Picture this: You’re walking down the hall, coffee in hand, when an executive stops you and casually says.
“So, with all these AI tools, can we just have it create more content for us?”
You freeze, paralyzed both by the thought of AI-created mediocrity and the power you’ve just been handed to effect the robot uprising within your company. You have 30 seconds before he jets off, visions of robot writers dancing in his head. No slides. No prep. Just you, your brain, and your ability to think on the fly.
Sound familiar?
If you work in marketing, you’ve probably faced moments like this. Internal stakeholders – whether executives, product managers, or finance leaders – often underestimate the value in marketing strategy, especially now that AI tools make marketing look so simple a robot can do it.
The classic elevator pitch won’t help you here. It’s too shallow, to rehearsed. What you need isn’ta pitch – it’s a conversation. One that builds understanding, trust, and eventually, advocacy.
Why Traditional Elevator Pitches Fall Short
Elevator pitches aim for quick agreement. They compress complex ideas into oversimplified soundbites. But marketing isn’t a quick transaction — It’s a long-term strategic play. Stakeholders need to see your marketing value clearly, and that rarely fits into a 60-second script.
The executive in the hallway wasn’t being difficult. He genuinely believed that AI might deliver fast, measurable ROI. Your instinct might be to launch into a defense of your team or your budget. But that’s not what build influence.
What builds influence is a better conversation.
A Better Approach is To Turn That Pitch Into a Conversation
Here is how you could respond in that moment:
“Great question. AI is a powerful tool, but it doesn’t yet understand our customers’ changing emotions or nuances. It can’t be unique like their businesses are, so the content it produces will be just like everyone else’s, just like our competitors. I’d love to talk more about how we can use AI strategically to fit into our goals. Do you have 15 minutes this week?”
With this response, you do three things:
- You acknowledge the question.
- You offer a clear, confident insight.
- You invite deeper discussion.
You’re not trying to win approval in 30 seconds. You’re laying the foundation for a strategic relationship.
A Framework for Creating Trust-Building Conversations
Let’s turn that hallway moment into a repeatable process. Using just 3-steps we can turn your pitch into a conversation:
Step 1: Know Your Stakeholder Goals
Don’t assume. If you are unclear on what your stakeholders care about, start finding out. Attend their meetings, talk to their direct reports. Ask your manager for insights. Frame your marketing expertise in terms of what matters to them.
Step 2: Connect the Dots Clearly
Make your value explicit. Say things like:
“When we launch this campaign, we expect high engagement. This helps support your goal of increasing customer retention.”
That kind of alignment turns marketing from a “nice-to-have” into a business-critical function.
Step 3: Extend an Invitation for Dialogue
Always end with:
“Does this align with what you were expecting?”
“I’d love to get your input on this if you have a few minutes this week”
Let them know you are interested in continuing the conversation. If there is hesitation, pick a key element of your strategy to highlight. Make them want to continue to the conversation.
Reinforcing Trust Through Ongoing Conversations
Trust doesn’t happen in one hallway chat. It happens over time and through repetition, consistency, and clarity.
Keep showing up with useful insights. Share regular updates. Invite feedback. When you speak their language you tie your work to real business impact, stakeholders start to view you as a strategic partner.
That’s what the Marketing Your Marketing mindset is about: Leading with clarity. Building trust. Turning updates into influence.
Next time you’re asked about your strategy, don’t just pitch.
Start a conversation.
