08/08/2025
The other day, I was on a Zoom call where we each had 60 seconds to pitch our business to fellow entrepreneurs. In the warm-up room, one participant started his pitch. He introduced himself, shared where he was from, and thanked the host.
Curated by Martin R. Ricketts
A polite beginning, but let's be honest, perfect strangers don’t really care about that upfront. If it were me, I would’ve started with a pattern interrupt. Something bold. A provocative question. An open loop. Anything to grab attention.
Then he shifted into listing his accomplishments, awards, and credentials. Impressive, sure. He closed with a request for more customers, partners, and funding. When his time was up, I asked if he’d like some feedback. I’ve learned not to give advice unless someone’s open to it. He said yes.
So I told him, Don’t take this the wrong way, but your pitch was all about you. And that’s the problem. There was no WIIFM. No “what’s in it for me?” That’s the question every listener is silently asking.
A sales coach once told me to picture a big sign around everyone’s neck that says WIIFM. I get it now because I used to make the same mistake. I’d explain how my system works, why it’s complicated, and why it matters. But if they don’t see why they should care, they won’t.
So I changed my approach.
Unfortunately, the guy didn’t take the feedback to heart. He did the same thing in the main room. I’m not sure he got any clients from that call.
Here’s the lesson. Your pitch needs to be about the listener. One of the best ways to do that is to use what professional copywriters widely agree are the three most powerful words in marketing:
So you can.
For example, "We use advanced AI tools so you can create more personalized emails." "We automate your workflow so you can focus on revenue." It’s a simple phrase, but it shifts the spotlight from you to them.
Add “so you can” to your messaging as often as you can. Ignore Grammarly if it tries to rewrite it. Marketing copy doesn’t need to be grammatically perfect. It needs to be perfectly compelling.
And “so you can” is how you make it so.
Do Work You Love.
Monetize Your Story.
Design Your Future.