FOCUS: BRAND MESSAGING DISCONNECT | AUDIENCE: EXPERTS WITH IGNORED BRANDS
BY: SHOBHA PONNAPPA | BRAND BREAKTHROUGH STRATEGIST | 45 YEARS | 125+ CLIENTS
I answer 6 tough questions about why elevator pitches often confuse instead of clarify … and how to fix the message.
I find this happens when experts overload their pitch with jargon or backstory instead of outcomes. Audiences hear many words but miss the point. A pitch that should be a spotlight turns into fog. When people cannot retell your value in one line, your message is failing.
Experts often carry too much context in their heads. They try to condense years of mastery into thirty seconds, which overwhelms. Instead of clarity, the listener gets clutter. The temptation is to showcase depth instead of cutting to the essence.
The cure is ruthless prioritisation. Strip your pitch to the transformation you deliver, not the process you follow. When you lead with outcomes, curiosity replaces confusion. You can always expand later, but the first hit must be simple.
The test is replay. After you pitch, ask the listener to describe what you do. If their retelling diverges from your intent, the pitch failed. Confusion is revealed in paraphrase. If they mention tactics but not the transformation, you buried the lead.
Another signal is the look of polite patience. If people nod but do not ask a follow up, they did not connect. A clear pitch sparks curiosity, while a muddled one shuts the door. Your pitch should invite the next question, not end the talk.
Use a three part arc: context, problem, and promise. Context sets the frame in one relatable line. Problem defines what is broken in the audience’s world. Promise delivers the shift you create. Together, they set the hook without drowning in detail.
Keep sentences short and strong. Avoid conjunction chains that pile clauses. Every word must earn its place. A pitch is not a mini lecture; it is an ignition spark.
Credentials build authority, but they should never lead. Pain creates urgency, and promise creates relevance. Lead with the listener’s world, not your CV. Once they lean in, you can establish your expertise.
Mention credentials only after the promise is clear. At that point, proof matters. But starting with degrees, years, or awards makes the pitch about you, not them. Position proof as reassurance, not as the headline.
Simplicity is not the enemy of sophistication. It is the gateway to it. A sharp pitch opens the door; depth keeps it open. Use language your grandmother could repeat, not jargon only peers decode.
Focus on emotional resonance as much as logical precision. People buy into why before they explore how. Clarity is respect for your audience’s time. Simplify the surface; let depth unfold later.
Try the “tweet test”: express your value in under 280 characters. Or the “five year old test”: explain it to a child without losing the point. Constraints force clarity. Another is the “echo test”: share your pitch, then listen to how others describe it back.
Record yourself delivering the pitch and time it. If it runs over thirty seconds, cut again. Sharpening is subtraction, not addition. The more you trim, the stronger it gets.
If this sounds like you, step back and reframe your pitch around outcomes, not overload. Clarity is not about shrinking your expertise, but about amplifying its relevance. With the right structure, you can make people remember, repeat, and respond.
If you’re brand owner or manager seeking stronger brand performance, this FAQ Insight Post I wrote could interest you: “FAQs: When New Launches Don’t Stir Existing Customers.“
If you’re an investor seeking momentum for your portfolio brands, this FAQ Insight Post I worked on may resonate: “FAQs: When New Markets Don’t Get the Brand’s Core Message.“
"One BIG IDEA can turn brand stagnation into unstoppable movement. Spots are limited each week ... book your breakthrough session now."
More Breakthrough Ideas … Case Studies & FAQs … from the Brand Messaging Disconnect Category
Case Studies
FAQ Insights
Smart insights, real-world frameworks, and idea-driven clarity – designed to help brands move.
Get my fortnightly Brand Reframe newsletter. Smart insights, distilled thinking, and focused momentum to help your brand lead.
Get my free AI strategy guide. Smart prompts, sharper briefs, and practical ways to make AI support your brand momentum.
Just fill in the form to join. Get my newsletter and the guide shown alongside, all with several game-changing tips.
