As a small business owner, you understand the supreme importance of generating revenue for your company. Along with the other responsibilities that come with owning a business, you also have to invest time and effort into securing new clients. This is when a strong and effective elevator pitch — a 30 to 60-second speech designed to sell a product — comes in handy.

In order to create the best elevator pitch for your business, you have to practice. Once you master it, you and your business will reap the benefits of landing new investors, tapping into new markets, and most importantly, building new wealth. As Go Banking Rates reports, saying the wrong thing to a potential client could cost you thousands! We don't want that for you, sis.

To secure the bag, here are some tips on how to perfect your elevator pitch:

1. Make a List of Information

Write down the 10 most important things that you want someone to know about you. Keep in mind the things that make you and your business stand out from other businesses in your field. And be sure to focus on the most attention-grabbing facts about yourself, what you do and what you’ve achieved.

2. Organize Your List

Use a spreadsheet or notepad to organize your list into these categories:

– Skills, abilities and achievements that make me stand out
– What I do in my job
– How I get things done
– Why I get things done

Then, organize all of your sentences into a logical order that would make for a good elevator pitch.

3. Add an Attention-Getter or Hook

Think of something interesting — a statistic or fact — that you can use to immediately grab your target audience’s attention before diving into your pitch. This will gain the focus of the potential investor and improve your chances of delivering an effective pitch.

4. Make It Concise

When writing an elevator pitch, be sure your words have a clear sense of purpose. Remember sis, you only have 30-60 seconds so if anything doesn't add value to your pitch, get rid of it.

5. Practice Your Pitch

Set a timer for 30-60 seconds right and try to finish within the time frame. Not every pitch you deliver will be under these time constraints, but you should always be prepared to give a short and persuasive speech when pitching to investors.

6. MAKE EYE CONTACT

Being able to meet someone’s gaze conveys that you are interested in the conversation and that you are confident in what you're saying. To practice, look in a mirror while pitching and practice holding your own gaze for three to four seconds at a time before breaking your eye contact.

7. Ask for Feedback

It can be helpful to draw from someone else’s perspective. Deliver your pitch to friends or family members who can provide honest and constructive criticism. Ask them if your pitch was clear, if it made sense, if they felt you made good eye contact, and if they would buy into your business.

8. BE PREPARED TO ANSWER QUESTIONS

So you've got your speech down sis, now it's time to think about the next steps. After delivering a successful pitch and gaining your target audience’s attention, the client or investor may have some questions for you. Make a list of potential questions ahead of time that someone might ask you in response to your pitch. Then, prepare answers so you won’t be caught off guard.

9. ASK FOR A FOLLOW-UP

Rather than handing the person your business card and walking away, be more proactive. Ask the person for their email address. Or ask a question that encourages them to take the next step: “I’d like to have the opportunity to discuss this further with you, what’s the best way to get on your calendar?”

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