Hi Dianne :-) Congrats on the soon-to-happen grand opening!
How about approaching this differently. Too many people (in my view)
somehow make a split in their mind regarding business and everything
else. They understand their "regular life," but they turn a knob in
their head and become overly formal when discussing business. So let`s
look at this from a mental perspective.
Life`s supposed to be fun, and this business idea in particular is
geared toward fun, right? Okay, so first, put yourself into a fun frame
of mind---a free environment. I dunno, like maybe....the beach! :-)
Yah...that`s the ticket!
You`re on a beach with your best friend and her (his?) new friend.
Perhaps it`s a date, or some other opportunity to meet your friend`s
friend. And you met them there, you all didn`t drive together in the
car. They stroll up, toss down the blankets, chairs, cooler, etc., and
get settled. Everyone goes in for a swim, comes back out, dries off,
and opens up something cold to drink.
Your friend`s friend turns to you and says, "So Dianne, Jodie tells me
you`re opening your business next week. How cool is that! What kind of
thing are you doing?"
Now be honest: You wouldn`t suddenly stand up, become serious, and
start speaking weird. You wouldn`t say, "Salty Chix is a beach-inspired
clothing and accessories company." You`re not reciting in front of a
classroom, or on report, right?
Nobody talks like that in real life! :-D
Instead, you`d maybe grin really big, take a sip of your drink, and
start describing. "Well, it`s a type of clothing store, focused on
beach things.
"I was looking for (something), once,
and realized I was having a terrible time finding stuff for the beach
all in one place. It seemed like it was either scattered all over the
place in different stores, or out of stock, or it was just a few basic
swim suits.
"What I wanted, was a store that was a
sort of high-fashion boutique, but devoted to the beach. I wanted to
focus on women, and have everything you`d want, all in one place,
year-round. I wanted....."
I`m just making stuff up, here, but the point is to *first* lose
yourself in your imagination, seeing yourself and being on the beach.
Be there, talking with someone who has a connection to you, but who you
only just met. Feel the sund, the sand, the wind, and hear the waves.
Let yourself walk away from the formality of An Elevator Pitch, and
stay "normal."
Maybe use a tape recorder: Talk about what you yourself were looking
for, how you "discovered" a problem nobody was solving, and decided to
solve it yourself. Why did you perceive it as a problem? How come
nobody else was solving that problem? What were the top three
characteristics of this problem you were having---how did you come to
feel you were having the problem?
Although you may believe that asking *another* business for orders
means you have to put on a formal suit, pull your hair back into a
helmet, and wear horn-rim glasses, how would that sell the idea of The
Beach, informality, and fun? See?
Other boutique owners are going to respond first to your passion,
excitement, and your sense of fun. Secondly, and equally important,
they`re going to immediately ask themselves (in their mind, while
listening), "How does this affect me? Do I have this problem? Do my
customers have this problem? Will this solve a problem I didn`t know I
had, get me more customers, and help me sell more to the existing
customers?"
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