Nobody wants to be sold on anything. Most people like to find things on their own by asking questions, researching and talking to friends. This even holds true with people who are looking for ways to get healthier or lose weight.
I regularly find myself explaining to people this “diet” I’m on. It happens so often that I’ve naturally developed a quick pitch explaining how crazy I am.
I think it’s important to be able to explain this to people effectively in 30 seconds to 1 minute; anything longer and people lose interest. The most important part of the pitch is that you keep it as simple as possible, give people 3 main points, and be done. This way you ensure you’re not coming across as trying to convert them to a food cult.
If they have follow up questions, then great, now they’re directing the conversation and you’re not coming across as aggressive or crazy.
Here's How I Pivot the Conversation with the 3-Step Paleo Pitch
Here is a typical interaction that I have when my Paleo Lifestyle comes up in a conversation. It usually starts with someone saying, “So I heard you’re on some diet, what's that about?”
Step 1 – Explain what you eat and what you don’t eat by saying something like, "I try to eat as much real, natural foods as possible; foods like fruit, vegetables, nuts, fish, and meat. I essentially avoid grains and processed foods."
Step 2 – Explain your “ah-ha” moment by sharing the trigger point that made you decide paleo was right for you. "I started researching this way of eating and now that I know what I know I can’t go back to how I used to eat. With the goals I was/am trying to achieve it just makes sense for me."
This is you telling them why you decided a Paleo Lifestyle was right for you. You're not forcing it on them saying that it's right for everyone even if you believe it is.
Step 3 – End with the results you’ve experienced."Since I started eating this way, my energy levels are better than I can ever remember, I’ve lost weight, and I’ve experienced many other health benefits."
Again, these are your results. You shouldn't get in someone's face and tell them that if they want to lose weight or have more energy that they "have" to incorporate a Paleo diet. Share your results and let them decide for themselves.
Everyone has their own motivations for taking action and everyone has their own level of dedication to taking action and achieving their goals.
Boom! That’s it. Simple and light.
I'd also like to make note of what I didn't say. Specifically, I didn’t get into the scientific details and dork it up. Most people don’t want a scientific response because they will get bored and immediately check out of the conversation. I didn’t say words like organic, locally grown, fat loss, insulin response, diabetes, heart disease, and I didn't even say the word Paleo.
Keep your explanation simple and let people decide what is right for them. You'll be surprised how many people will dig a little further and ask for resources... Of course that's where you can point them to awesome tools like PrimalPal!
Hopefully this 3-step process helps you easily answer questions at the Monday morning meeting such as, "Why aren't you having a doughnut this morning". Everyone is different and that’s a good thing. Use your own personality to tell your story. But remember, keep it simple, keep it light, and let them direct the conversation. It’s much more powerful than cramming the “Paleo Diet” down their throats.
Please leave a comment and give us your best paleo pitch for when you get the question, "What's this weird diet that you're following?"... and don't forget to share the love on Facebook and Twitter so we can see all the creative ways other people explain their Paleo Lifestyle craziness!
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