Randy Dawson here. I was just at a Chamber mixer and realized how many different elevator pitches I heard from our members. Some were great, others needed work. Let's share our best 30-second elevator pitches here - what's working for you in networking situations? I'll start: "I'm Randy Dawson, I help businesses cut their electric bills by 15-40% without changing how they operate. Last month I saved a Memphis manufacturer $3,200 monthly by optimizing their MLGW demand charges. Most business owners don't realize how much money they're leaving on the table with their utility bills."
Elevator pitch workshop - what's your 30-second version?
Kira J. from Portland. Randy, that's solid. Here's mine: "I'm Kira, I'm like a detective for electric bills. I find hidden costs and billing errors that most businesses never notice. I just found $800 monthly for a restaurant that was being charged incorrectly on Portland General Electric's Schedule 32 tariff for two years." The detective angle seems to get people interested.
Cliff W. in Reno. I keep it simple: "I help businesses stop overpaying for electricity. Most companies waste 20-30% on their power bills and don't know it. I find that waste and show them how to fix it." Then I give a specific local example if they seem interested.
Beth H. from Jacksonville. I like the simplicity Cliff. Mine is: "I'm Beth, I audit commercial electric bills and typically find $500-$5000 in monthly savings that companies didn't know existed. I just saved a Jacksonville warehouse $2,100 monthly on their JEA bill by fixing their power factor and demand timing." The specific dollar range seems to grab attention.
Walt F. in Louisville. Question for everyone - do you mention your background or credentials in the elevator pitch? I've been saying "I'm a certified utility auditor" but wondering if that's too technical for most networking events.
Diane here, also Louisville. Walt, I tried mentioning credentials but people's eyes glazed over. Now I lead with results: "I've saved local businesses over $180,000 in utility costs this year." People want to know what you've accomplished, not what certificates you have.
Mark S. from Raleigh. Great thread Randy. I've been struggling with this. My pitch was way too long and technical. Based on what I'm reading here, I'm going to try: "I help businesses cut their electric bills by finding billing errors and inefficiencies. Last week I saved a Raleigh office building $1,400 monthly on their Duke Energy bill." Simple and specific.
Dan W. from Fresno. One thing I've learned - always have a business card ready when you give your pitch. I've had great conversations that went nowhere because I fumbled around looking for a card. Also, I ask for their card and follow up within 24 hours while the conversation is fresh in their mind.
Faye H. in Lynchburg. Dan makes a great point about follow-up. I also try to end my pitch with a question like "What kind of facility do you operate?" or "How much is your monthly electric bill?" Gets them talking instead of just listening to me pitch.
Excellent contributions everyone. I'm seeing some common themes - lead with results not credentials, use specific dollar amounts, keep it conversational. Kira's "detective" angle is creative, and I like how Beth uses a range ($500-$5000) to appeal to different sized businesses. The follow-up tips from Dan and Faye are crucial too. Networking is about starting conversations, not making immediate sales.
Wade F. in Shreveport jumping in late. I've been using: "I'm Wade, I find money hiding in business electric bills. Most of my clients save $800-$3000 monthly on costs they didn't even know they could control." The "hiding money" phrase always gets a reaction - people are naturally curious about hidden money.
Alice M. in Boise. This has been really helpful. As someone still building my client base, I've been hesitant to give specific savings numbers since I don't have many examples yet. Would it be appropriate to use examples from this forum (with permission) or should I stick to my own limited results?
Alice, you can definitely reference general industry examples like "utility auditors typically find 15-30% savings" or "I recently learned about a case where an auditor found $2,400 monthly for a manufacturing client." Just don't claim others' specific results as your own. As you build your portfolio, you'll have plenty of your own success stories to share.