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What Do You Believe? Why? A Marketing Proposition
What do you do for a living? What sort of business do you run? That’s a classic business question, and those who understand marketing and PR, and have been in business during the last decade, might respond to the questions with their “elevator pitch.” If you’re not familiar with that term “elevator pitch”, you should be. An elevator pitch is a 10-20 second (yes, second!) overview of your business, so-named because you should be able to deliver it to a fellow passenger in the time it takes you to share an elevator ride to the top floor of a not-very-tall building. I’m the founder and CEO of Jane’s Advocacy Services in Terre Haute. We provide health care support and navigation services for older patients who need someone to hold their hands. Unlike hospital patient advocates or social workers, we can be there 24/7, at home or in the hospital. We provide peace of mind to our clients and their concerned adult children. Thing is – elevator pitches are just so 2008! They may still have their place but they have mostly been replaced… A few years ago, I introduced you to the concept of “narrative.” I first heard the term while watching an episode of Shark Tank, when Troy Carter asked a hopeful investee, “What’s your narrative?” Now – here’s what captured my attention… the woman manufactured socks. Yes, socks. Big deal! I mean, they were cool socks, I grant you. But Shark Tank cool? And then she told her story, her narrative. It was heartbreaking and hopeful. It captured hearts and minds. And the Sharks couldn’t invest fast enough… all based on her narrative. Advocacy is the kind of business for which narrative can be incredibly powerful! So many of us do the work we do because of our own experiences dealing with the healthcare system for ourselves, or for others. By helping others, using the skills and empathy we have developed, we find joy, possibly catharsis, and often career. My work is about patient empowerment and patient advocacy. In 2004, I was diagnosed with terminal lymphoma and given…