What's short, sweet and a must-have for freelance writers?

An elevator pitch, that’s what.

For those of you who aren’t familiar with the term, an elevator pitch is a short and snappy speech that gives an overview of who you are and what you do. It should be said with confidence and shouldn’t take more than 30 to 45 seconds to deliver–around the same amount of time that you’d spend inside an elevator (hence the name.)

Basically, this little speech should tell the other person all about who you are as a writer. In other words, it’s your answer to the question: “So what do you do?”

My elevator pitch goes something like this: “I’m a freelance writer specializing in blog posts, press releases, and web content for Internet companies.” (Occasionally tweaked depending on the situation.)

I’ve used that nifty one-liner again and again throughout my writing career, in numerous occasions, including:

– Networking events

– Pitches to prospective clients

– My bio text for guest posts, interviews, social accounts, etc.

– My website

– Family and class reunions

Why you need an elevator pitch

This handy statement can be a number of things. It’s an ice breaker, a conversation starter, or an instant bio when you’re creating an account on a networking website. More importantly, your elevator pitch is your hook. In most cases, it’s the very thing that will tell a potential client if you’re right for them or not.

If you haven’t done so yet, create one now. Write it down, practice saying it, and then put it to good use. That way, the next time someone asks about what you do, you’ll be prepared.

Iamge:  derekskey on Flickr