Every startup will someday face an opportunity to tell its story to the world. You need to be prepared. Forget the elevator pitch. It should be a given that you know how to explain what you do in one or two sentences. The problem with elevator pitches is that what usually follows is some complicated, boring stuff.
Focus on telling a great story. People love stories. People remember stories. Stories are meaningful. How do you tell a great story?
#1 -- Open up fully. Be authentic. Make the story just as much about you as anyone else. It's good to talk about a customer story but never forget your own story - especially if you're a startup. Stories about yourself are the easiest stories to share. And, they're as authentic as they come. They're also exciting to tell over and over again. Repetition is key so it's pretty important that you're interested in repeatedly telling the tale.
#2 -- Make the conclusion(s) obvious. You know that your story is terrific when the person sitting across from you is vigorously nodding up and down with a big grin because he knows (or thinks he knows) what's coming. If he's just staring blankly or (worse) frowning, it means your story is too complicated or generic to understand or care about.
#3 -- Share imperfections. Any story that comes across as too perfect doesn't carry maximum weight - whether this is fair or not. Don't be afraid to talk about the imperfections if you have some.
- John
Comments