Can trust be established in 60 seconds? Well, if you're hanging on the edge of a cliff, and a strong hiker whom you've never met comes up to the edge and extends a helping hand, I think you could say yes! You'll trust that stranger to pull you up.

In most other instances however, 60 seconds isn't enough time to convince others to enter into a relationship with you, give you their money, their time, or anything else of value.

Yet most elevator pitches are delivered with an aim to build trust, and to cause people to take action, but action that may be too costly.

A good elevator pitch does two things.

It tells others who you would like to be connected with or introduced to.

It tells others how to bring you up in conversation.

Tour 10 goes into depth on how to create an elevator pitch that does both.

My aim now is to lay out for you what actions those who hear your pitch will most likely be willing to take, and why painting a picture of your ideal client is so important.

First, the trust issue..

While you probably desire the people we network with to do business with you, especially right after they hear your pitch, you are well served to instead train the people you network with to find referrals for you.

The more trained they are to find referrals for you and the more they trust you, the more likely you'll be the exact person they seek out when life deals them circumstances in which your product or service is the answer.

A good elevator pitch doesn't ask for business or trust, it asks if an introduction might be made on your behalf.

You might ask, "Doesn't asking for an introduction also require trust?

It does, but not as much trust it takes others to do business with you themselves. If you can successfully follow through with giving a person referred to you a good experience, the person who made the referral will hear about it.

You may also keep in mind, when you ask for introductions, the success of what happens next depends solely on you! Do not ask the person referring you to also sell for you.

You simply would like those who hear your pitch to give you an opportunity, that you wouldn't otherwise have; an introduction to a person they have influence over.

Knowing this, avoid convincing phrases on your part. Convincing phrases sound like:

"I've been in business for X number of years."

"I have X number of locations."

It is good to tell a brief instance of how you have helped a client. Then, start painting a picture of your ideal client so that a person appears as bright as the sun in the mind of those who hear your pitch.

Why do you want a person to stand out in a big way when you describe your ideal client? Because the more a person who hears your pitch is convinced that you are perfectly describing their friend or loved one, the more likely they will bring you up to the same.

If you are vague when you describe the type of person you would like to be introduced to, those in the room will not go out on a limb for you and make the introduction.

When a person pops into my mind after hearing a good pitch, I usually take action. The reason I take action is because it's not as risky to bring that person up in my conversation. I just know my friend who has been described to a "T" will be well served to be introduced to the person who has given the description.

See if you can notice the difference between these two groups of sentences.

"I'm looking for anyone who has a hard time going to the gym. I'm also looking for anyone who needs a new gym."

"I'm looking for your friend who has started and stopped his gym membership 3 times, and says things like 'I wish I could keep my work out routine. I"m so busy at work that I have to keep canceling my gym membership, and I feel like a loser every time I cancel.'"

Which of these sentences is more likely to cause a specific person to shine brightly in the minds of others?

You may ask, "Am I closing doors by only describing one person?"

You are not for a couple of reasons.

First, you likely will be the only person in the room whose pitch doesn't sound like everyone else's, which means your pitch will already be remembered.

Second, if you are specific, something magical happens.

Those in the room broaden out your ideal client themselves.

In the example above, if a person who hears the pitch can't think of a friend who has started and quit 3 gym memberships, but maybe has a friend who has wanted to join a gym but isn't sure which one to join, he may come up to you after the meeting and ask if his friend might also be a person you would like to talk to.

Did you ever try your hand at one of those money blowing machines at an arcade or the mall? The machine that let's you stand in a tiny enclosed space while dollar bills swirl around you, and you try your best to grab as many of them as you can?

Imagine you spent your time in the booth frantically grabbing and then heard the buzzer telling you your time was up and your hand was empty. Would you be excited or discouraged?

We need to give our people that first dollar bill, so they try for more. More specifically, we need to give people's minds that first dollar bill, and their minds may extend out to think of more people that might be perfect to introduce you to.

Would you like even more help writing your own elevator pitch?

I've written the perfect playbook to guide you, step by step to crafting your own impactful pitch will tell others who you are looking for and give you language to use to help others know who to bring you up in conversations with those they have influence over.

Purchase the Referrals in 60 Playbook here.

Go network my friend, and remember:

Help others grab that first dollar bill by asking for introductions instead of business, and letting specificity be your friend.

The Networker's Tour Guide, Faithann Basore, and her husband Dave have owned Window Cleaning Plus (WCP) for 10 years. Growing WCP through networking has given Faithann the desire to guide other small business owners through the networking terrain so they can feel comfortable and build long lasting relationships in their business.

Got networking questions? Email me at [email protected].