When someone asks what your business does, how confident are you in the way you answer?
We are not talking about the long version. Nor are we talking about the backstory of how your company started and where it has been. We are wanting just one or two lines that tell someone what you do clearly and succinctly.
In Hollywood, screenwriters pitch ideas in under five minutes. However, interestingly enough decisions are usually made in the first forty five seconds. Producers are listening for a concise and compelling summary. In that industry, it is called a ‘logline.’
In business, of course, we have our own version. It is called the elevator pitch, because that is where most of these took place in a lift. An elevator pitch is far more important than most people think.
The Value of Getting It Right
Think back to the last time you explained your business or idea to someone new. Did you feel the urge to list every feature? Every detail? Every reason why it matters?
The problem in that approach is that most people stop listening way before you are finished. Why? Well people are often busy, they can be distracted and they well have heard five other pitches before yours.
A strong elevator pitch does more than introduce you. It makes people want to keep listening. It helps them understand you faster. And what sets you apart from others.
Start With One Sentence
Write down what your business does in one or two sentences. Keep it simple and stay clear of buzzwords and jargon.
Then say it out loud. Does it sound like something you would say to a friend or colleague over coffee? Would someone outside your industry understand it?
If not, try again. Keep going until it feels natural.
Record It and Get It Transcribed
Once you have something that feels close, record yourself saying it. Use your phone. Speak the way you normally would.
Then have the recording transcribed. Seeing your words on a page gives you a new perspective. It shows you where your message is cluttered. Where you are repeating yourself. Where you might be jumping ahead without giving enough context.
Seeing the written word allows you to catch things you miss when you are just thinking or speaking. That is why actors, authors and public speakers use it all the time.
Edit With Purpose
Now take that transcription and edit it. Not just to shorten it, but sharpen it. Look at your word choice, but your tone and your rhythm.
Ask someone you trust to read it. Do they understand it immediately? Does it feel like something they would remember?
Why not stick it through ChatGPT and ask it to reword it a few times. Does that give you something you can pull out and use or reword?
You may go through several drafts. That is part of the process.
Once you have your pitch, do not keep it to yourself. Share it with your team. Can they suggest any changes?
The final version should be something you are proud to say to someone who asks what you do, in an investor meeting, in a hallway or in an lift.
Get Everyone Saying the Same Thing
Once you have your pitch, make sure everyone is using the same language to describe what you do. When your message is consistent, it builds trust not just externally but internally.
What Happens After the Pitch?
Let us say your pitch lands. You have sparked interest. Someone wants to hear more. They ask for a proposal, a follow-up document, or a summary they can share with their team.
This is the moment where some businesses fail. Why? Because the handoff from pitch to proposal often stalls. People scramble to write new material from scratch. But this is where dictation and transcription can keep the momentum going. Rather than spending hours drafting the next document, record your thoughts immediately after the meeting. Speak the key points you covered. Outline what the proposal should include. Share context and nuance while it is still fresh in your mind.
Send that recording for transcription and within hours, you have a starting point: a clear, accurate document that can be edited into a polished proposal or executive summary. You stay responsive. You stay professional and you stay ahead of your competitors who are still staring at a blank page!
Transcription: A Simple Tool That Saves Time
Transcription is not only useful for proposals and pitches. It can also help teams work more efficiently in every area.
Many professionals spend hours every week typing up meeting notes, writing emails, letters or drafting reports. Much of that time could be reduced with voice dictation and transcription.
Speaking is three to four times faster than typing. So, a report that takes forty minutes to write could be spoken in ten. Send it for transcription and you get back a clean, formatted document. The result? You get thirty minutes of your time back which can be used to generate new leads or pitch to other business.
More Than Just Speed
Transcription also helps you communicate more clearly. It shows you how you sound when you explain your ideas.
It sharpens:
- Meeting summaries by capturing action points with precision;
- Customer interviews by surfacing real language and recurring themes;
- Content creation by turning spoken ideas into usable material.
Whenever you are trying to explain something better, seeing your own words in print is a powerful shortcut.
Final Thoughts
So the next time someone asks, “What do you do?”, do not see it as small talk. See it as your opening move. The right words, delivered with clarity and confidence, can spark curiosity, build trust and turn a passing moment into real opportunity. But do not stop at the pitch. Keep the momentum alive. Use the tools at your fingertips: your voice, your ideas and a fast path to written clarity, to turn attention into action. In business, it is not just what you say. It is how quickly and clearly you follow through that also sets you apart.
About OutSec
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