This short presentation is your playbook for answering the one question you hear everywhere:
“So, what do you do?”
Instead of freezing, rambling, or giving a bland job title, this tool shows you how to give a clear, memorable answer that actually opens doors.
Why your current answer probably isn’t working
Most people respond with something like:
- “I run a marketing agency.”
- “I’m in sales.”
- “I’m a lawyer.”
The problem? Those labels trigger stereotypes:
- “Sales” → pushy and aggressive
- “Lawyer” → argumentative
- “Marketing” → smoke and mirrors
Plus, it’s just boring. The conversation dies before it starts.
This deck shows you better options:
- “How I help” framing – e.g., “I help businesses tell the most compelling story in their market.”
- Unexpected hook – e.g., “I’m a business growth accelerator.”
Both get more curiosity than “I own a small business.”
The 4-part Elevator Pitch Formula
The core of the presentation is a simple formula:
- “Do you know what it feels like… / Have you ever…”
Open with a situation or feeling your ideal customer recognizes.- This grabs attention, triggers emotion, and makes them think, “Yep, that’s me.”
- “What we do is…”
Briefly say what you actually provide.- This is the plain-English description of your solution.
- “So that…”
Spell out the benefit.- Make it clear how their life or business is better.
- “In fact…”
Back it up with a quick proof point or story.- A simple success example, metric, or client outcome.
That’s it. No jargon, no pitch deck, just a short story that connects the dots.
Concrete examples
The slides give a few examples so you can see it in action:
Website developer
- “You know how most company websites are out of date and look old school?”
- “What I do is install software so it’s easy for people to update their own sites…”
- “…so that they don’t have to pay a web designer every time.”
- “In fact, one client now saves about $2,000 a quarter on web development costs.”
Electrical engineer
- “You know when power outages bring down critical systems in big companies and it’s a nightmare?”
- “What I do is install backup power systems…”
- “…so that companies can rely on a continuous power supply.”
- “In fact, a bank we worked with has had 100% uptime for two years.”
Business coach (with a vivid story)
This example starts with a skiing wipeout – racing down the mountain, losing control, gear scattered everywhere – as a metaphor for a fast-growing business that crashes because it didn’t have systems.
Then it pivots to:
- “As a business coach, what I do is install systems in fast-growing businesses…”
- “…so that they scale without crashing and burning.”
- “In fact, last month I helped an IT firm implement budgeting so growth didn’t outrun cash.”
The pattern is the same every time. Only the context changes.
How this connects to your work in Empower
As an Empower user, you’re not just filling out templates; you’re building a stronger business narrative.
You’ll use this formula to:
- Introduce yourself more powerfully in networking and sales conversations.
- Align your team around a clear “how we help” story.
- Plug directly into other tools (like niche definition, value proposition, and positioning) so your message is consistent everywhere.
When you see the “Your Elevator Pitch” slide, that’s your cue: this is where you start drafting your own version using the 4 steps.
If you take nothing else from this piece, take this:
Don’t lead with your job title.
Lead with a problem they recognize, a clear way you help, and a quick proof that it works.
Everything else you do in Empower around marketing and sales will land better once this pitch is dialed in.