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Market Street Journal

Long hours at the legislature

Last night I had my first opportunity to testify before a committee at the state legislature. I arrived when the committee started, at 1:30 p.m., knowing full well that they had 12 bills to consider.

The committee was focused on credits and exemptions that the state is eliminating or capping. My Chamber public affairs team warned me that it could be a while before it was my turn to testify.

The hearing room was standing room only, and another hundred people were in the lobby waiting their turn to testify on one bill or another.

I testified at 1:30 a.m. this morning – twelve hours after the committee started.

Here’s my question. I have been to, and frankly run, meetings where the topics were critical. Is there ever any reason for a committee hearing to last twelve hours? What kind of critical thinking is happening by legislators and testifiers when they have been sitting in a hearing room for twelve hours? We were all emotionally and physically exhausted, hungry and dehydrated. Who really functions well under those conditions? Next time, I am bringing snacks.

01/28/2010

Tameka's Tips

Pitch Perfect

What’s your pitch? Not your singing pitch, but your 30-second pitch you use to describe your business.

Michelle T. Dolberry, director of Marketing Advocacy at American Express OPEN offers six points that you need to remember when developing your pitch:

1. Stay unique. Start your pitch with what sets your business apart - your unique selling proposition. When you focus on what makes your business different, your pitch will be more memorable.

2. Focus on solutions. Every successful product or service solves some kind of problem. A successful pitch conveys this as a story with a happy ending provided by your business.

3. Provide proof. Interweave relevant facts into your pitch to support your claims, prove your benefits and show your success.

4. Be tangible. Don't get caught up in jargon and clichés. Figure out how to express your business's benefits in a way that most everyone could understand.

5. Show your passion. The perfect pitch appeals to the emotions, not the intellect. Think about what got you excited about starting your business - that story can often communicate the passion you feel about your company.

6. Practice. Spend enough time practicing your pitch so that is sounds natural. Run your pitch by as many different people as possible to get unbiased input.

04/23/2009