livin veg

Editor’s note: Please welcome guest blogger Laura Orban to Livin Veg!

What ís Your Veg Elevator Pitch?

To sell a product, service or idea, you need an elevator pitch – a persuasive, understandable version of your story that you can tell during an elevator ride. If you can’t explain what you’re peddling in 30 seconds or less, you’re not ready to sell.

We vegetarians and vegans are all in PR to some degree.  If we care about animals, we have to want more people to go veg.  And if we want more people to go veg, we have to know that we are ambassadors of our lifestyle.  How we respond to the question, “Why are you veg?” is an important starting point.

Years ago I used to give a very unassuming, neutral answer.  I’d say that I didn’t want any animals to die for me.  Then I’d go on to say that diet was a personal choice, this was mine and I thought everyone should be free to make their own choices.  I went out of my way to let others know that although I did not eat animals, they did not have to feel bad about or otherwise question the fact that they did.  My answer has since evolved.

I now say something like this:

“Almost without exception, animals that are raised for food in the US live and die in deplorable, abusive conditions where they are deprived of the ability to act on almost anything that comes naturally to them.  I refuse to contribute to that kind of abuse with my money or my diet.”

Because I am vegan, typically people ask me a follow up question that takes the form of, “But cows and chickens arenít killed to produce milk and eggs, so how come you donít eat those things?”  I answer with:

“That isnít entirely accurate.  Dairy cows and laying hens do not live anywhere near their natural life expectancy.  They are used to produce until their bodies canít take anymore, and then they are killed.  While they are alive, their bodies and environments are manipulated to get them to maximize output.  They are often sick, injured and uncomfortable just for the sake of making more eggs and milk.  They may be alive but their lives are awful.  Death might actually be better.  Supporting the industry is certainly not something I can feel good about.”

That’s my pitch.

Here is what’s not in my elevator pitch.  I don’t talk about believing that a cow or chicken is just as interested in living and avoiding suffering as I am.  I don’t talk about the environmental effects of factory farming.  I don’t talk about my health.  I don’t talk about the utter lack of logic behind cherishing our dogs and treating farm animals like disposable units in a production line.  While I believe in all of those things, they don’t go in my first, brief explanation to someone about my diet.

Many people will tell you they think we have the right to kill and eat animals.  But I’ve never met anyone who says they support animal cruelty.  I lead with the animal cruelty perspective because I don’t want to give a reason for my choice that others can counter in their minds and then walk away from.  I want them to have to think.  I also want to make sure that if nothing else, I’ve provided a little bit of education about factory farming.  Big companies spend unbelievable amounts of money to break our association between animals and meat, and to hide the truth about the lives of farmed animals.  I donít want to miss a chance to share the facts.

Whatís your elevator pitch?  How do you explain your lifestyle to new people?  Do you think it helps get them interested in considering it for themselves?

Laura Orban is an animal person, vegan and author of a site about compassionate living in the suburbs. She holds in MBA in Management and has 15 years experience in interactive strategy and website effectiveness. She shares a home and home office with her husband, 2 vegetarian children and 2 dogs.

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