101 – Craft Your Elevator Pitch

Nikki

0:00
Hey, Laura, do you have an elevator pitch?

Laura

0:03
What’s an elevator pitch, Nikki

Nikki

0:05
You know what an elevator pitch is, you’re just trying to get out of having to tell me what yours is.

Laura

0:10
Okay. Okay. All jokes aside, an elevator pitch is…

Nikki

0:13
Wait, I can’t promise to set jokes aside.

Laura

0:17
Okay, but can you be serious long enough to let me say what an elevator pitch is?

Nikki

0:22
Maybe?

Laura

0:28
Hi, this is Laura Lee Griffin.

Nikki

0:30
And this is Nikki May, with the Startist Society, inspiring you to stop getting in your own way and start building an art biz and life that you love.

Laura

0:40
We are artists who believe strongly in the power of community, accountability, following your intuition, taking small actionable steps and breaking down the barriers of fear and procrastination that keep you stuck.

Nikki

0:52
Follow along with us on our creative business journey as we encourage you on yours.

Laura

1:01
So why is it so hard for us to answer the question, “Oh, you’re an artist. What do you do?” When that happens, do you freeze? Do you shrink and mumble under your breath something about how you’re both an artist and you do other things and you’re working on several projects right now but it’s too hard to explain? Do you go on and on for about five minutes without actually answering the question?

Nikki

1:24
Well, you do, Laura.

Laura

1:26
I do. Totally guilty. So if you identify at all with this, it’s time to learn how to talk about your art. If you can’t describe succinctly what you do, you’re going to lose people’s interest. And people don’t want to promote or buy artwork that they can’t connect to. They want to feel your enthusiasm and have a clear picture of the beauty that you offer to the world. Enter the elevator pitch.

Nikki

1:52
Okay, so what is an elevator pitch?

Laura

1:55
Well, the idea is that it is a brief, think 30 seconds or less, way of introducing yourself, getting across a key point or two and making a connection with someone. It’s called an elevator pitch because it takes roughly the amount of time you’d spend riding in an elevator with someone. And I guess it depends, Nikki, on how tall the building is.

Nikki

2:16
Well, let’s assume a building is two stories tall. Can I just say, “I just want to draw pretty pictures,” as my elevator pitch?

Laura

2:24
Well, that is boiling it down to the essence Nikki, but I’m not sure that that’s really connecting with your audience.

Nikki

2:31
Okay, I’ll try to take it seriously. So, let’s talk about why it’s helpful to have an elevator pitch and how you can craft your own.

Laura

2:39
Okay, so here’s just a few ways that you can use your elevator pitch. One, you could use it in an email where you introduce yourself to a potential client company who might license your artwork, an agent, a gallery, etc.

Nikki

2:55
Or say you’re out and about in the real world. I think we’re doing that again, right? You’re at an event and art opening, a skoolie gathering… Really, anywhere that you meet new people and start talking about what you do. Or maybe you’re in a live job interview or applying for a job online via Zoom.

Laura

3:16
Or three, you could use it on your website. It’s helpful to be brief and succinct on your website.

Nikki

3:22
Laura, if you were being brief and succinct, you’d only use one of those words. Or do you also want to be concise and use three where one would suffice?

Laura

3:35
Okay, Nikki, we know that I’m not the most succinct person in the world.

Nikki

3:40
That’s true. But sorry, what were you saying?

Laura

3:43
Just that similar to meeting someone in person, when someone lands on your website, you only have a few seconds to grab their attention. So having a written elevator pitch could be useful for that.

Nikki

3:55
Right. And we have a future episode planned where we’ll talk about writing bios and artists statements that will elaborate on this but your elevator pitch can be a brief intro to your larger statement that you could put on your about page as an example. So let’s look at a couple of real life examples. You have one, Laura?

Laura

4:15
Yeah, I do. So the first example is Jenna Rainey, her website’s jennarainey.com. And on the front of it, it says, “Hey, friend, I’m Jenna Rainey. I’m an artist, mama, author, self taught designer and multifaceted creative entrepreneur who is hell bent on teaching everyone how to find their inner creative voice. From waiting tables to an office job, I’ve gone from doodling on my kitchen table to teaching other artists how to build a thriving business. What’s my goal in life? To show everyone they’re creative. If you can draw a circle, you can draw a flower. Yep, it’s true. Oh, and I want to learn how to speak French.” So I think that’s really cute because it tells you a little bit about her, what she’s accomplished. And then she’s in inserted little bits of herself to make her relatable.

Nikki

5:02
Yeah, that’s a great combination. And so I have an example, too, that I found. Okay, that is Alli K, who we interviewed back in episode 78, and 79. And on her site, she says, “Hey, y’all, I’m Alli. I’m an artist, author, and lover of all things black and white. You may know me best for my floral designs and inspiring murals, which you can find all throughout Texas and beyond. I have over eight best selling art books, including my best sellers, “How to Draw Modern Florals” and “Bloom.” When I’m not painting. I’m either riding scooters in the neighborhood with friends, or drinking sweet tea, doodling in bed. I’m so glad you found my corner of the internet. I can’t wait to connect with all of you.”

Laura

5:47
I love that. And both of them have buttons where you can basically click on it and learn more about them. And that’ll be the longer version of their bio. But I love this too, because she starts out with “Hey, y’all”, so you kind of know she’s a Texas girl.

Nikki

6:01
Wait, wait, wait, you know, she’s a southern girl.

Laura

6:03
She’s a southern girl, right. I’m sure you guys say y’all in Kentucky too, right?

Nikki

6:08
We say it all over the south.

Laura

6:10
I grew up in the Midwest. And so in college I moved south. And I never quite adopted the Y apostrophe A L L, it’s still “you guys.” Even even if it’s girls, it’s you guys. It’s just you know, I haven’t been able to do it.

Nikki

6:26
So I actually grew up in South Florida, which is geographically south, but not south in any other way. So I started hearing y’all when I went to Atlanta to go to college, and it took me probably 40 years to adopt it. And I finally started saying y’all a bit.

Laura

6:45
Every once in a while it comes out of my mouth. But we digress.

Nikki

6:48
Well, that’s our specialty.

Laura

6:50
So let’s get back to elevator pitches. And let’s talk about how to write your elevator pitch and what should be included? It’s really great to have something like this prepared, so you don’t just stumble over your words.

Nikki

7:01
Yeah, the idea is to just get out the very basics, a brief intro, kind of the same idea as your social media profiles.

Laura

7:09
Okay, so basically, there are probably around three things that should be included in any elevator pitch. Number one, who you are, number two, what you do, and don’t include everything. Focus on one or two main things about yourself or your skills, your experiences, your values and your passions. And then three, what sets you apart? What’s your mission?

Nikki

7:33
So here are some tips for writing a compelling elevator pitch as an artist. Number one, keep it short and sweet. 30 seconds equals about 60 words. Keep it simple, concise, don’t try to just squeeze in as much as you can.

Laura

7:48
Did you mean concise and succinct Nikki?

Nikki

7:51
No, I meant simple and concise, which mean two different things.

Laura

7:57
All right. Number two, know your audience. Who are you speaking to? You might have a couple of variations of your pitch. One for anyone off the street who asks you what you do. One for galleries or art directors, depending on your focus. You want to customize your pitch to resonate with that person.

Nikki

8:15
And number three, start with a hook. Have something attention grabbing that’s designed to pique the interest of your listener and reel them in. A unique fact or something surprising, say you live in a school bus.

Laura

8:30
That’s a good one.

Nikki

8:31
That’s a good way to start.

Laura

8:33
It’s a good conversation topic. All right. And number four, describe your creative business. If you do a bunch of different things, like myself, try to come up with a general term or phrase that encompasses all the things that you do as a whole.

Nikki

8:47
And demonstrate your expertise. Highlight your skills, your qualifications, or past successes that make you credible and trustworthy as a creative entrepreneur. This can help build confidence in what you’re doing and establish your expertise in the field.

Laura

9:03
Right. But you don’t have to brag about all the things, just pick a few, right?

Nikki

9:08
Well, it depends how tall your building is.

Laura

9:14
All right. Number six is to try to include a specific example; a gallery show, a fabric collection, a commission, a collaboration, this is your pitch, so brag a little bit about what you’ve done in the past and also talk about what it is that you’re trying to do for the future.

Nikki

9:30
And don’t use confusing jargon. You’ll often be talking to people who aren’t artists, so you shouldn’t assume they know the specific techniques or tools or terminology of your trade.

Laura

9:40
Right so you shouldn’t be throwing in. I don’t know what kind of words or funny jargon you think Nikki? I make fabulous hero patterns.

Nikki

9:51
Yeah, something like that. And end with a call to action. Finish your elevator pitch with a clear call to action such as inviting your audience service to your website or social media profiles.

Laura

10:02
Number nine, start with brainstorming ideas of what to include and write, refine, and then edit, and then edit again. Don’t be afraid to ask friends and family for their input, they may help come up with wording that just didn’t occur to you.

Nikki

10:16
And finally, practice, practice, practice. Read it out loud, practice in front of the mirror or with your family and friends. The more you practice, the better you’re going to be at reciting it and the more naturally you’ll sound saying it.

Laura

10:29
Yeah, I think that’s a really tough one for me, because I’m going to feel like I’m just reciting something and like trying to remember the words. So practicing is definitely the way to go.

Nikki

10:37
Yeah, I don’t do that. My middle name is wing it.

Laura

10:42
It is. Alright, so let’s talk about the components of a generic statement. So a generic statement might sound something like this. “Hi, my name is blank, and I’m a blank.” This could be artists surface designer or illustrator, insert your title there. “I create blank type of art for blank type of customer. My work has been featured in, shown at, commissioned for blank. What makes me and my work unique is blank. I’m looking to start and do more of blank.” This could be paint murals, creative fabric collection, do large scale public art commissions, whatever it is that you’re looking forward to doing, and that would be tailored to the audience that you’re talking to.

Nikki

11:25
So we’ll have a downloadable PDF with a few of these templates, these sort of Mad Libs style templates that you can use as a starting point. Okay, Laura, so what’s your pitch?

Laura

11:35
Oh, my gosh, the pressure. Now, this was really hard for me because I like using all the words, but here it goes. “Hi, I’m Laura Lee Griffin, a multimedia artist, educator and podcaster based in Tulsa, Oklahoma. My passions are painting with bold color and a hint of whimsy, traveling the world – 40 countries and counting – and teaching others how to tap into their own creativity. I truly believe each one of us has an artist inside. And as someone who crunches numbers by day, I’m living proof. I’ve taught over 100 in-person art workshops, two online courses, and have had my artwork in multiple gallery shows. I’m really excited about licensing my art and creating more online courses. You can see examples of my artwork at lauraleegriffin.com Or on Insta @lauraleegriffin.

Nikki

12:27
That sounds great, Laura, and you only used about half the words that I used in mine.

Laura

12:34
I don’t know if I can remember all those. I’m gonna have to practice a lot.

Nikki

12:36
Yeah. Well, I think that you can fall back on those early days as an actor in cheesy commercials for memorizing your pitch.

Laura

12:48
Oh, boy. Yes. I don’t know if those cheesy commercials are ever gonna make the light of the day in the podcast show notes, just saying. There was some very strange haircuts happening at that stage. Oh, that was yeah, it’s an interesting decade. All right. So Nikki, what is your elevator pitch?

Nikki

13:06
Okay, here we go. So, “I’m Nikki May, an artist, designer and podcaster based out of Paducah, an artsy little river city in western Kentucky. But these days you can find me living, working and traveling in the school bus that I have converted into the tiny home that I designed for me and my dog, Rocket and my cat, Pixel. I love to draw with both traditional and digital ink. My digital work includes flora and fauna, especially insects in bold colors and intricate detail. And lately you can see some of these works in large scale public art commissions around Paducah. I also like to do black and white ink drawings, which include nude women, along with the flora, fauna, insects, especially curvy bodies. I sell both my original fine art and my designs and drawings on print on demand products. As a designer, I create bold, clean and contemporary brand identity systems and websites for artists, small creative businesses and arts organizations. My art is empowering and inspiring and my designs are modern and professional. If you’re looking for something unique and striking, or you just want to follow my adventures in my Doodle Bus, I’d love for you to follow me on Instagram @nikkimayart.

Laura

14:18
Awesome Nikki, look how professional we sound.

Nikki

14:21
I know and listening back as I’m reading that, it’s not very concise.

Laura

14:27
It’s not, what I was gonna say is like you can have sort of the 15 seconds to 30 seconds, the one minute, the three minute… Yeah, there’s different elevator pitches depending on who you’re talking to. But really, it’s it’s getting really clear in your head about how you want to describe your work. So for you, it’s, you know, I do these colorful, you know, flower and insect drawings. I mean, these black and white new drawings. I’m also a website designer, you know, so you’re hitting those things and you’ve you’ve added a little bit of flourish around that. So I think there’s not a wrong way to do it. It’s just having different ways. So you might have one version that’s even more cut down. And then another version that’s even longer. Right.

Nikki

15:08
Laura, I just realized I forgot something. Mine’s gonna have to be just a little bit longer because I didn’t include bourbon in my elevator pitch. I feel like that’s being dishonest about who I am.

Laura

15:19
I think, Nikki, you can deliver your elevator pitch with a bourbon drink in your hand so you don’t have to say that part.

Nikki

15:25
Ah, good call. Okay, so to tie this all up, so I can have some bourbon. Remember that a good elevator pitch should be engaging, concise and tailored to your audience or audiences. By following these tips and practicing your pitch, you can effectively communicate your creative venture and make a lasting impression on your listeners.

Laura

15:50
So now it’s your turn. How would you describe your own business in 30 seconds or less? Share it with us in the Startist Society Facebook group.

Nikki

15:58
For today’s show notes and free downloadable elevator pitch templates. Go to startistsociety.com/elevatorpitch.

Laura

16:06
If you’ve enjoyed today’s episode, we’d love for you to leave us a five star rating and review and share it with a friend. Reviews help us reach more Startists like you and keep us inspired to create new episodes.

Nikki

16:19
Thanks for listening, and we’ll see you next time!