Elevator Speech – Part Two
By Jean-Marc Claes
Did you read Part One about the Elevator Pitch?
If not, go back to our December 2022 magazine and read it! If yes, did you record an elevator pitch?
If yes, good job!
If not, let us help you some more to get that job done!
The elevator pitch stands for a brief and to-the-point presentation of your abilities, your strong points of service or knowledge and most of all, why customers should choose YOU and not the competition!
Now, looking into the part of ‘who/what’ is the competition?
Traditionally the competition for us professional dive businesses was the ‘other’ dive-related businesses! The next dive shop around the corner, or perhaps the next dive centre on the beach!
These days, that kite doesn’t fly that high anymore, and our competitors are to be found everywhere: online and offline, around the corner or far away in physical distance, but still close enough to take our business away! They are not even ‘only’ scuba businesses anymore; they represent all action sports and leisure activities.
How do we stand out and get the attention of our future clients?
First of all, it is all about the image we spread!
The scuba diving industry needs a serious level of re-vamping! Everywhere can be heard that we are
greying and fading! So yes, competing against hip, cool, action-styled sports is becoming a losing war! So, where is the Red Bull level in scuba diving? Is it the technical levels in diving where the black colour of dive suits rules or is this the pseudo-military light version in scuba?
Did we ever wonder why Red Bull is red and not a Black Bull, and the logos (and sponsorships) can not even be found in scuba diving? Or does our level of marketing ideas not go that far?
It is not ONLY about the Next generation (make sure to read the article “Training the Next Generation” in this edition of ScubaBiz.Help Magazine) but also about the current generations that lose interest in scuba diving because of the lack of many things:
- Excitement
- Community building, being part of something
- Cool, challenging adventures
- Personal attention and possibilities
Have we forgotten that scuba diving is a real superpower?
We can breathe underwater, move from one medium to another hostile medium, and return safely because we are trained for it!
“No training is Not Safe”. We all agree on that part! But are we lowering the barriers of getting into scuba diving so much that we are destroying the image of the sport/hobby itself?
During the last many years, we all complain about competitors and sales because it all becomes too easy to bypass us, the scuba professionals, but what are we doing about it?
Getting behind the controls of an airplane has not changed in the last 40 years, although drones are widespread these days. So, does that mean that becoming an airline pilot has become easier, cheaper, and faster? Not at all!
Why do most scuba professionals think that making things cheaper in an ever more expensive civilization is the correct answer in becoming more successful in business while in reality it gets them out of business faster?
Maybe you are thinking that I am drifting away from the content of the elevator pitch, but I am actually not… I am trying to get you in the correct mindset of it all, so you will not use words like cheaper, sooner, faster, etc.
The elevator pitch should convince people to come to you for scuba diving because of many (positive) reasons!
Would you take skydiving classes based ONLY on the fact that the company advertises that they are the cheapest?
When reading the article in the November edition of ScubaBiz.Help about the 12-year-old old Norwegian girl did you notice the words describing her thoughts about scuba diving? Go back and reread it. She never mentioned anything about the money, the best, the deepest, or any of those super words! Instead, she talks about weird fish, the ocean, discovery, underwater and more.
Do you want to attract young divers? Below are two of many possibilities that you could use to build your elevator pitch to them.
Let us look at the first example.
“It takes 18 years before you can drive a car and only 10 years before you can start scuba diving. So that is an 8-year gap in which you can do a lot of scuba diving! Would you like to know to start?”
Below is another example of an elevator pitch focused on the same theme.
“80% of our planet is covered with water, and your dive certificate gives you access to all that while getting your driving license only gives you access to 20% of the planet! So ask us how you can get started!”
In both cases, we use international knowledge and principles that most of us will understand. We are not even promoting our personal skills, services and possibilities!
We can really take on the world and win undisputed? YES!
What is your next step?
- Come up with a theme for your first elevator pitch. A good business will have several. Pick a single theme or target like our example used. By keeping a narrow theme, you will have more success in attracting a customer. An Elevator Pitch should be between 15 and 60 seconds; the shorter, the better.
- Start creating your elevator pitch. The steps in getting there will be lots of fun. JUST DO IT! If you need help, send us an email at info@ScubaBiz.Help, and we can guide you through the process.
- Record your pitch with your phone or whatever you have to use.
- Please send a copy of your video to info@ScubaBiz.Help and maybe win our competition!
When is the best time to start building your elevator pitch? NOW!
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