service cost involved in bringing in the wrong people. He realized that offering $2,000 plus wages earned during his four week training program was less costly than the alternative. Shocking!

Ask your friend who owns a business how much it costs to hire a new employee. It goes far beyond the salary. Ask them to calculate the cost if the employee leaves in the first 90 days. It's staggering.

Tony Hsieh's policy was hard to fathom at first. My hope is that it inspires you to think differently about how you run your business.

What came first, the chicken or the...website?

Humor me as I modify the age old question.

A current project that I am working on has multiple dilemmas revolving around the organization's identity. Years ago a website was set up that has content and functionality that doesn't reflect the current mission of the organization. Add to the mix the need to write proposals to secure business and not being sure how to position the organization or reference the website prior to changing it.

Sound familiar? Marketing plays a massive role in organizational identity and business development. When done correctly it eliminates confusion and differentiates your services from others.

When starting a business there are fundamental rules that should be followed. The first is...state why you started the business? The answer isn't "lowest price and best service" because everyone and his brother says the same. You have a reason you know in your heart as to why you chose to go this route. In addition to establishing your "why" is a set of beliefs that you have about your business and the market you serve. Find a way to articulate those beliefs. These critical points will be at the core of your marketing plan.

When Rollin King and Herb Kelleher wanted to start an airline 40+ years ago they were told they were crazy because at the time 15% of Americans flew and the market was already over crowded. Their response: "We want to serve the other 85%. We don't want to be an airline, instead a champion for the common man." Today we know that airline as Southwest Airlines, one of the few profitable airlines and country's strongest brands. When you fly Southwest you clearly understand the identity, culture and mission of their business.

Marketing becomes a bit easier when using the model Southwest used. They didn't build their website or marketing strategy prior to establishing why they would come to exist in the first place. It's a lesson for aspiring entrepreneurs and businesses unsure of why they lack growth.

Pay vs. Purpose. What is your priority?

The following question was posed to my LinkedIn community...

"Do we have the discipline to turn down the job that only pays well in favor of the one that leaves us feeling good at the end of the day?" - Simon Sinek

The replies so far are heavily in favor of the latter statement that focuses on feeling good. Not surprising. The next question I beg to ask is...are we matching our beliefs with our actual behavior?

How about these questions? 

When you go to work are you crystal clear on why your company exists? "To make money" is a result, not a reason. 

Do you work among people who are committed to the same company goals and mission that you are? Do you "feel it", or is there tangible evidence? 

What exactly is it that makes you feel good at the end of the day? 

The recession that commenced in 2008 has changed our world forever. Businesses must operate differently. The workforce and job seeking community need to adjust as well. The shift I see consistently is the desire to be attached to a business with clear purpose, beliefs and values. How fast is this happening? Your answers to the above questions will give the best indicator.  

5 Questions that will size up your job satisfaction

1. Do I work for an organization whose mission and methods I respect? 
2. Does my boss authentically advocate for me? 
3. Am I afforded sufficient variety in my day? 
4. Is the work I do meaningful? 
5. Do I feel valued and appreciated for all the work that I do?

Special thanks to Mark C. Crowley and his article in Fast Company. 

Look at the words that stand out....Mission. Advocate. Variety. Meaningful. Valued and appreciated. 

The ability to share news and information through social media is spreading great stories like this one. There is an assault on the methods of the past that lead to dissatisfaction in the workplace. People are demanding change. Only then will the leaders follow. 

The memory of Vietnam, and the need to make things different

I serve on the board of directors of a newly formed non-profit. We will assist returning veterans as they ease back into the workforce after a lengthy deployment. They have asked for my help in marketing their organization for fundraising and other purposes.

What is their message? Why did they set up the non-profit? Why would people make donations?

My new friend and board member Dante had fire in his eyes. "Do you want to know why I'm here? I was in Vietnam and when I came home, no one was looking to help me. We were treated poorly...even spit on. I will see to it that no returning veteran is ever treated the way I was."

Dante is inspired by what was one of the worst eras in American history. He is committed to making things different due to the honor and respect he has for the uniform. I fully understand his why.

There's something inside all of us that effects our beliefs and mission. Tap into it...don't let it lay dormant.

Why did you get out of bed this morning?

Because the alarm went off?

Because you had to go to work?

Because you wanted to change the world?

This may be a tough question to answer some days. Why?

As I get older I take this question seriously. I span my career and think of why I got out of bed to go to various jobs. Some were more inspiring that others. Few had a cause or purpose that served as motivation.

I'm on a mission to raise awareness about purpose in our lives. In our work..in our home...in our communities. Cruise control doesn't work anymore. More and more people are searching for meaning. When purpose is apparent it will naturally raise the satisfaction in what we do.

Imagine going to work at ESPN in 1979? Apple in the 1980's? Twitter in 2006? All of these entities changed the world. Being a part of something much larger than any individual is exciting. We have to take that feeling and make it contagious.

So tell me...why did you get out of bed this morning?