How to talk about your business

Spoiler alert, I am going to be brutally honest.

So many people do not know how to talk about their business. And I ‘m not even talking about pitching your business. Just plain, having a conversation about your business. This is basically the first step in learning to pitch your business.

Have you ever asked someone what they did for a living or what their business was about? Then find yourself zoning out mid-conversation? It has happened to even the best of us.

The truth is, a lot of people can go on about their favorite show, or celebrity gossip, but when it comes to their business they begin to recite a list of features. “Our product ensures seamless transition because we use the most up to date blah blah blah”. You’re losing your audience.

So don’t recite features, talk about the value your product delivers. “We ensure that you don’t spend hours in an uncomfortable bank just to carry out a transaction”.

Another thing to note when talking about your business is your energy. Don’t drag through your business story. I want you to be pumped and excited. Your energy is contagious.

So if you’re putting off an uninterested vibe, we would pick up on that and be uninterested too. But if your enthusiasm is palpable and pure, we’ll feel the same way. I’m not saying pull a Tom Cruise and jump on my sofa. But at least let me feel excited about what you do.

Last week we had the United States deputy assistant for West Africa and security, Whitney Baird, spend some time at Ventures Park. She was joined by the US ambassador to Nigeria, Stuart Symington.

She interacted with some founders in our space; Iyin Creative, Thrive Agric and Printivo.

You could tell that these people had put in reasonable time practicing their pitch. They knew the details of their business and they were able to communicate the impact effortlessly. It was so natural and conversational that you leave with a nice memory of the interaction.

There is definitely an art to pitching. Mastering that art can put your business at the vantage point.