“What do you do?”

 If there’s one thing you can predict you will be asked at least once in your lifetime, it’s this. Whether you’re at a conference, cocktail party, restaurant, fundraiser, gala event or even in line at a grocery store, it comes up almost every time you meet someone new. If you handle it the right way, it can be enormously valuable to you and your organisation, opening up the opportunity for more volunteers, donations, awareness and interest. If you don’t, then it’s a perfectly good opportunity down the drain.

In a world where 140-character tweets and text messages are becoming the norm, it’s important to communicate who you are and what you do, or what your organisation does, in a clear and concise manner. The perfect way to do this is through an elevator pitch. Here are five ways you can craft an elevator pitch that works for you and your Not-For-Profit.

1. Take your organisation’s mission, and bring it to life. Can you explain what you do and what your organisation does in one sentence? Oftentimes it isn’t possible to, and that’s okay. But if you have 30 seconds with a potential supporter, you don’t want to spend it overloading them with information or making your answer so basic that it doesn’t feel compelling. Develop a succinct description of your role and your organisation that doesn’t use jargon or unnecessarily formal language. One way to do this is by taking your Not-For-Profit’s mission statement and shortening, simplifying and clarifying it. This doesn’t mean dumbing it down. Rather, it means finding the most important parts and expressing them as plainly as possible. You want your elevator pitch to be concise enough that your mother should be able to understand in the time it would take to ride up an elevator, while being engaging enough to make the person say “tell me more”.

2. Get to know who you’re speaking with. While it’s impossible to predict exactly who you’ll run in to during a chance meeting, one thing’s for sure, you need to make the most of it – after all, they could be a potential volunteer, donator or supporter. Once you’ve explained what your organisation’s mission is, ask specific questions to find common ground and keep the conversation going. This will transform the conversation from a monologue to a discussion. This element is critical for securing future engagement, as it allows you speak to the interests and work of the person.

3. Present your Not-For-Profit as an opportunity. Your elevator pitch shouldn’t scream “HELP!”. It should instead say, “I think we can help each other.” Of course, as a Not-For-Profit, you can’t offer a potential supporter a big paycheck at the end. But you can help them realise that your cause is worth supporting. Let your passion for your organisation shine through. Explain what you do, why it’s important and how someone’s involvement is an opportunity to be part of a larger vision. By doing this, you’ll be able to infuse the same electric energy for your cause.

4. Practice makes perfect. Practice your elevator pitch until it becomes second nature. Practice with your board at board meetings, with your staff at staff meetings. Say it to a friend, partner, colleague or even your pet. Make sure you’re comfortable with it, and make sure you receive as much feedback as you can. This will help you fine-tune your pitch until it becomes routine for you and crystal clear for your audience. It also helps to practice answering common questions like, “What do you mean by…?” and “What makes you different? Aren’t there a lot of organisations doing the same thing?”, to ensure you’re ready for your chance encounter.

5. Keep calm. Your elevator pitch is not and should not be a memorised speech or sales pitch that sounds like you’ve said it 100 times. It should be warm and natural, and should be delivered in a conversational and relaxed manner. Remember – you’re talking to a human being.

Elevator pitches are often considered to be someone’s business card, LinkedIn profile and CV all rolled up into a 30-second talk. The keys to making them work for you and your Not-For-Profit are brevity, plain language, and repetition. So, write your pitch down, rehearse it, and get feedback from staff members and volunteers.  And most of all, relax and make it fun.

Jo Scard, Managing Director, Fifty Acres.