Boosting your confidence with your elevator pitch
Have you ever been asked what you do, only to find yourself questioning everything? The fear of public speaking is common, but even confident speakers can struggle when it comes to introducing their personal business. This task can often feel daunting, and for many, it’s a source of anxiety.
Why Speaking About Your Business Can Be So Daunting
This lack of confidence is easily misunderstood. You might be worried that your intro will be too long-winded, but your listener could interpret your hesitation as a lack of confidence in your business altogether. The purpose of your pitch is to clearly communicate the problem you solve and who you solve it for. When your pitch lacks confidence, it sends mixed messages, leading you to talk to the wrong people—or worse, to no one at all. This is one of the key reasons time and money are often wasted in networking when no meaningful connections or sales are made.
Why We Second-Guess Ourselves When Talking About Our Business
For many business owners, this lack of confidence runs deeper than they realise. It’s one thing to craft a post about what we do and share it on social media or our website. But when we hear the words spoken aloud, our doubts surface, and we start to second-guess ourselves. Have you ever asked yourself, “Am I bragging if I say this?”, “Am I really as good as I claim to be?”, “Is my business successful enough to mention?”, “Is my business area traditional enough to talk about?” These questions can prevent us from speaking confidently about our business and our achievements. Worryingly, this doesn’t just affect those who hear us speak—it also affects how we feel about our business and ourselves. When we lack faith in our pitch, we inadvertently undermine our confidence in our business, leading us to constantly question our own truth.
Crafting a Confident Business Pitch: More Than Just Words
With this in mind, it’s important to understand that crafting a good elevator pitch goes beyond using a strong structure and carefully chosen words. Working on our inner belief, self-worth, and inner dialogue is crucial. When our pitch reflects the best of what we believe to be true, it flows with clarity and confidence.
Top Tips for Creating a Confident Business Pitch
1. Own Your Qualifications: Leveraging Your Achievements for Confidence
Whether you are qualified through educational achievements or experience, focus on what these mean to you and your potential clients. Think back to a time before you achieved these qualifications or gained that experience. Would your past self be proud or surprised by what you’ve accomplished? Perhaps you once looked up to others who were in the position you’re in now. Keep a list of your achievements—these are cold, hard facts and can be a great source of self-belief. Ask yourself if these accomplishments might help your clients feel more trusting or connected with you. It’s natural to want to avoid sharing your achievements if you’ve been taught not to brag, but knowing that this is key information others need to hear can make it easier to voice and harder for you to question.
2. Consider the Full Scope of Your Experience: Using Life Lessons to Enhance Your Pitch
This includes everything that has shaped your life, how you came to be in your current business, and the pivotal moments that led you here. Reflect on what lights you up in your business, those moments you enjoy the most, and the ones that frustrate you. Your approach to business is always a result of experiences you’ve had in other roles, people who have influenced you, and those “ah-ha” moments life has handed you. Recognise that only you possess this unique combination of experiences, which are part of your unique selling proposition (USP). Even though others may do what you do, they will never be you. You each have your own place in the room.
3. Acknowledge the Proof and Feedback: Building Confidence from Existing Successes
This isn’t just about collecting testimonials. Consider on-time delivery rates, heartfelt thanks, and times when you know you did a great job. Belief in your ability goes far beyond your current achievements, but too many people dismiss the solid evidence that already exists. Practice reviewing your own evidence and sharing it with pride.
Understanding Your Unique Selling Proposition (USP) and How It Strengthens Your Pitch
Understanding your USP, recognising how your qualifications and experiences contribute to your business strength, and sharing these truths are key steps to creating a pitch you can believe in and deliver with confidence.
Final Thoughts: Turning Self-Doubt into Confidence in Your Business Pitch
These few steps may be all you need to create the pitch that engages your audience and connects with your ideal client.
When your inner voice no longer asks, “Did I?” and “Can I?” but confidently declares, “Yes, I did, and I can do this again,” your pitch will stop undermining your confidence and start bolstering it each time you deliver it.
Need Help Crafting a Confident Elevator Pitch? Get Expert Advice Now
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