Selling Your Business in 140 Characters. Or Less.

Many of you may have heard of an elevator pitch and must have rehearsed one at some point in your life. But what happens when someone asks about your business on Twitter and you have to define it within 140 characters while selling your service? The elevator pitch doesn't seem so old school after all now, does it? Just needs a little tweaking to suit the medium. 

When describing your business to people it’s best you ensure that the business is easy to understand. The reason for this is obvious – it helps the target audience grasp the benefits your business provides. An effective, short business description is an effective way of ensuring your work is understood by the target audience.

So how does one go about providing that crucial 140 character business description?

The goal here is to develop a description of what you do in as concise terms as possible. It needs be devoid of all acronyms or jargons that may confuse your prospect. This description can be used to answer a customer question or respond to any sentiment. It could be a tagline of a video or you can use it in person at an industry event.

Here are a few examples if your business is B2B:

• ‘We are wealth protection specialists offering our clients peace of mind with the best insurance products on the market.’
• ‘A leading B2B insurance service provider.’
• ‘We make complicated IT systems simple and help small businesses leverage technology to be productive and grow.’
• ‘A well known technology consulting firm in EMEA region.’
• ‘We help your business stay uncomplicated. Our consultants specialize in monetizing any effort that is being put into your business.’
• ‘A business consulting firm that enables business transformation.’

So what is your 140 character business description?  Make sure it tells the prospect what you do and how it helps them. Try it and let us know your experience.

P.S. This is not something you would post to your Twitter as a general update or say the very moment you meet someone. It often follows the question that most people ask after they get to know you: “Hi, so what do you do?”

- By Viral Thaker, Founder & Director | TheSocialPeople
A seasoned HR & Marketing professional, Viral was one of the early adopters of social media. With over a decade of industry experience under his belt, his skills span corporate strategy, delivery management, customer relationship management, business development and operations management. Viral is a voracious reader, a travel enthusiast and enjoys adventure sports. Follow Viral on Twitter @vrlthaker 

Founder Speak is our weekly column by the founders of TheSocialPeople- Viral Thaker & Dr.Vikram Venkateswaran.