Your 30-second commercial

When someone asks you what you do, do you have a ready answer? Your 30-second commercial -- a.k.a., unique selling proposition (USP) or elevator speech -- is a quick schpiel that puts what you do in a nutshell, and tells people what you can do for them.

For help writing your personal pitch, read advertising consultant Mike French's short article, "How to Write Your Unique Selling Proposition." He'll walk you through these steps:

1. State your strategic position. What differentiates you from the competition?

2. List the benefits of doing business with your company. Answer your customer's question, "What’s in it for me?"

3. Choose the best differences and benefits. In 50 words or less, write down who you are, what you do, why you’re different and how you benefit your customers.

4. Add an attention-getting quip that provokes follow-up questions.

5. Practice your pitch out loud. Shorten it or lengthen it, depending on the situation -- social gathering, business meeting or casual encounter.

(Thank you, Gary Lofstrom, for introducing this topic to our E-SIG!)