Perfect Your Elevator Pitch: 60 Seconds For Success

You’ve got 60 seconds to sell your personal brand – go! Not ready? Then you need to perfect your Elevator Pitch.

Apple, Coca-Cola, Amazon, Nike. These are some of the most valuable and recognisable brands of 2016 – and they get that value from how they are perceived by their customers.

Just as a well-defined brand is extremely important to a company’s value, so too is a personal brand equally important to your individual success. When people can appreciate and understand your brand, they’re going to understand and value you more. Ultimately, your value will rise in the company’s perception.

In order to accomplish this, procurement and supply chain professionals need to take control of their own personal branding, to set themselves up for success as thought leaders in the industry, and establish a clear trajectory up that career ladder.

In order to establish a powerful brand, you will need to tell your story in a way that creates a memorable and emotional connection with them.

Telling Your Story: The Elevator Pitch

Your personal branding starts with being able to clearly articulate your story in a way that’s differentiated, believable and meaningful. We call that the ‘Elevator Pitch’.

At Warner Communications, we use an elevator pitch often when we’re working to build a reputation and a story for an organisation that we represent. It’s the one-minute speech that enables you to tell the world who you are and what you do.

Before preparing your elevator pitch, ask yourself:

• What are the key things that you want the world to know about your brand?
• What are the most important and memorable things that you want your current or future employer to know?
• And what do you want people to know about you to expand your influence amongst your current and future network?

Once you’ve defined what you want to convey, you can get to work on actually sharing your story, whether that’s at a networking event, on social media, or even in an elevator with your company’s CEO.

Adding Value to Your Brand – and Your Company

As procurement has become a mission critical part of the organisation, it’s important to take a step back and think about the value you add to your company. Whether that’s helping to increase revenue growth or helping the organisation accomplish their overall business goals.

Here are four ways you can add value to your personal brand while increasing prestige for your company as well:

1. Join Associations

Expand your network by joining relevant associations where you could be asked to be a part of a panel or even be invited as a keynote speaker. Not only will this help raise your personal profile, but it will advance your company’s profile in the industry too.

2. Build Your Social Presence

If you’re not an active member of social networks, you’re missing out on a critical opportunity to demonstrate the value of your brand. Joining networks like Procurious.com will allow you to showcase your knowledge and expertise on a broader scale and expand your community.

3. Share What You Know

Especially in this age of social media, share what you know and have learned with your colleagues, company and broader network. By informing your peers and supervisors about the things that you’re doing and thinking that are innovative, you’ll boost your value as an overall team player and leader within the company.

4. Become a Thought Leader

Start building your voice and reputation as a thought leader and subject matter expert in your company and in the industry as a whole. You can do this by writing articles or commentary for industry publications. Soon enough, you might become their expert, go-to resource that they turn to. It’s an opportunity to not only build your personal brand, but increase the perception and awareness of your company as well.

In short, take control of your personal branding! It’s going to help both you and your organisation reach a new level of achievement.

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