Contributed by SBOC Member:
Founder of the Small Business Owners Community
A great networking pitch isn’t about what you do — it’s about what changes for your client when they hire you.
Most business owners dread networking events. Not because they don’t want to meet people or grow their business, but because they freeze when someone asks what they do. They think they need to rattle off a list of credentials, certifications, or features. They believe people care about their training, their years in business, or their technical prowess. Here’s the problem: nobody cares. At least not the way you’re telling it.
We’ve been trained since school to lead with credentials. You put your degree on a resume. You highlight certifications on your LinkedIn. You list your accomplishments. But at a networking event, people aren’t hiring your resume. They’re trying to figure out if you solve a problem they know someone has. When you talk about your features and certifications, you’re making it about you. And the person across from you is thinking about how to politely escape the conversation.
Lisa Rabel, who joined us this week with her framework for the perfect pitch, put it plainly: the best pitch identifies the fear or emotion behind your service. Not the service itself. Not what you do. But what your client feels before they hire you.
Let’s say you’re a handyman. Instead of saying “I do drywall repair, painting, plumbing, electrical, and general home maintenance,” try this: “I do everything on your home to-do list you hate to do.” Different pitch entirely. The first one is a list of features. The second one is about the emotion of relief, of finally getting something off your shoulders.
Same thing if you’re a bookkeeper. Most bookkeepers say they handle accounts payable, accounts receivable, reconciliation, tax prep, and quarterly reporting. But what does a bookkeeper actually do? They keep you from getting an IRS letter. That fear of opening your mailbox and seeing a government notice is what drives a business owner to hire a bookkeeper. Not the list of tasks. The emotion. The transformation from “I might be audited” to “someone is handling this.”
When you shift your pitch to focus on transformation, something changes. The person listening leans in instead of checking their phone. They start asking questions. “Wait, so you mean I never have to…” That’s when you know the pitch is working.
Here’s what Lisa teaches that stuck with me: you’re not actually selling to the person in front of you right now. You’re selling to the Rolodex in their head. That list of people they know. The person across from you at a networking event is thinking, “Do I know anyone who needs this?” If your pitch is about transformation, it’s easy for them to mentally run through their contacts and say, “Oh yeah, my buddy just complained about that.” If your pitch is about features, it’s much harder for them to picture who needs it.
This is why your pitch matters at networking events. It’s not about closing the sale right there. It’s about making it easy for the person listening to remember you and connect you to someone who needs you.
Lisa suggests something powerful: record your pitch. Not in your head. Actually record it, video or audio. Then watch it back. Ask yourself one question: is this about me or is this about them? If your pitch focuses on your credentials, your experience, what you offer, or how long you’ve been doing this, it’s about you. If it focuses on what the client feels, what they’re afraid of, or what changes after they hire you, it’s about them.
Most pitches fail this test. Most business owners talk about themselves. Which means most business owners are walking around networking events sabotaging their own ability to get referrals.
The good news? Fixing this takes maybe an afternoon. You don’t need to overhaul your whole approach. You need to shift your focus from what you do to what your client feels when they stop needing you.
If you want hands-on help, Lisa Rabel offers free pitch classes every first Wednesday of the month. It’s a chance to workshop your pitch with someone who understands exactly what makes one stick. If networking has felt awkward or fruitless, it’s probably because your pitch is leaning too heavily on features. Let’s get that fixed.
Want to hear more from Pat Miller?
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Pat spent two decades in broadcasting management and hosting. After leaving the radio industry, he spent time consulting small businesses and realized the support system for entrepreneurs was broken. Where could you find help for improving small businesses and building real connections with other like-minded people. In June of 2020, the Idea Collective Small Business Community was born.