I think it was Liz Ryan who called this a “bumper sticker” (great concept).
In LinkedIn they call it a Professional Headline.
Some call it a tag line.
It is the bite-sized value proposition… I might get bored listening to your poorly-crafted 30 second elevator pitch, but I can’t help but digest your 5 Second Elevator Pitch.
One of my favorites is from Carol Fletez, who is an IT professional in the D.C. area. Look at how fantastic her 5 second pitch is:
This might not mean anything to you but I used to work in a mainframe environment. Mainframes are cool and powerful, but many times you feel like you are in the bedrock era. Carol’s very simple phrase…
Helping Companies Migrate from Mainfraimes to the Future!
… is just clever! It brought a grin to my face, and immediately I assumed she has an expertise in legacy systems and new stuff, and marrying the two. Anyone who has been around mainframes will know what this means.
Guess what? She also has this sentence on her email signature – she is getting that branding in multiple places (as she should).
What is YOUR 5 Second pitch?
Such a simple little tidbit but very powerful. I have already re-thought my opening! Thanks for the info.
Jeff
It’s a personal brand. You have to think about who you are and weave it into everything you do. I’m still working on mine, but tips like this really help!