In this column, Bizkids, we will feature interviews with successful entrepreneurs and various professionals to share their advice to aspiring kids with entrepreneurial spirits. To send in your questions or advice, email cindyjenkins@beijing-kids.com.

The importance of business and entrepreneurial experiences for teens is increasingly recognized. Are you or your teen ready to leave the nest and take the challenge? Once you have an idea, the very first step to introduce it to others is using an elevator pitch. As a brief, persuasive speech, you can use an elevator pitch to spark interest in your idea to potential clients or customers who don’t know you. 

This time, our featured professional is James LaLonde, co-founder, investor, and board member of Yodo1 and currently driving several growth project teams. LaLonde started his career as an early employee of Microsoft Japan and led the subsidiary’s rise to the first billion-dollar revenue of a software company in history. After his nearly 15-year corporate career, which culminated in a role as CEO of a NASDAQ listed software company, LaLonde with partner Henry Fong co-founded Yodo1, the largest private publisher of mobile phone games in China. Many of his ideas, best practices, and advice can be found in his most recent book The Tao of Startups.

Here, he has listed six key points about elevator pitches to help you introduce yourself to potential career and business connections in a compelling way.

1. Smile and relax

Smile at your counterpart, look them in the eyes, and open with a statement, question, or handshake that grabs their attention.

2. Describe yourself

Tell them who you are: describe yourself and your career highlights. Show enthusiasm!

3. What do you offer the listener?

Talk about the milestones you have accomplished, problems you have solved, or contributions you have made. Give details or a clear example if possible.

4. What benefits do you or your product offer?

Mention what unique service, product or solutions you or your company offers. What are the advantages of working with you? How are you different from others?

5. How do you do it? What is your “special sauce”?

Give a concrete example or tell a short story, anecdote, or analogy, show your uniqueness and paint a verbal picture of how you “do” the thing you do. This can be incorporated into number 4 above to save time.

6. Call to action

What is the desired next step after your elevator pitch? Do you want a business card, WeChat connection, a referral, follow up meeting, or demo?

KEEP READING: So You Want To Be a Game Developer: What It Takes To Make Gaming a Career

Photo: courtesy of James LaLonde, beijing-kids.com

(It was reported this week that ambitious Chinese parents are sending their children on leadership workshops and CEO training courses aimed at kids as young as 6 months. “I doubt the course can really teach a child to become a future leader because they are too young,” commented one parent rather forlornly after paying RMB 12,000. “What can you expect from a three-year-old? My daughter can’t even put her own shoes on.” Some cynics have even dared to suggest that the courses are no more than over-priced daycare… We sent our undercover reporter to find out what was really going on.)

Now then children, today we’re all going to be world leaders and captains of industry. So let’s put our shoulders back, our noses in the air, and head for the top!

Hillary and Donald, if you two can’t play nicely, you’ll have to go and sit on the naughty step. Yes, Hillary, I heard what he called you. But that doesn’t make it right for you to – Hillary! Nice girls don’t use words like that.

This is Theresa, boys and girls. She’s new, so let’s all make her feel welcome. Theresa, I really don’t think it’s a good idea on your first day to start by telling everybody you don’t want to play with them. Look, you’ve upset Angela now. And believe me, you don’t want to mess with Angela.

Donald, don’t do that.

Let’s have a look at your drawings. Oh, Steve, what a lovely apple! Bill, stop copying Steve. Yes, you are. You can call it a window if you want, but it looks like an apple to me. What are you drawing, Ren? You’re drawing an apple too? I see… And Lei? Another – Wait a minute. Has anybody drawn anything that isn’t an apple? Everyone’s just copying Steve. Don’t you have any ideas of your own?

Hillary, what’s that on that piece of paper? Yes, the one behind your back. Bring it here now. No Julian, don’t snatch. Hillary’s going to do the right thing and give it to me herself, aren’t you, Hillary?

Oh dear. Have you swallowed it? Well, it’ll serve you right if it comes back up later.

Richard, put that down. Nobody’s going to take you seriously if you keep playing with balloons. What, you want to be a spaceman now? I’m not sure that’s really any better. Oh well, as long it keeps you away from the train set…

Donald, I asked you not to do that. I don’t care how big your hands are.

What have you got there, Jack? A designer handbag? How lovely. But it isn’t really, is it? You’ve just written “Louis Vuitton” on your lunchbox with a felt-tip pen.

No, Justin, put the playmobil away. Why? Because if you want to join the global elite, you’re going to have to learn not to concern yourself with the little people.

What’s that, Donald? You don’t want to be a world leader after all? You were just saying it to get attention? I’m afraid it’s cost a lot of money to get you here, so you’ll just have to try your very best. Anyway, I don’t think you have much to worry about…

(With apologies to Joyce Grenfell)

Photo: Courtany via Pixabay