60-Second Eyebrow Test Pitch
Get eyebrows up in sixty seconds with three did-you-know questions and the word imagine
Sam Horn developed the Intrigue process after 17 years running the Maui Writers Conference, where she observed that decision-makers made up their minds in the first 60 seconds based on one signal: whether the presenter's eyebrows went up (intrigued), down (confused), or stayed flat (unmoved). Confused people never say yes. The framework replaces the conventional approach of explaining what your business does with a three-step opening: ask three 'did you know' questions that establish the scope and urgency of the problem, use the word 'imagine' to help the audience visualize the solution, then bridge with 'you don't have to imagine it — we've created it' before presenting your evidence. This approach helped Kathleen Callender land millions in funding for her painless single-use needle company and get selected as a Business Week most promising social entrepreneur. Horn also transforms the elevator speech from a monologue into an interactive connection by asking three-part questions that link what you do to the listener's lived experience.
- Decision makers decide in the first 60 seconds — if their eyebrows are down, they are confused and will not say yes
- Don't explain what your business is about — ask questions that make people interested in what your business is about
- The word 'imagine' pulls people out of preoccupation because they start picturing your point
- An elevator speech should start a conversation, not end one
- Craft Three Did-You-Know QuestionsInstead of explaining what your business does, ask three 'did you know' questions that go to the scope of the problem, the urgency of the issue, or a shift in the trend. For a needle company: 'Did you know there are 1.8 billion vaccinations given every year? Did you know up to half are done with reused needles? Did you know we are spreading the very diseases we are trying to prevent?' These questions get eyebrows up because they create genuine surprise and concern.
- Use the Word Imagine to Bridge to Your SolutionAfter establishing the problem with your three questions, say 'imagine if' followed by the solution framed in terms of what your audience cares about. Turn their pain points into the attributes of your solution. If they care about painful needles, say painless. If they care about reused needles, say one-use. If they care about cost, say a fraction of the current cost. The word 'imagine' pulls people out of their preoccupation because they start picturing your point.
- Bridge With Evidence: You Don't Have to Imagine ItAfter the 'imagine' statement, deliver the power line: 'You don't have to imagine it — we've created it.' Then immediately present your precedence, credentials, and evidence to prove this is not speculative. This transition from aspiration to reality is what converts intrigue into confidence that you can deliver what you just described.
- Turn Elevator Speeches Into Elevator ConnectionsWhen someone asks what you do, don't tell them — ask a three-part question. Instead of saying 'I make online payment security software,' ask 'Have you, a friend, or family member ever bought anything online — like on Amazon, Travelocity, or eBay?' When they respond with a personal connection, link what you do to their experience: 'I make the software that makes it safe for your wife to buy things on Amazon.' This creates a hook for a mutually rewarding conversation.
Kathleen Callender needed to present her medical device startup to a room full of investors at the Paley Center at 2:30 PM after 16 other presentations. Instead of explaining her product, clinical trials, and exit strategy, she opened with three did-you-know questions about 1.8 billion annual vaccinations, half using reused needles, and the spread of disease. Then she said 'Imagine a painless, one-use needle for a fraction of the current cost. You don't have to imagine it — we've created it.'
A CEO of a tech firm who hated small talk and could never explain what he did was coached to stop explaining and start asking. Instead of saying 'I make the software that makes it safe to buy things online,' he asks: 'Have you, a friend, or a family member ever bought anything online — like on eBay, Travelocity, or Amazon?' When they share a personal experience, he links his work to their story.
Sam Horn spent 17 years running the Maui Writers Conference, where authors met face-to-face with top publishers and agents. After watching a woman's three-year dream collapse in 10 minutes because she could not articulate her book compellingly, Horn consulted a Random House senior VP who confirmed they decide in the first 60 seconds. Standing in the back of meetings, Horn could predict who would get deals by watching one thing: the eyebrows. Up meant intrigued. Down meant confused. Flat meant unmoved. This observation launched her development of the Intrigue process.