"So, why is your company better than your competition?" was the question I asked recently at an executive seminar.

The sharply dressed VP of sales I was speaking with paused momentarily and looked at me like I just asked him for the PIN to his bank account.  He was obviously unprepared to answer the question quickly, precisely and enthusiastically. After watching him verbally circle the parking lot a few times, he told me that his company has "real good customer service." As he came to the end of his ramble, he looked at me in victory,  as if he had just solved the Da Vinci Code. I rarely had seen so many words say so little.

I then wondered if this inability to succinctly deliver a 30-second "elevator pitch" was prevalent among other executives and salespeople at the conference. Interestingly, and perhaps sadly, it was.

If you too are afflicted with the inability to get people fired up quickly about the benefits of your company, I have the cure. It is called the PRECISE Pitch. A PRECISE Pitch is a 20- to 45-second presentation that will describe what your company does and the amazing benefits it provides customers.  It is the response that should be delivered when somebody asks, "What is your company and what makes you so damn good?"

A PRECISE Pitch needs to create curiosity and leave the listener longing for more.  So how do you create a high-powered PRECISE Pitch?

1. Recognize a problem that your company solves.
For example, if your company sold Electronic Medical Records Software to a hospital and the real benefit to using your product is that it can save lives, you might start the first part of your pitch like this:

"A recent study found that between 44,000 and 98,000 deaths may result each year from medical errors in hospitals alone."

2. Tell them what your company does.
This should be no more than a couple of sentences.

"Sullivan Inc. created an Electronic Medical Records platform that allows health systems to accurately manage records from the moment a patient steps into their family practice office until the moment they leave the hospital."

3. What's the WOW!
Any PRECISE pitch needs to invite a positive reaction and some curiosity. When the listener's eyebrows go up, their heads lean forward and their throats deliver a "Hmm," you know you have a good pitch.  To get that reaction you need to explain what the key benefits to your solution are. For example:

"By accurately recording, monitoring and storing these records, we believe our system can save as many as 10 lives a year per hospital here in the US."

So let's put the three together to complete the PRECISE Pitch. (By the way, I just timed myself and it took 28 seconds to deliver.)

"A recent study found that between 44,000 and 98,000 deaths may result each year from medical errors in hospitals alone. Sullivan Inc. created an Electronic Medical Records platform that allows health systems to accurately manage records from the moment a patient steps into their family practice office until the moment they leave the hospital. By accurately recording, monitoring and storing these records, we believe our system can save as many as 10 lives a year per hospital here in the US."

Now I can assure you that if I had heard something like this in the halls of that executive session, I would have been curious. I would have wanted to learn more, which means the pitch would have done exactly what it was supposed to do. 

It's now time for a little old school exercise. If you don't have a pitch that contains the three ingredients described here, grab a pen and paper and get to work. And when you are finished crafting it, try it out on your spouse, friends or dog. If they yawn, look at their watch or start scratching themselves, chances are you need to put a little more punch into it. Soft, fluffy business clichés only put the listener to sleep and won't get you an invitation to tell more of your story.

Don't forget to practice your pitch so that it rolls off your tongue with eloquence and passion. By being PRECISE, you may be surprised to find that you have a lot more people wanting to hear more details about your great company.

Brian Sullivan may be reached at www.preciseselling.com.