I had a rude awakening over Thanksgiving – my elevator pitch isn’t as polished as I thought.

I think the reason has to do with my circle of friends and network. You work in technology long enough and even your non-tech friends have heard so many stories from you, they grasp the concept of what you’re talking about. They are no longer “fresh” ears for me. When I joined Brand Thunder over the summer, most of my friends had a vague idea of what I was talking about when I mentioned “branded browsers.” (Okay, maybe more than once I had to discuss the big blue E on the desktop.)

When I traveled to the D.C. area on Thanksgiving, I was at gatherings where I saw friends who I hadn’t talked to in many years. I was surprised at some of the blank stares and glazed looks as I gave my cocktail-party spiel. These were smart, successful people, but not in Internet technology – even words that feel very common to me had to be explained.

That got me thinking. With so much communicating that goes on through email and phone calls, how many glazed looks am I not seeing? Are there words, phrases and examples used that are causing confusion? Am I so close to the product, I don’t recognize the jargon any more?

With the range of holiday parties and family gatherings on the horizon, I’m going to revisit my elevator pitch. Not just for the practice but because a prospect isn’t likely to be as patient as a friend.

Tags: Branded Browser, elevator pitch | Posted in Commentary