How Good is your D&D Elevator Speech? (Part 1)

During the marketing portion of my day job we often talk about our elevator speech—the succinct, persuasive pitch that will turn someone who is only mildly interested in, say, what you do for a living, into someone who will pick up the phone to learn more about your products and services. Your speech could be 10 seconds or two minutes long (elevators differ, after all), but it’s always a targeted, lasting message meant to transform your audience.

This transformation from observer to participant is probably the most difficult barrier to new business relationships, and, I think, to welcoming new players and DMs to tabletop roleplaying. Even after years of play, design, and conversation I still struggle with explaining just what it is that I do once weekly.

Today we're going to examine why tabletop/pen-and-paper elevator speeches are hard to make effectively while we isolate who we're talking to and what we're up against. Let's get to it.

Targeted

As in all writing, your elevator speech needs to be targeted, which means you need to know your audience. Identify them.

• Who do you hang out with?
• Who has asked you about D&D in the past?
• Can you anticipate the kinds of people who will ask you about it?
• Who cares about what you have to say?

Chances are good that your peers are like you, with similar interests and similar lives. Try to build some quick metrics for later.

For example, most of my friends are 25 years old or older, are finished or are finishing their post-secondary education, are around the middle-level of their careers, and are married or engaged in long-term relationships.

A clear(ish) picture of who is listening will inform what you should say to get them rolling dice and having fun.

Obstacles

I’ve written about what I perceive to be the obstacles of this fantastic hobby here and here, but we also have to consider the obstacles we face when trying to pitch anything, to anyone. Thanks to telemarketers, Future Shop, and Realtors (sorry, Kerri-Lyn), we wander about with a GREAT deal of resistance and suspicion built up to anyone we think is communicating for personal gain.

Pen-and-paper gaming is a little like a lot of things, most of them a little obscure or dorky, but nothing like any single other activity. This can make effective comparisons difficult, maybe impossible, and possibly off-putting.

So, our obstacles are:

• Pitch Resistance
• Game Uniqueness
• Dorky Perceptions

PR

Pitch resistance is the least of our worries—if someone asks you about the hobby then they are at least bored enough to hear what you have to say, and it should be clear that you aren’t really selling anything. Now, this article isn’t really about pen-and-paper evangelism (well, maybe it is a little) but I won’t go into trying to break down the nigh-impenetrable barrier of pitching to a different audience. Talk to Seth Godin if you need help with that (although I suspect he’d direct you to focus on your passionate tribesman, rather than try to please the whole world).

It’s like Heroes crossed with Lost, but in space (and it doesn't suck)!

No matter who wins, we all lose. Seriously, these shows suck.

Game uniqueness is a serious issue for me. Allow me to illustrate.

1. It’s a cross between chess, monopoly, and improv class, with swords.

2. Well… you need someone to run the game. He’s the DM, although I think that name alone is one of the nerdiest parts of the hobby…

3. It’s a tactical combat simulation with method acting.

4. That’s the best part—you can do anything you want!

I’ve said all of these things in the past, and I’ve convinced very few people to take up arms against kobolds and orcs. I think you know why.

Example 1 provides understandable examples, but none of them are very compelling for non gamers.

Example 2 dams the game as nerdy.

Example 3 and 4 manage to mean almost nothing concrete to most listeners while being accurate and boring.

The key is to use comparisons that are appealing and well-known so your audience can identify with them. Easier said than done, but let’s give it a shot.

1. Replace chess and monopoly with World of Warcraft (yes, I know we came first). Talking to a non-gamer? Try Lord of the Rings. Too nerdy? Try Band of Brothers or Braveheart.

2. Roleplaying is hard to describe without talking about drama (but go crazy if you’re talking to an actor or actress). Otherwise, describe it in broad terms without the drama. Keep it simple. For example, you could say that you create a character for yourself, gear up, and head out to fight monsters.

3. Nerdy it may be, there’s no reason to tell your audience that.

4. A sandbox doesn’t appeal to everyone, and you’re trying to describe the hobby, not obscure it. Instead of saying you can “do anything you want,” describe the top items we see at most game tables: you join up with your buddies, kill monsters, and gain power.

Dorky Perceptions

I firmly believe this perception is shrinking, but then my friends are gamers.

Regardless, avoid drawing attention to this. Pretend it never existed. Presumably you’re presenting the hobby in a positive light, so there’s no reason to say that some players like to speak in accents and others cut out cardboard holy symbols for their characters. Be honest about YOUR game, where it’s unlikely that you dress up like a wizard to play and the table is filled with unwashed basement dwellers.

Instead, be confident, succinct, and focus on the positives. This hobby kicks ass and enriches your life, so send that message.

Tune in Tomorrow for Part 2

Tomorrow I’m going to cover the pitches/speeches themselves, and provide several examples I’m working up with our audience in mind. For now, I’d love to hear some of your pitch stories, whether they’re good or bad. Got any to share?

Comments

[Swordgleam]

I'm a fan of, "It's like a videogame, but better, because the plot and loot are all personalized for you."

[RPG Ike]

I like it, and so true. Focuses right in on the benefits to your audience, too.