As an entrepreneur, making that first impression is crucial. I recently saw this survey posted on 15secondpitch.com that caught my attention. According to Jim Convery at 15secondpitch.com, ” 69% of 2505 professionals said they have trouble explaining what they do, and/or feel uncomfortable pitching themselves. And, of three groups with a strong need for effective self-promotion, over one-third said they hate going to networking events and/or do not have unique business cards.” The following is a snapshot of the survey.
Good News! If you are an entrepreneur or a small business struggling to come up with a value proposition or a quick pitch, tune in to 4entrepreneur.net blog next week. We will be posting our interview with Laura Allen. Laura is the co-founder of 15secondpitch and has been featured in number of publications and television shows, including ABC News. Do not miss out on her valuable insights.
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SUMMARY OF RESULTS | |
Overall results (all 2505 respondents) | Percent* |
Trouble explaining what they do | 69 |
Hate going to networking events | 24 |
Don’t have business cards that reflect their unique talents | 24 |
Percentage breakdown for the three self-identified groups: | Percent* |
People who are self-employed or who own their own business | 37 |
People who are changing careers | 18 |
People who are seeking a new job and/or new clients | 34 |
*Numbers do not add to 100% because respondents may be in more than one category. |
METHODOLOGY AND INTERPRETATION | |
Methodology | 2505 responses were collected from online form submissions during unique visits to 15Secondpitch.com between 6/26/06 and 9/12/06. |
Interpretation | Respondents identifying themselves as members of three groups with a strong need for self-promotion acknowledged gaps in their mastery of basic skills and tools needed to successfully promote themselves. These findings suggest a need for improvement in the areas of personal messaging, networking skills, and personal marketing materials. |

Tags: 15 second pitch, 15secondpitch, elevator pitch, how to develop a pitch, how to develop a value proposition, Laura Allen, value proposition
I am surprised that many people say they have a hard time explaining themselves. I think a lot of this has to do with lack of self-confidence. When people struggle with these kinds of issues, explaining things become a problem. I think the most important thing is to be well informed about the topic. When you have this kind of information, confidence comes naturally.