I was on a Q&A call recently and someone asked me how to put together an effective one minute commercial that would increase her bookings. These are often necessary if you’re participating in a networking group or sharing at a Chamber of Commerce meeting, or if you just want to know exactly what to say to someone who asks about your business during a one minute elevator ride. I came up with a cool formula that I want to share with you. This would work for a one minute sponsoring commercial as well.

1. Name the pain – This is a simple and effective marketing technique I’ve learned and used quite a bit this year. What is it about what you’re offering that’s missing in the listener’s life now? For example, if you’re focused on bookings, start by identifying what they don’t have now that your products could provide. Example: if you sell cooking tools, you might say, “You know how everyone hates that question “what’s for dinner?’” or “You know how frustrating it can be to spend a bunch of time preparing a meal and then have it end up burned because your pots and pans are old?” You get the idea.

2.   Share the solution – Now that you’ve named the pain, provide the solution. This part of your commercial generally starts with “what if,” as in “what if I could teach you five simple recipes that each take less than half an hour to prepare that your family will actually eat?” or “what if I told you that it’s virtually impossible to burn something on the stoneware I sell?”

3.   Tell them how you’ll do it – Finally, let them know the easiest way to get your solution, which would be by booking a party with you. It might sound like, “The best part about what I do is giving you the opportunity to get your friends together for a fun night out” or “I can teach you all of this in less than an hour and you and your friends will leave saying “that’s the most fun I’ve ever had at one of these home parties.”

So (and here’s the key to success with this), now that you have this very simple system, I’m going to challenge you to take 30 minutes and create your own one minute booking and sponsoring commercial. Then practice them until they comfortably flow out of your mouth when you need them.

Let me know how it goes!

Julie Anne Jones is a direct sales corporate consultant, coach, and trainer, and the CEO of Julie Anne Jones, Inc. She is known for her authentic and easy-to-use scripting and specializes in specific language and tools for success in direct sales. You can learn more about Julie Anne and her products and services or check out her blog at http://julieannejones.com.