WHEN was the last time you got in a lift and started talking to a stranger?
Other than to say: “Which floor are you going to?” I can’t remember when I randomly chatted to someone on a lift journey.
The ‘Elevator Pitch’ is a concept that your initial business pitch should be short enough to deliver to someone you meet in a lift, which typically takes less than 30 seconds.
That was the subject of discussion at a Pabasso peer advisory board meeting I attended recently.
Richard Doyle, the entrepreneur who runs Pabasso, invited me to speak to members of his Leeds board about the value of events.
He also offered me the opportunity to attend the whole board meeting rather than just turn up to speak to them at the end of their meeting.
I took up his offer and, given the board were discussing the subject of elevator pitches, I thought I should come up with mine.
As I said earlier, I don’t make a habit of talking to people in lifts.
That’s not because I’m anti-social or not focused on winning business when I get in my office lift at Gilbanks, One Park Row in Leeds.
It is more to do with the fact that the female voice making the lift announcements sounds like a cross between a Scandinavian adult film actress and a dominatrix.
Now I’ve never actually met a Scandinavian adult film actress or a dominatrix but I’ve got a very vivid imagination and I’ve met some bossy women in my time.
Anyway, back to my elevator pitch.
Focus, David.
As Richard Doyle explained: “Every business should have an elevator pitch and everyone in the organisation should be able to recite it to anyone they meet.
“If you don’t tell, you can’t sell – right?
“The idea is to create interest and earn a second conversation – if appropriate. Not to try and sell your products or services, merely to open the door for another conversation between the correct parties,” he said.
It is harder than you think.
Richard explained that some people just use their company’s mission statement as their elevator pitch, which doesn’t work and doesn’t engage the listener.
“Let’s focus on ‘create interest’, you don’t have much time and if you want everyone in your organisation to remember it, it must be clear and concise enough to be memorable and stimulate interest.
“The longer you make it, the harder it is for your team to remember it, to get it in their DNA and deliver it correctly.
“Can you quickly, concisely and clearly tell me what your business does in approximately 30 seconds – in a way that is enough to stimulate interest?
“You only get one chance to make a good first impression – so make sure you get it right.
“Think about how you would reply when someone asks you what you do. It’s an opening gambit to try and establish if there is any interest to be followed up,” Richard explained to us.
His own elevator pitch is: “I’m the Chair and Founder of Pabasso, we facilitate peer advisory boards for growing MDs & CEOs to help leaders of established businesses progress through shared experience, expertise and support.”
So what is mine?
Given I’m supposed to be able to write, it is harder than you think.
So here goes:
“I run COPA Group which helps companies and individuals tell their stories through events and communications. I passionately believe that everyone has a story to tell, they just might not know what it is or how to tell it. And I can help them do that.”
I think it needs some work but thanks to Richard I now have something to work with.
The Pabasso board was made up of an impressive group of entrepreneurs and executives and the experience reminded me of the time I used to sit on The Alternative Board.
The board members were relaxed, open, engaging and entertaining and they didn’t sound like they were part of a cult, which is more than I can say for some members of Vistage boards that I have met.
No mother, I said cult.
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I FIRST met Richard Doyle when I was business editor of the Yorkshire Post and I interviewed him when he was running the Wetherby-based IT business he founded, Esteem Systems.
Before he successfully sold the company I used to regularly see Richard in the popular La Grillade restaurant in Leeds.
I was pretty impressed, because he seemed to be in there even more than me.
Until I discovered that he has an identical twin brother.
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I HAD the dinner jacket on twice in three days this week.
Well, that’s not strictly true.
I did wear my dinner suit for an event on Monday, but on Saturday I donned my new purple velvet evening jacket crafted by Leeds tailor James Michelsberg for the fifth birthday ball for the incredible Maggie’s Yorkshire charity.
Yes, I know you want to see a photograph of the new creation, but the light wasn’t right to capture it, or me, in our full glory, so I will get a decent shot on its next outing, which is next Friday at the Martin House Glitter Ball.
It was lovely to see old friends such as Caroline Pullich of NFU Mutual and Martin Jenkins of vehicle leasing business Zenith.
I sat on the board of Maggie’s Yorkshire with them during the fundraising and building of the centre which provides support to people with cancer and their families and is based at St James’s Hospital in Leeds.
Martin is still chair of the charity and he greeted me with warmth at the fifth birthday ball at Aspire in Leeds city centre.
“David, you’ll be pleased to know that I’m not making a speech tonight,” he told me.
“Martin, I’ve been short-changed, that was the only reason I came tonight,” I replied as he roared with laughter.
As it was a birthday party, each table was given a wrapped present with which to play that old children’s party favourite, pass the parcel.
Guests on our table passed the gift to each other like it was a ticking bomb until the music stopped and I was left holding it.
I ripped into the first layer of wrapping with the gusto of a five-year-old and out dropped a tiny packet of Haribo sweets.
As further layers were removed from the parcel the excitement levels rose.
OK, they didn’t but I’m trying to build tension here.
Anyway I’ve come to the conclusion that I’m either incredibly lucky or I’m just a bit slow at passing the parcel.
Because I ended up removing the final layer of gift wrap to win a small box of four chocolates from Hotel Chocolat.
Given I’ve not got much of a sweet tooth, I think it is probably the latter.
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THE other occasion I had to don a black tie outfit was on Monday evening this week.
Amid driving rain, I headed to the Royal Armouries Museum at Leeds Dock for the relaunch of the World Curry Festival.
The event, created by entrepreneur Zulfi Karin, paused during lockdown and he has rebranded it as ‘Curry Forever’ with the help of Sarah Dear and her team at Leeds creative agency Born Ugly, who created the original branding for the festival during their time with Jonathan Sands Elmwood.
Zulfi is one of life’s enthusiasts and his energy persuaded 300 people to turn out on a wet Monday night to celebrate curry in Yorkshire.
There were the people running well know Yorkshire curry restaurants, food producers, farmers and politicians in the audience.
West Yorkshire Mayor Tracy Brabin welcomed guests to the event.
She spoke for five minutes and said absolutely nothing.
I’m told by every business person who has met her that this is not unusual.
Zulfi had leaned on his Bradford-born friends from business and the media to get involved in the event which was compered by James Mason, the CEO of West & North Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce and former TV presenter Christa Ackroyd doing interviews on stage.
I was hosted by Deliciously Yorkshire, which promotes the region’s food and drink industry.
Allison Kane of Deliciously Yorkshire had put a great table together and it was nice to catch up with Razan and Raghid Alsous, the Syrian refugees who created Yorkshire Dama Cheese and successfully appeared on Channel 4 show ‘Aldi’s Next Big Thing’ earlier this year.
Also on our table were my old Yorkshire Post colleague Catherine Scott, who is still with the paper and responsible for its very readable high quality Saturday Magazine.
Elaine Lemm is a food writer who regularly writes restaurant reviews for the magazine and she chaired the judging panel for the White Rose Tourism Awards for Welcome to Yorkshire, where I was a judge for a couple of years.
Zulfi Karim, founder of the World Curry Festival, told the audience that curry has been a part of British culture for over 200 years, with the first curry house opening in 1810.
But with 30% of UK curry restaurant closing in the last decade, he believes the Curry Forever movement can play a part in reinvigorating the British love of the food.
“At Curry Forever, our mission is to ensure that the history and legacy of the Great British Curry remain integral to our culture for generations to come.
“Curry is more than just food – it brings people together, sparks conversations, and is a vibrant, exciting cuisine to cook, share, and enjoy,” he said.
As the night reached a conclusion it was announced that the World Curry Festival and Curry Forever will play a central role in the Bradford 2025 UK City of Culture celebrations.
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IF you were in London at the weekend and saw some strange men chasing sheep across a bridge, don’t worry.
It is part of a centuries old tradition in which Freemen of the City of London are allowed to bring sheep to market over the River Thames, toll free.
The Worshipful Company of Woolmen run the annual charity event in aid of The Woolmen Charity and The Lord Mayor’s Appeal.
This year’s Sheep Drive took place on Southwark Bridge and featured Hollywood actor Damian Lewis joining 1,000 Freemen of the City of London in celebrating the medieval right to bring produce to market without paying a toll.
The Golden Globe and Emmy Award-winning actor, who is himself a Freeman of the City, described the event as “fabulous”.
Now, due to copyright issues, I can’t use a photograph of the handsome Damian Lewis herding sheep.
But here is the next best thing, another man with matinee idol looks, Martin Allison, former banker turned entrepreneur, who is also a Freeman and took part in the event on Sunday.
When I asked him what the experience was like, he said: “Not as exciting as bobsleigh.”
Martin used to be chairman of the British Bobsleigh and Skeleton Association.
Now, I’m not sure why those sheep are looking so nervous, Martin wasn’t offering them a bobsleigh ride.
And anyway, Martin is from Sunderland, not Wales or Derby.
Have a great weekend.
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