You can recite your company’s elevator pitch by heart. You’ve probably done so in the last week, maybe while between floors.
Now, could you write down your elevator pitch in the same concise, compelling fashion with which you deliver it time and time again?
Translating an elevator pitch to writing and turning it into the sort of short company profile you need on everything from your LinkedIn page to your Crunchbase profile is not as simple as it sounds. Crucial information is apt to get lost in the transition to the page (or screen) and new, unimportant details likely to arise in its place.
And yet your written elevator pitch — your short company profile — is every bit as important as your spoken pitch. Perhaps even more so when so many of us remain in remote work mode. Those 100-or-so words could be the most important you write out all year.
Here’s how to make them count.
1. Don’t Leave Any Blank Fields (Even If They’re Not Mandatory to Complete)
Many websites preformat company profile templates to ensure standardization. When you encounter preformatted templates, be sure to fill them out completely. Don’t leave any fields blank, even if they are not mandatory to complete. Details like company size and contact number really do matter.
2. Speak Directly to Potential Customers
Always consider your audience and speak directly to its members. An Inc.com bio for an education incentives company founded by South African entrepreneur Paul Esterhuizen does just that: making a persuasive case to visitors intrigued by what Mr. Esterhuizen and his company do.
3. Link Out to Your Social Media Properties If You’re Not Given Dedicated Fields to Add Them
Work social media links into your short company profile whenever possible. Add them in the body of the profile text if you’re not given preformatted fields to do so.
4. Avoid the Dreaded “And Then” Format
Avoid turning your company profile into a boring list. Rather than droning through events and dates important to your company, tell a concise and compelling story about what you do and why your audience should care. Write for history.
5. Mention Key Employees in the Bio (But Don’t Simply List Their Names)
Work the names of key employees, especially founders, into your narrative. Don’t just list their names; that’s no better than going all “and-then.” Show that they’re integral to your company’s success.
6. End With a Nod to the Future Without Being Too Sales-y
Give the impression that your company is on the cusp of something big, whether that’s true or not. Your goal here is not to make the next sale but to set the stage for the next phase and invite your audience along for the journey.
Always Be Selling
You know what they say about first impressions: You have to make them count.
For better or worse, your short company profile is a digital first impression. You have to make it count.
Instinctively, you know this. You’re a born leader, trained to always be selling. Bring that same determination and energy to your written elevator pitch and you’ll knock it out of the park.
And then, who knows? The work of building a successful enterprise never really ends, but you’ll feel more confident taking it on after managing this little item out of the way.
