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How to Give a Great Elevator Pitch (With Examples)

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How to Give a Great Elevator Pitch (With Examples) was originally published on Forage .

Picture of one business person giving an elevator pitch to another

Though people are complex and so much more than just their jobs, in a new social situation you’re often asked, “So, what do you do?” or “What are you majoring in?” While you probably have a stock answer ready to go (I’m in sales; I’m majoring in English), the person asking may be able to help you achieve your career goals — but they won’t know unless you’ve got an elevator pitch ready to go.

An elevator pitch is an enticing and interesting three or four-sentence summary of you. But you do more than talk about yourself. Your elevator pitch gets the listener interested in what you’re capable of.

In this guide, you’ll learn:

What Is an Elevator Pitch?

How to write an elevator pitch, elevator pitch examples, elevator pitch bonus tips.

Mike Gardon of CareerCloud sums up elevator pitches like this: “When meeting someone for the first time, we all get asked what we do, right? Well, an elevator pitch is how you answer that question.”

At its core, an elevator pitch is a brief synopsis of who you are and what you do (or are trying to do). It’s named so because of the idea that you’re in an elevator with the one person who can make your career dreams come true. You’ve got the length of that elevator ride (approximately 30 seconds) to convince that person to keep listening to you.

Why You Need an Elevator Pitch (and When You’ll Use It)

In many respects, an elevator pitch is all about you. And though it may seem strange — uncomfortable even — to talk about yourself, a well-designed elevator pitch starts with you and ends with the listener.

Gardon explains, “The elevator pitch is designed to engage the person with whom you are communicating, and get them to take some next action. Think about it like this: if you were writing an email, the elevator pitch would be the subject line plus the next couple of lines that are shown in an inbox. The purpose is to get the recipient to open the email.”

In the case of your elevator pitch, you’re attempting to spark a longer conversation (or later meeting) with someone who could potentially help you professionally.

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Your elevator pitch comes in handy when you’re looking for a job. But you’ll also use various versions of your elevator pitch in situations like:

  • Networking events
  • Prospecting for new sales and clients
  • When you’re interviewing and asked, “Tell me about yourself.”
  • As the “about me” on LinkedIn, Twitter, or other social media page
  • In the summary of qualifications on your resume

How Long Should an Elevator Pitch Be?

While elevator ride times vary, the general rule of thumb is that an elevator pitch is no longer than 30 seconds, which means your pitch needs to be concise.

So, you can’t include every accomplishment from your last three jobs, just the top most recent ones. As you’re honing your pitch, write it down and limit yourself to four sentences. This will help you focus on your top highlights.

In general, an elevator pitch includes four essential elements: who you are, what you do, what’s unique about you, and what your “ask” is. Though the “meat” of your pitch likely doesn’t change often, you should prepare multiple elevator pitches that you can tailor to your situation.

For example, if you’re a student, the pitch you use at a career fair may not be the same one you use at a networking event. Likewise, if you’re changing careers, you may need to switch up what your “ask” is depending on who you talk to.

Gardon offers an example. “I wear so many different hats and am involved in different businesses. So, if I want someone to be a guest on my podcast, I might tell them how we’ve done over 400 episodes, instead of telling them that I’m a former derivatives trader.”

Also, while the below elements are crucial, they can go in almost any order. While a good elevator pitch usually begins with your name, you may find that listing your skills before your accomplishments is better for your pitch.

Part 1: Who Are You?

Your elevator pitch starts with your name, of course, but also consider throwing in a “hook” that gives the person you’re speaking with an opening to ask you questions. Here are some examples:

“I’m [your name], a recent graduate of [university] with a degree in [your degree].”

“My name is [your name] and I’m a junior at [university] majoring in [your major].”

“I’m [your name] and while I’m currently in product development, I’ve decided I want to change gears and go into graphic design.”

Part 2: What Do You Do?

The second part of your elevator pitch explains what you do. However, you shouldn’t limit yourself to a job title. This is the place to mention one outstanding accomplishment from your job, internship, or even a class that will wow your listener.

Like all parts of your elevator speech, this needs to be brief, but it should also be detailed and help the listener get an idea of what you’re capable of:

“During my marketing internship at [name of company], I grew social media engagement by 43%, which resulted in an uptick in newsletter sign-ups year over year.”

“Our business is small, but that lets us have more personal interaction, which has helped us keep a small but loyal and profitable client base for 15 years.”

“After learning about the stock market, I wanted to test what I learned as well as my skills, so I created a mock portfolio that’s realized a 24% gain over the last year.”

Part 3: What’s Unique About You?

The next section of your elevator pitch includes something unique about you. While this can include specific skills, you can also trace your career path or accomplishments to illustrate how you use your skills.

Because you only have 30 seconds, you might be tempted to list your skills or accomplishments like a grocery list. But try to link them to an outcome or something you can do.

“I enjoy analyzing data and using the results to plan my content calendar, including social media posts.”

“I worked on my college newspaper, starting on the sports beat, eventually moving my way up to chief editor.”

The first example mentions one skill (data analysis ) and two outcomes (planning the content calendar and social media posts). The second example doesn’t mention any skills but illustrates the speaker’s career path (sports beat to chief editor), demonstrating an increase in skills and responsibilities.

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Part 4: Call to Action (or What’s Your Ask?)

The final part of your elevator pitch includes a call to action. Or, more specifically, what are you asking for?

Much like networking, you may not want to blurt out “a job!” even if that’s your desired outcome. This section is what you hope will happen, which could be a job, internship, or just a new networking connection.

“I would love to speak to you about being a potential mentor, if you have time.”

“I’d like to follow up with you about how I can get involved in and conduct summer research.”

“Can you tell me how you decided on [this] career?”

Each of these invites the listener to continue engaging with you either right now or in the future. 

Optional Part 5: Something Memorable

Finally, depending on the situation, you might want to include something memorable in your pitch. This is situation-dependent and only something you should do if you’re comfortable.

For example, the pitch on Gardon’s LinkedIn profile says, “Earned the Title ‘World Champion Funniest Person In The World (to my kids)’ 10 years running.”

Of course, not everyone can be the “Funniest Person in the World,” but your memorable moment could be your love of science fiction, who your favorite author is, or the fact that you just adopted a cat.

Here’s what all the elements look like when you put them together:

“I’m David, a rising senior at XYZ University and an education major. I spent last year student teaching at my old high school, and it was quite the experience being on the other side. I’m graduating in the spring and am looking to teach high school biology.”

“I’m Ella, and I’m currently an individual contributor at XYZ company running the social media accounts. I use Google Analytics to analyze and improve content performance, and my personal TikTok has XXX followers. I’m looking to move to a leadership role at a mid to large-size company where I can mentor others.”

“I’m Mike and I’m a sophomore at XYZ university. When I was a kid, I really wanted to communicate with animals, which is partly why I’m majoring in zoology. I’m not sure what career is best suited for me. Can you tell me how you ended up in yours?”

Once you’ve written (and rewritten) your elevator pitch, you’re almost ready to try it out. Before you do, though, ensure your delivery is memorable — for the right reasons!

  • Practice. Practice makes perfect, of course. And while you don’t want to sound too rehearsed, you also don’t want to trip over your pitch or start rambling. Practice in front of a mirror, with friends or family, or record yourself to make sure you’re getting it right.
  • Time yourself. Thirty seconds can feel like forever or fly right by. Time yourself to make sure your pitch isn’t too long or too short, and adjust as necessary.
  • Use your “excited” voice. While you’ll want to use your “inside voice,” vary your tone. When you give a rehearsed speech, it should be polished but not robotic. Try to bring some excitement to your voice as you speak.
  • Speak slowly. You may want to cram as much as possible into your 30 seconds, but that could result in you speaking too quickly to try to get it all in, making it tough for the listener to understand you. As hard as it might be, stick to one or two main points.
  • Maintain eye contact. While you don’t want to stare at the listener the whole time, you don’t want to stare at the floor either. Maintain the level of eye contact that feels normal and natural to you, and break eye contact when appropriate.

Make Your Pitch

An elevator pitch is useful in all sorts of professional (and even personal!) situations. By taking stock of what you do and what you want to do, you’ll find the perfect elements to include in yours and impress the next person you pitch it to.

Want more insights into creating the perfect pitch? Check out Ashurst’s Building Your Personal Brand Virtual Experience Program .

Image credit: Canva

The post How to Give a Great Elevator Pitch (With Examples) appeared first on Forage .

How To Write A Killer Elevator Pitch (Examples Included)

Mike Simpson 0 Comments

how to write a pitch elevator speech

By Mike Simpson

how to write a pitch elevator speech

You’re on the elevator, riding up from the lobby to the top floor to drop off your resume with Human Resources in response to a job posting for your dream career.

You’re excited, but nervous, because you know your resume is going to be just one of hundreds that the hiring manager is going to look over before even thinking about inviting anyone in for an interview.

If only there were a way to make yourself stand out. If only…

The doors open and a woman in a sharp looking business suit steps in with you. She looks over and sees the top floor button is already lit. She smiles and in that instant a current of nervous energy rips through your body. This isn’t just any generic passenger you’re sharing the ride with…this is the hiring manager you’re hoping to impress!

Your heart starts pounding, your palms are sweaty, you feel light headed…

elevator-pitch-caption

This is your chance!

You have a 12 floor uninterrupted ride up with her and in those moments, in that tiny elevator, she’s your captive audience.

You open your mouth and turn to her with a look of enthusiasm…and speak.

Let’s hope that elevator pitch  (or elevator speech) is ready!

Here’s the deal, after you make your successful elevator pitch (which you will after reading this article!), you need to know that you will get an interview…

But here’s the thing: there are over 100 other difficult interview questions you could be asked in your job interview. Sounds stressful right?

Well don’t worry, because we created a free PDF that outlines the most common questions and gives you word for word sample answers that you can use at your next interview.

Click the link below to get your copy now!

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What Is An Elevator Pitch?

So what exactly is an elevator pitch?

In a nutshell it’s just what it sounds like: a short, 30-60 second well crafted business pitch telling someone who you are and why they should want to hire you .

It’s called the elevator pitch because it’s meant to represent the amount of time you’d have if you were stuck in an elevator with someone riding from the bottom of the building to the top.

“Well, this stinks. I live in a town of nothing but one floor buildings. How am I supposed to use an elevator pitch? Clearly this article means nothing to someone who doesn’t live in the heart of a big city or surrounded by high rise buildings.”

Elevator speeches are good for so much more than just catching someone in a small enclosed space. You never know who you might run into at a cocktail party, or the movie theater, or grocery store…or any other number of places.

A solid elevator pitch will allow you to distill down to the most pure form exactly who you are and what you offer, and that focus can help to set you apart from all the other candidates who are vying for the same job.

Think of it as a commercial and you’re the product . You’ve got 30 seconds to market yourself and convince whoever is listening to not only NOT change the channel, but to buy what you’re selling…you as the Perfect Candidate!!

“So where do I start? Should I lock myself in the bathroom with a stopwatch and pretend it’s an elevator? Do I need a jingle?”

Hmmm…all we’ll say is do whatever works for you…but let’s all agree to skip the singing…for now. Instead, let’s focus on answering a few basic questions by doing a little pretending.

How To Write An Elevator Pitch

Let’s imagine you’re in sales and you just got into an elevator with the CEO of a huge manufacturing company. The doors shut…it’s just the two of you…and you have 60 seconds to convince him to not only listen to you, but to consider you as a potential employee, not just a fellow passenger on a short ride upstairs. So how do you do that!?

pengu

Let’s watch…er, we mean, read:

What do you do? Can you tell someone what you do in such a way that it’s interesting? Can you turn it into a quick little anecdote or story that will capture someone’s attention?

“Let me tell you about the time I took our products all the way to the North Pole. I’m in sales. I started out selling refrigerators to moose in Canada.”

Now that we’ve got your job title, can you tell us what you do when you’re doing what you were hired to do?

“In four short years, I’ve helped lead my team to the number one spot in sales…”

Okay, great…but what’s next?! What’s your objective ? What’s your goal?

“…but I knew we could do better. That’s why I took our refrigerators all the way up to the penguins in the North Pole.”

What makes you the best at what you do? Okay, now’s your chance to shine. Why are you the Perfect Candidate?

“Did you know that broken beaks from trying to eat frozen fish is the number one problem facing penguins today? Their issue isn’t that it’s not cold enough for them to keep their fish fresh, it’s that it’s too cold. I knew that by putting their fish in our double insulated hermetically sealed refrigerators instead of the traditional snow bank, the penguins would be able to keep fish fresh longer without having to freeze them, making it easier for the penguins to eat. As a result, we’ve more than quadrupling our current sales and are not only ranked number one regionally, but nationally as well.”

What’s your hook? You’ve just told a great story, but besides being entertained, why should your audience care?

“Now, just imagine what I can do for your products…”

Wait, who are you? D’oh! Nothing says missed opportunity quite like totally forgetting to tell someone your name.

“My name is Bob Mackrel,”

And most importantly…what do you want?

“…and I’m looking for my next big sales challenge. My I give you my business card?”

Boom. And there you have it: the perfect (if not a little outlandish) elevator pitch. In 30 seconds you’ve told your audience what you do, why what you do is important, hooked them in with what you plan to do next for their company, and who you are.

Easy, cheesy, right?

Penguins and refrigerators aside, this pitch was clearly perfect for the audience because our boy Bob knew the CEO, knew the company, and knew that his skills with sales would be a great match. Bob tailored his pitch.

“Again with the tailoring! That’s all you guys talk about…tailoring!”

That’s because it works! Again, think of our commercial analogy. When you’re watching TV, which ads do you skip over or tune out? The ones that don’t apply to you…right? And the ones you listen to and remember are the ones that DO apply to you.

“Ahh…I see what you’re saying. That does make sense!”

The nice thing about an elevator pitch is that it’s short and sweet and to the point, which means once you get the basics figured out, you should be able to use it on just about anyone in any situation…as long as you make sure to always tailor your hook to your specific audience.

Elevator Pitch Mistakes To Avoid

So now that you know what to do in your elevator pitch, let’s quickly talk about what NOT to do.

Speaking too fast.

Yes, you only have about 60 seconds, but try to avoid cramming 15 minutes of information into one minute.

Using highly technical terms, acronyms or slang.

You want your pitch to be easily understood by any audience and that means try to avoid using words that will confuse the average person. The last thing you want is for whoever is listening to you to feel dumb. Remember, think commercial!

Not being focused.

This isn’t a general conversation and you’re not discussing the weather (unless that’s your job, in which case, never mind). Keep your pitch clear and focused.

Not practicing what you’re going to say.

First, write down your pitch. Read it over. Have your friends and family read it. Does it make sense? Make sure it flows well and that there aren’t any spots that feel rough or awkward. Then practice it. Practice it again. Keep practicing it until it becomes so easy for you to pitch that you can do it at the drop of a hat.

Being robotic.

This is all about a face to face interaction with someone you want to impress. Having an easy, approachable, conversational style to your pitch will get you much further than an overly rehearsed monologue approach.

Not having a business card or other take-away with you.

Okay, you’ve sold them on you…now how are they going to get a hold of you when they decide it’s time to bring you in? Make sure you always have something on you to pass on that will allow people to not only remember you, but contact you later on.

Not saying anything.

It does absolutely nothing for you to have a killer elevator pitch if you never use it. Now it’s your turn! Here are three example elevator pitches to get you started. Remember, these are just examples! Make sure you do the work to craft one specific to you and your audience!

3 Great Examples To Use As Inspiration

Graphic designer/logo branding specialist.

Hi, I’m Pam Tone and I’m a graphic designer. Did you know it takes the average person just two seconds to look at a company logo and decide if they like it? Did you know that a badly designed logo can do irreversible damage to a company brand and that most companies go through at least three to four versions in a single year before settling on their final design, costing both time and money? Having worked for over 10 years as a professional graphic designer specializing in brand identification means I’ve built my reputation on the longevity of my logo designs. I can say that not only are my clients happy with what I’ve done for them, but my designs have gone on to win national and international logo and branding awards. I have worked hand in hand with some of the biggest advertising agencies and companies and out of over 300 contracts, have had only one logo changed, and that was as a result of a merger, not poor design. I’d like to bring that award winning history to your company. Would you be willing to meet with me for 20 minutes to go over my portfolio and see how I can help make sure your logo properly reflects your brand?

TEACHER/EDUCATOR

Mobile app developer.

Hi, I’m Chip Ohm and I’m a developer. Did you know one of the biggest challenges facing companies these days is tracking employee work time? Of course, when you have a building where your employees are required to clock in and out it makes things easier, but what about employees who work from home or are on the road? I’ve come up with an easy way for both employees and employers to log and keep track of hours using just their cell phones and an app I’ve designed. The app allows employees to log in from wherever they are and input their start and stop times at the push of a button. You don’t even need to be in an area with a signal. The program captures all the data and holds it in a file which is then automatically uploaded to the employer’s servers as soon as the user is back in signal range. The system is not only simple, but it’s tamper proof. Not only has this app helped streamline the timecard process for remote employees, but it’s reduced timecard inconsistencies and paycheck errors by 90%, saving both time and money. So, how does your company handle logging in hours for your remote clients?

So there you have it! Now that you’ve read through this article and seen a few examples, it’s time to craft your own elevator pitch. Remember, keep it simple, keep it short, and keep it tailored.

And as always…good luck!

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how to write a pitch elevator speech

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Co-Founder and CEO of TheInterviewGuys.com. Mike is a job interview and career expert and the head writer at TheInterviewGuys.com. His advice and insights have been shared and featured by publications such as Forbes , Entrepreneur , CNBC and more as well as educational institutions such as the University of Michigan , Penn State , Northeastern and others. Learn more about The Interview Guys on our About Us page .

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how to write a pitch elevator speech

Business growth

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11 actually great elevator pitch examples and how to make yours

Hero image with an icon of two people shaking hands on an elevator

There's a trope in late '90s movies where a motivated, ambitious main character does everything they can to get on the same elevator ride as the CEO of some powerful company.

It usually ends the same way. Our protagonist makes a nervous, fast-paced speech that the CEO ignores while repeatedly pressing the elevator button, and we get a five-second scene with sad music of our main character watching them walk away.

That nervous, fast-paced speech is an elevator pitch example—a bad one, because otherwise, those movies would be nine minutes long and uninspiring. In the real world, an elevator pitch can make a powerful impression and pave the way for business ventures, employment opportunities, and networking. It won't get you a corner office and a fancy title one week into your new job, but it can be an important step in the right direction. 

To highlight that difference—and to really dismantle "The Pursuit of Happyness" as a plot—I've put together some elevator pitch examples and a guide on how to write one that actually works.

Table of contents:

Components of an elevator pitch

11 elevator pitch examples

How to write an elevator pitch

What is an elevator pitch.

An elevator pitch is a concise speech in which you introduce yourself and a few key points about what you're pitching, whether it's to acquire investors, promote a product, advertise a business, or even sell yourself as a potential employee. If it takes longer than a minute to get the point across, it's getting too long.

Elevator pitches were originally exclusively spoken—used in business conversations and investor pitches—but have since grown into a written format used for things like websites, social media, video ads, marketing outreach, and media pitches . 

You're not trying to convey your entire business strategy or all your selling points. Your goal here is to raise interest, make a connection, and facilitate an opportunity for business in the future.

Let's say you're in the fintech industry and are attending a networking event full of bank representatives and decision-makers. Instead of spending an hour going through your company's history and how it's aiming to be carbon-neutral by 2157, you'd find more success introducing it concisely, pointing out one or two key features and how they could serve your audience's interests. 

The pitch begins with a hook to draw your audience in, veers into the value you offer, provides some proof to support your statement, and wraps it all up with a display of what makes you different.

It's relatively easy to incorporate these elements into a short pitch. The difficulty lies in choosing a good hook and phrasing your proposition in a way that appeals to the other side of the conversation.

The hook: This element doesn't need to be fancy or complicated. Make it simple and get straight to the point. For example, if you're pitching a time management tool, your hook can be a personal story like: "When I first started my business, it felt like there was too much to do and not enough time to do it." It can also be a statistic. If you're pitching an online collaboration tool, your hook can be something like: "73% of all teams will have remote workers by 2028."

The value proposition : This is where you provide an overview of the value you're bringing to the table. Discuss what you're pitching and what it does, research your listener's unique needs beforehand, and prepare a compelling argument for how you can meet them. 

The evidence: The person you're talking to may be nodding, but that doesn't necessarily mean your point is getting across. Some proof of past success or stats that speak to your success could make that nodding a lot more genuine.

The differentiator: Let them know that you're different—that your product or service isn't just another iteration of what came before. You get brownie points for originality and not quoting any movies.

The call to action: Make sure you're inviting your audience to take action. They have all the details, and they might be interested. It's time to bring it home with a clear call to action . Ask them to connect with you on LinkedIn, invite them for a coffee chat, share contact information, and make sure there's an opportunity to follow up on the conversation.

Example elevator pitch with the different components identified by color: the hook is highlighted in purple, value is highlighted in orange, evidence is highlighted in green, the differentiator is highlighted in yellow, and the call to action is highlighted in teal

11 elevator pitch examples done right

I rewatched "The Pursuit of Happyness" to see if there was anything I could salvage, but all I walked away with was frustration at the misleading lesson that passion can overcome anything. Passion cannot, in fact, overcome a busy decision-maker who can't wait for you to stop talking.

If you're at all like me, you'll find the following examples a much better use of your time.

1. Startup pitch example

Everyone's got ideas for [shared goal] . But ideas aren't enough.

We took [shared goal] and turned it into a reality.

We developed [solution] at [company name] that's [list of qualities] . We made it possible for [target audience] to [shared goal] .

What sets us apart is our [differentiator, followed by brief overview] .

If you're passionate about [high-level goal] and interested in [benefit of collaborating with you] , let's connect.

An example elevator pitch for startup companies, with the hook, value, evidence, differentiator, and call to action highlighted in different colors

This elevator pitch example demonstrates how to approach potential business partners and investors with a clean energy project. The hook is simple. It leans on the issue and the harsh reality of how little the world does to achieve utopian sustainability. Then it introduces the solution as the company's proactive effort to change the status quo. It pitches efficiency, reduced costs, and access to a larger customer base. Finally, it addresses how ease of use sets the solution apart from the competition and invites further collaboration. 

This example is ideal for startups in that it focuses more on the product, what makes it unique, and the features that set it apart, rather than the company's past achievements, success stories, or revenue metrics. It can easily be used to pitch investors and potential clients alike.  

You can follow this example by making the problem the centerpiece of the hook. Open with the issue, and position your company's service or product as the solution.

2. Job seeker pitch example

It took me [period of time] to [achieve goal] .

It's always been my priority to deliver [high-level result] , but I want to put my [expertise] to use making [high-level goal/impact] .

At [company name] , I [past experience] that [measureable results] .

I love what I do. But I [differentiator, high-level goal] .

If you're looking for a [position/title] who's [differentiator] , let's chat. I'm eager to explore how I can help your organization achieve its [field] objectives.

Example of an elevator pitch for a job seeker, with the hook, value, evidence, differentiator, and call to action highlighted in different colors

Since tropes are only a good idea when I propose them, I've decided that our job seeker would be making a pitch to GreenCorp, the company from our previous example. Will Smith will not be playing this role.

In this example, the author of the pitch isn't trying to sell a company or a product; they're trying to sell themselves. The hook addresses their background, expertise, and goals. It then veers into past performance results and highlights the key skill set. The uniqueness factor here speaks to GreenCorp's mission, showcasing that the author shares the company's grand goals, empathetic mindset, and desire to help build something positive. 

If you're ever job hunting, open your pitch with a concise and direct overview of your background, share your most impressive achievements, and do your research into the company you're pitching.

3. Sales pitch example

Most people [relevant statistic, followed by explanation] . 

At [company name] , we've taken the [pain point] out of the equation. 

Our [products] are designed for [value proposition] .

They're more than just [product] . They're [differentiator, followed by supporting evidence] . 

We're not just salespeople; we're [differentiator] .

So, are you ready to find [product selling point] ? Let's [CTA] .

Example of an elevator sales pitch, with the hook, value, evidence, differentiator, and call to action highlighted in different colors

In this example, a guitar shop is pitching its unique guitar design to potential customers. It recognizes a very common problem and ties it to a feeling that most guitar enthusiasts know all too well: giving up too soon. It later positions the author as an expert and fellow musician and utilizes customer reviews as supporting evidence.

A sales pitch will always depend on your industry, product, and customer base. Approach your audience by speaking to their greatest pain points .

4. Networking pitch example

I'm a [position/title] at [company name] , and I've worked on [past experience] . 

Over the past [period of time] , I've had the privilege of working with diverse industries, from [industry] to [industry] , and what truly excites me is [shared interest] . 

I'm here to connect with other professionals who share my enthusiasm for creative and innovative [field] ideas. I really want to explore new [differentiators and shared interests] .

Let's connect on [communication channel] . I have quite a few compelling [field] resources to share and talk through.

Example of an elevator pitch for someone who wants to network, with the hook, value, evidence, differentiator, and call to action highlighted in different colors

This networking pitch resembles the job seeker pitch with one major difference: the audience shifts from an employer to a colleague. The objective changes, and that affects the entire approach. 

In this example, the author isn't trying to convey their efficiency or results in percentages or measurable performance points. They're sharing aspects of their industry that they're passionate about and are interested in discussing. The point here is to make a memorable introduction at a networking event and gather connections .

Ahead of your next networking event, tailor your pitch so that it speaks to your expertise and knowledge without going into too much detail.

5. Investor pitch example

At [company name] , we [business concept offer] , plain and simple.

We [value proposition] .

Our portfolio contains [supporting evidence] .

Why us? Well, we [differentiator] .

We roll up our sleeves and get involved. 

We're currently prospecting [target audience] to join us on our journey. If you're ready to be part of the next [field] disruption, let's talk about how [company name] can help.

Example of an elevator pitch for someone looking for investors, with the hook, value, evidence, differentiator, and call to action highlighted in different colors

Investors have heard it all a million times over. It's why their faces are so hard to read—set in unimpressed silence. So it's best to make your hook short and to the point. "We do X to achieve Y" can be a breath of fresh air when your job is listening to entrepreneurs pitch their ideas five days a week.

In this example, YZTech Ventures aims to secure investors for promising companies. The hook is straightforward and simple, slowly veering into an overview of the company and why it works.

6. Nonprofit pitch example

Every day, [pain point] .

[Company name] is working to change that.

We're a nonprofit dedicated to [high-level goal] . We've already provided [supporting evidence/achievements] .

We don't want to treat the symptoms; we want to face the root cause of [pain point] . But this will be a losing battle if we're fighting it on our own.

We're always looking for individuals who share our vision and drive to build a better world where [high-level goal] .

If you're ready to make a difference, let's discuss how you can be part of the solution.

Colorful nonprofit pitch example for Hope Unlimited Foundation

Empathy is the name of the game here, and charities and nonprofits can use it as a unique selling point. The good news is there's very little risk of doing this wrong. The example outlines the cause, its aim, and the efforts being made to find a solution. 

If you're pitching a nonprofit or a charity to potential donors, lean heavily on the charity's message and accomplishments.

7. Personal branding pitch example

I'm [name] , and I'm a dedicated [title] . I've helped [past expertise and achievments] .

I do what I do by [value proposition, followed by differentiator] .

I'm here to [offered value] .

There's " [position] " in the title, but I'll be [differentiator] .

Let's schedule a meeting and discuss what you can do.

Colorful personal branding pitch example for John, a dedicated life coach

Personal branding comes into play when you're pitching yourself, the individual. Just as companies share their unique idea, proposition, and values, the life coach does the same at a personal level. 

If you're ever writing a personal branding pitch, approach it as you would a business. The key difference is to showcase your values and what makes you unique as a person rather than as a corporate entity.

8. Product launch pitch example 

I'm very excited to share with you [product selling point] .

At [company name] , [products] aren't just a [basic nature of product] . We see them as a game-changer in [selling point] .

This is why we developed our [product] , a cutting-edge [product overview] .

Imagine all of your [value proposition, followed by key features] .

Our product has already received rave reviews during beta testing, with users reporting [survey results] .

[Product] is now available for preorders! [CTA].

Colorful product launch pitch example for TechCo's GloVision glasses

This example focuses less on the company and more on the newly revealed product. The new release speaks for itself and the business at the same time.

The hook immediately positions the product as the future or "the next best thing." The pitch dives into what makes the new product unique, utilizing a hypothetical to paint a picture of what it can achieve.

If you're writing a product launch elevator pitch, focus on the product and let it speak for the company.

9. Rebranding pitch example

We've done great things as [company name] . We've helped businesses [services and past achievements] .

We've since been on a journey of transformation, and it's time for a fresh start.

Our company has grown, adapted, and innovated in response to changing market dynamics. We've [outlined change] . Now, [company name] is about to become [new company name] .

Why the change? We've rebranded to [rebranding reasons] .

With [new company name] , you can expect the same quality, expertise, and dedication you've come to trust. But now, we're adding a fresh perspective and a dynamic spirit to our brand.

We invite you to join us in this exciting phase of our journey. [New company name] is ready to [service/value proposition] .

Let's schedule a meeting and explore how our renewed brand can better serve your evolving needs.

Colorful rebranding pitch example for ProjectX

In this example, the hook immediately delivers the reasoning behind the change. 

Instead of a value proposition, the pitch offers an assurance that the rebranding won't have detrimental effects. It's designed to address stakeholders and clients as well as provide context.

10. Consulting services pitch example

At [company name] , we specialize in [value proposition] .

With a team of seasoned experts in [field of expertise] , we've successfully guided organizations to [high-level goal] .

Our approach is all about partnership. We take the time to deeply understand your unique market and audience. From there, we [differentiator] .

[Company name] can be the catalyst for your business's transformation. Whether you're looking to [goal] or [goal] , we're here to help.

Let's schedule a virtual meeting to discuss where your company stands and where we can take it.

Colorful consulting services pitch examples for  StratEdge Advisors

This pitch is designed to attract clients for a consulting service. It takes a collaborative tone in its approach and focuses on areas of growth that pretty much every decision-maker worries about. It makes the solution the centerpiece of its hook instead of the problem, and goes on to briefly outline how the firm's process is structured. 

11. Technology solution pitch example

[Relevant statistic].  

That's how it goes for your [pain point] .

Imagine you didn't have to worry about [pain point] .

Our [product] is designed to enhance [process] . We help businesses [value proposition] .

One of our recent success stories includes helping a [supporting evidence] .

The thing is, [differentiator] ; we make sure our [product] is specifically customized for your organization's needs. 

Are you available to meet next week for a personalized demo?

Colorful example of a tech solution pitch example for cutting-edge automation software

In this example, the hook is a statistic that lays the foundation for the problem and the value proposition. It's a powerful hook that captures the audience's attention and helps you transition into what you really want to say.

You can be an optimist and decide to improvise an elevator pitch. But you'll likely end up taking too many pauses under the guise of sipping your water, and stumbling over your words mid-pitch might waste a precious conversation.

It pays to be prepared, and writing an elevator pitch beforehand can make a big difference.

1. Outline a clear objective

Before you start writing the elevator pitch, focus on your objective . Are you introducing yourself to grow your personal network, pitching a service or product, prospecting investors, or trying to acquire a new client?

Your objective will help you pinpoint the information you want to mention in your pitch. 

Tip: Establish success metrics relevant to your objective. Investors will want to know how much revenue your business can generate, while potential clients will want to know the benefits of your product or service. Make sure your success metrics speak to your audience's concerns.

2. Define your audience

One speech won't work across the board. Hollywood says the up-and-coming manager likes to be impressed with a Rubik's cube, while the CEO likes to hear your heartfelt speech about how much this job means to you and how you're expertly overcoming odds. 

Both those things are wrong, but the point remains that identifying who your listener is and what matters to them is a nice way to tailor your pitch so that it speaks to their concerns, needs, and bigger pain points. The more you resonate with your audience, the more impactful your pitch will be, and the closer you'll get to a tearful Will Smith movie ending.

Defining your audience goes beyond knowing the name and nature of what might make a potential client. 

Tip: Conduct in-depth audience research by diving into your chosen market, competitors, user data, and digital marketing analytics. Then comb through that information to define your audience's pain points and how you're uniquely positioned to address them.  

3. Craft a hook

You know what you want to say and why. Now you need an opening statement—a hook that grabs their attention and gets them invested in the rest of your pitch. You want to set the stage for the elements that come next. Make it clear and engaging, but keep it concise. The goal here is to get an attentive listener, not a bored one.

The hook needs to spark the audience's interest. You need to speak their industry's language, show knowledge and expertise, and put your audience research data to good use by pointing out the difficulties and issues they face.

Tip: Use a personal story, a statistic, a fact, or an interesting hypothetical to draw your audience in.

4. Explain your value proposition

Once your audience is paying attention, it's time to dive into the proposition and the value within. What do you and your idea bring to the table? What problems do you solve, and how does that make your listener's life better? How does your solution differ from those they've heard pitched a thousand times before?

Point out the differentiating factors that make you and your business unique, whether it's the groundbreaking tech you've patented or the better pricing options your competitors can't keep up with. 

Tip: Write down all the aspects that make your business different, and choose the most compelling ones for the pitch.

5. Support your pitch with evidence

Who doesn't like real-life measurable data? Well, Hollywood doesn't, but that's just because no amount of Hans Zimmer music can make your 325% ROI cinematically engaging. You can be confident that your audience will want to hear success stories that support your proposition.

Have a few successful case studies from former and current clients ready to drive the point home and turn a semi-interested listener into an engaged party.

Tip: Draw on your own expertise, and use performance statistics and relevant metrics from previous projects. 

6. Keep it concise

It's called an elevator pitch for a reason. You have under a minute to get your entire pitch across to a busy decision-maker who doesn't have all day. Cut the fluff, and only say what you feel certain will convince your recipient to take your side.

Tip: Practice reading your pitch out loud in the mirror. Use a timer to measure how long it takes to deliver it comfortably.

7. End with a clear call to action

Since the point of an elevator pitch is to generate interest, you'll want to end it with a clear call to action—one that evokes a response and maybe a more in-depth conversation.

If you're pitching a service, you can offer to schedule a meeting to further outline your services and how they can help the listener. If you're pitching a product, you could offer to schedule a demo to prove it can improve their business. Get creative here, and aim to turn that interest into a meeting.

Tip: Lead your audience to connect with you beyond the pitch. Schedule a meeting or a coffee chat, exchange contact information, and make sure there's room for a longer discussion.

8. Prepare to answer questions

You can't just deliver your pitch and then hit the open bar at the networking event. Be ready to answer questions.

Questions at this stage mean your listener is intrigued, curious, and interested. At this point, feel free to provide as much context in your answers as you'd like. The elevator pitch has already ended, and it served its purpose. Go in-depth and provide context.

Tip: Write down a few questions based on your own market research. Ask yourself what your customers, investors, and audience might be curious about. Prepare your answers so you're never surprised.

Make a unique first impression

Elevator pitches exist because humans have shorter attention spans than goldfish, and we really need a leg up on our aquatic competition.

Opportunities are fleeting, especially when businesses are launching every day. In an oversaturated environment, an elevator pitch can help you make an impression that lasts. And who knows, you might just have what it takes to inspire a 50-million dollar movie that Will Smith can "misty-eye" his way through.

Related reading:

How to pitch your small business to the press

How to use personalized sales pitches to convert clients and sell more 

ChatGPT prompts that will generate great sales emails

Email etiquette: How to ask people for things and actually get a response

How to create a project plan (with project plan templates)

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Hachem Ramki picture

Hachem Ramki

Hachem is a writer and digital marketer from Montreal. After graduating with a degree in English, Hachem spent seven years traveling around the world before moving to Canada. When he's not writing, he enjoys Basketball, Dungeons and Dragons, and playing music for friends and family.

  • Small business

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15 creative elevator pitch examples for every scenario

Team Asana contributor image

A good elevator pitch can be the difference between landing your next big opportunity or falling short of the competition. But the reality is, people want to have meaningful conversations without the forced sales pitch. So how do you pitch yourself during a job interview or client meeting with authenticity? 

First things first: What is an elevator pitch?

An elevator pitch, also known as an elevator speech, is an opportunity to share a quick summary of yourself and your product offerings. But a pitch can also be your chance at making a real connection that you can use later down the road. It’s not always an immediate benefit, but you should be prepared for any scenario in which you could be giving an elevator pitch. 

In reality, most people have given an elevator pitch whether they realize it or not. That’s because there are many different types of pitches—from interviews to new business opportunities. That makes preparing for your next pitch an important step in marketing both yourself and your company. 

When it comes to figuring out who to deliver your pitch to, you should aim for the best point of contact, not just the highest point of contact. Choosing connections that are related to or interested in what you’re offering will give you a better chance at making your sale. 

How long should an elevator pitch be?

One of the biggest unknowns about creating sample elevator pitches is how long they should be. In most cases, it will depend on what it’s about and who you’re pitching. A good rule of business etiquette is to make it as short as possible by carefully selecting the most important points. 

A study conducted by Microsoft found that the average person has an attention span of around eight seconds, meaning you’ll have to fight for that undivided attention. That’s no small task. So when it comes to a great elevator pitch, aim to keep it around 30 seconds—though the exact length can vary depending on your industry and what you’re pitching. 

When looking at pitch length based on industry, each one differs to some degree. Let’s take marketing for example. Your pitch opportunities will likely be to customers that come across your brand. And in that case, you have very little time to get your message across—whether it’s text, video, or imagery. But when it comes to sales, you may get the opportunity to expand your elevator pitch past 30 seconds. You will likely have plenty of networking opportunities where people are more than willing to listen to what you have to say. It really just depends on your medium and the audience’s eagerness to listen. 

But what if you can’t cut your elevator pitch down to 30 seconds? It may seem like your brand is too complicated to distill down to such a short timeframe, but if you’re pitching to the right audience you shouldn’t have that problem. Make sure you pitch to people related to your industry or a tangential audience that will be able to interpret your offerings. 

How to write an elevator pitch 

When it comes to writing an elevator pitch, it can be hard to decipher important facts from unimportant ones—this is why knowing how to effectively communicate in the workplace is important in the first place. For example, while it’s good to personalize your communication tactics wherever possible, it’s not necessary to give prospects an entire history lesson on your business. Only the most recent and relevant details should be included. To get started creating your own pitch, you first need to understand the basic components that make up any good elevator pitch.

A foolproof elevator pitch template

Introduce yourself

All good pitches start with a short introduction. It could be as simple as stating your name and who you work for if those details apply. But the more personal you can make it, the more natural your elevator pitch will seem. Body language is also an important part of a solid introduction, as is eye contact. Here are a few tips to keep in mind when introducing yourself to a new prospect. 

Greet your audience in a way that’s appropriate for the occasion. Go formal for a business pitch or more casual for a fun event. With business meetings and networking events being held virtually, you’ll need to get creative with your introductions over video chat. You could even start with a lighthearted joke to break the ice. But whatever you do, make sure it’s relevant to your audience. 

Present the problem

All solutions start with a problem. Whatever you or your business is trying to solve, it’s important to get the point across early on in your elevator pitch to set the theme for the rest of your speech. An example problem: coordinating work between teams is chaotic.  

If possible, relate the problem back to your audience by using real-world examples. This will help make the problem more relevant and, hopefully, grab your audience’s attention. If your problem isn’t easy to explain, try using more than one example or a visual to really paint a picture for your audience. 

Offer the solution

If the problem is what draws the audience in, then the solution is what hooks them. This is your time to show them why they need your help. Here’s an example solution: Asana gives teams a system to organize and manage work so they know what to do, why it matters, and how to get it done.

The solution is arguably the most important part of an elevator pitch, so spend time perfecting it. If you’re pitching for a business, it’s likely the quick solution pitch has already been created. But again, it’s always better to personalize your pitch. So don’t be afraid to tweak it to fit your audience. If pitching for yourself, talk about the unique skills you’ve developed and why they would be beneficial to your prospect. 

Explain your value proposition

Now that you’ve piqued your audience’s attention, it’s time to seal the deal by explaining why your solution is better than anyone else's. An example value proposition is: Asana is the only platform that connects goals with the work needed to achieve them. 

The value proposition differs from the solution by focusing on why your audience should use your solution over a competitor’s. If you don’t have that answer just yet, perform a competitive analysis to compare your offerings or look to your executive summary. 

If your market is extremely niche and you don’t have a clear differentiator or significant competition, look to communication and interface capabilities. Consider why your idea or solution is original enough that someone would want to use it.   

Engage the audience

While most of the hard work is done, it’s important to engage your audience with a compliment or question before you part ways. Always err on the side of being genuine rather than delivering a scripted goodbye. 

There is no right or wrong way to engage your audience. While ending with a question can create a dialogue between you and your audience, a genuine compliment can go a long way. Think about what made you want to pitch them in the first place and use that to end the conversation. Lastly, don’t forget to swap contact information, such as a business card, if you don’t already have it. 

A foolproof elevator pitch template

Now that you know the basic components of a pitch, the next step is creating your very own elevator pitch. This template can work for just about any situation, from a job interview to pitching a small business or startup. That’s because we analyzed some of the most famous templates from industry experts—from Harvard research to Guy Kawasaki’s art of pitching—to create a foolproof template that will work in any situation. 

Plug your information into our elevator pitch template to draft a quick speech. While you won’t necessarily recite it word for word, it’s a great model to keep in mind in case you find yourself in a position where you’re not prepared with a personalized pitch.

Whether you’re looking for a pitch template for a job interview or for pitching your business, this template is a foolproof example for any situation you might find yourself in. 

General elevator pitch template

Use our elevator pitch template to start constructing your speech by adding statistics and personalized greetings where needed. This template incorporates the four parts explained above to hit all of the important details of a good elevator pitch. 

Introduction : “Hi I’m [name], a [position title] at [company name]. It’s great to meet you!”

Problem : “Since you work with [company name or industry] I figured you’d be interested to know that [problem + interesting statistic].”

Solution : “The great part about working at [your company’s name] is that we’ve been able to fix just that problem by [solution].”

Value proposition : “In fact, we’re the only company that offers [value proposition].”

CTA : “I think our solution could really help you. Are you available this week to speak further on this?”

Don’t be afraid to change up your pitch template based on your personality and professional expertise. We’ve also included personalized 30-second elevator pitch examples below to inspire personal facts you can add to create a more engaging speech .

30-second elevator pitch examples

Let’s dive into the best 30-second elevator pitch examples to help you create a pitch that’s both engaging and informative. Our examples take inspiration from the four elements included in the template above, to demonstrate how you'd pitch project management software to  increase productivity . Try a few or try them all to find one that best fits your personality and value proposition. 

Example 1: Short and sweet

This example is one of the most common you’ll come across. That doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s the best, but it’s a great example of a quick and easy pitch that fits almost any situation. When working on this type of elevator pitch, be sure to keep it as short and to the point as possible. Try to stick closely to the 30 seconds or less rule since the point is to be brief and transparent.

The problem is that work is chaotic no matter what industry you’re in or how good you are at your job. But a good project management software can help improve productivity and communication. I haven’t missed a deadline in years. If you’re interested in how it can help your team, give me a call and I can take you through some numbers. 

Example 2: Relatable over reliable

Sometimes the best way to grab your audience’s attention is to reel them in with a personal anecdote they’ll relate to. While it’s still important to drive home your solution, this approach puts more weight on making a personal connection rather than an immediate sale. 

It’s so great to finally meet you. How is business going? I heard you’ve been struggling with communication issues. My team and I struggled with that too. It wasn’t until we added project management software into our routine that we really saw an improvement in teamwork and overall communication. I hope you find a solution that works for your team. 

Example 3: Savvy with stats

Start your pitch off with a hook by dropping an attention-grabbing statistic. It’s important to have hard data to back up your statistics to ensure their accuracy before pitching. When it comes to a statistics pitch, it’s a good idea to come full circle at the end and connect how your solution can help solve that statistic.  

Did you know that despite having more ways to connect remotely, 60% of workers’ time is spent on work coordination with just 26% spent on skilled work and 14% on strategy? No wonder teams need help with project management. Implementing project management tools can decrease time spent on work coordination and help increase skilled work.

The savvy with stats elevator pitch

Example 4: Question everything

This example uses questions to make your pitch easily comprehensible. It also forces the audience to join in on the conversation rather than just presenting them with a speech. Try starting and ending with a question that makes the audience think about your pitch long after you leave the room.

Do you ever feel like you spend too much time on work about work? I’ve talked to so many people who share the same frustrations. I used to work long hours every day just trying to catch up. But do you know what? Ever since we started using project management software, I've been able to get so much more work done. Have you tried anything similar in the past?

Example 5: Comedic twist

If your pitch isn’t about a serious topic, you can add comedic twists to engage the audience. This is especially useful if giving a presentation. Add a GIF or quick funny clip in between slides to lighten the mood. If using this example, be sure it fits the occasion and tone of your company. 

Did you know that the average person can only pay attention for eight seconds? That’s not even long enough to place my coffee order in the morning. Maybe that’s why my barista always gets it wrong. But seriously, I think that’s why so many companies struggle to hit deadlines. 

Example 6: Tell a story

Use customer testimonials or your own personal story to paint a picture for the audience. This can be especially helpful if your topic is hard to explain in 30 seconds or less. Telling a story is a great way to add a relatable twist. 

We have a customer that transitioned to a fully remote workforce this year and needed help making sure deadlines were met. With our help, they were able to get up to 10% of their time back in their day and focus on more important things like strategic planning.  

Example 7: Emotionally driven

While this type of pitch may be more difficult to create, you have a better chance of winning over your audience if you can make your pitch emotionally driven. It’s also more likely they’ll be willing to share the experience with someone else down the road. It’s important to keep the emotions on the lighter side to prevent the conversation from steering too dark. Here is an example to inspire your own speech. 

It may seem like any other tool, but when you look closely it really is helping teams connect. And not just that, but it’s helping cultivate teams that actually enjoy working together on new projects. That’s something that’s hard to come by, but something everyone is looking for.  

Example 8: Write it first

While most speeches start by writing a general outline, you can opt to write the entire pitch from start to finish. This tends to create a thought-provoking and poetic flow once you do present your pitch. You’ll have to memorize this pitch, so practicing is a key element to this strategy. 

Hi, my name is Kelly! It’s great to meet you. You work for Apollo Enterprises, right? I’ve heard a lot about them. I actually heard that you’re looking for project management help. In my experience, any organization—whether sales or suppliers—needs help coordinating work and team communication. Work can be rather chaotic, especially now, without it. That’s why we’ve created a software tool that helps both individuals and teams organize their projects and communications all in one place. Have you ever thought about using something similar?

Example 9: End with a one-liner

Making a grand exit doesn’t come easily, but if you can pull it off your audience is sure to be impressed. Stay away from cliche one-liners and make your closing authentic to you. The point here is to leave them with a thought that they’ll remember after the meeting is over. Consider sharing a surprising statistic or question relevant to their business.

Over one-quarter (26%) of all deadlines are missed each week because of a lack of clarity. But with the right project management tools, that number could be much lower. So the question is, can your business afford not to use project management software? 

The one-liner elevator pitch

Elevator pitch examples by scenario

Now that we’ve covered the types of pitch examples, let’s dive into example elevator pitches for different scenarios. Whether you’re pitching for your business or yourself, you can use an elevator pitch to organize your thoughts and prepare for the real deal. Let’s look at key tips for any situation you may find yourself in. 

Example 10: Networking event

A networking event is probably the most common scenario you’ll run into. And with the new virtual-first culture, it may be even more challenging to make meaningful connections over video chat. That’s why it’s so important to prepare an elevator pitch that’s compelling no matter where you’re pitching it from. While most salespeople pitch casually in this environment, you may get the opportunity to meet an important executive. In which case, you’ll want to be prepared with a versatile pitch template. 

Great to meet you, I’m Kelly with Apollo Enterprises. We’ve been able to improve productivity and collaboration for teams all over the world. If you ever need help with project management, just reach out. I think we could make a huge impact on your company. I’ll make sure to keep your contact information handy as well. 

Example 11: Job interview

Looking for a new job or have career fairs coming up? Most interviews—whether with human resources, a recruiter, or a hiring manager—start with some form of the phrase, “Tell me about yourself.” This is an opportunity for job seekers to briefly explain themselves and their professional experience using industry buzzwords and key skills. Having an elevator pitch ready can ensure that you’re prepared when the opportunity presents itself. 

I’m Kelly, a specialist at Apollo Enterprises. I chose a career in project management because I had a passion for it, and now I can proudly say that I’ve been able to make a real difference in people’s lives. That’s why I’m looking to continue my career with an employer who shares those same values. I know my unique skills can make a big impact at your company because I’ve proven my results with a few key projects. 

Example 12: Formal meeting

You’ve landed the meeting, congratulations! Now is the time to create a formal elevator pitch to really get them interested. When presenting a formal pitch, a presentation can be a great addition to traditional elevator speech examples. But whether or not you choose to create a presentation, this meeting is about selling your product in the most professional way possible. So dress the part and don’t forget your unique selling proposition. 

I took a look at your current productivity figures and noticed an opportunity for improvement. With our project management software, you could get back up to 10% more of your workday. Not only would that mean more work getting done, but it would also have a positive impact on the overall success of your business. Not to mention, our tool is the only one in the industry that has goal capabilities to ensure teams stay on track. 

Example 13: Sales pitch 

Professionals often pitch traditional sales jargon, but the real key is creating a human connection while lightly sprinkling in what you’re selling. Start with a personal story or light-hearted introduction instead of the typical sales presentation. You can also prepare by creating sales team goal templates to ensure your team is on the same page. 

Our team really struggled to transition to a remote workforce. Communication wasn’t organized and people struggled to find the correct information to complete projects. But, thankfully, we found a solution to our problem. Implementing project management tools not only improved productivity but also improved overall teamwork. Every company prefers different tools, but I can say without a doubt that our software was the best at connecting goals with the work needed to achieve them. 

The sales elevator pitch

Example 14: Social introduction

Now, more than ever, professionals are choosing to meet virtually rather than face-to-face. Whether you’re chatting over LinkedIn or have a virtual meeting set up, it’s important to make your pitch personal and use clear visuals to help sell your point. Here’s a great example of a social media pitch. 

Thanks for connecting! I noticed that your competitors are outperforming you when it comes to year-over-year growth. I took the liberty of doing a competitive analysis and didn’t find any outlying problems. I’m wondering if it could be an issue with productivity. How has the transition to remote work been? If you’re interested, I could run you through some productivity figures if you were to add project management tools to your current processes. 

Example 15: Entrepreneurs and business owners

Pitching to a business owner is much different than pitching to an executive. They can be harder to sell because they are often hesitant about new investments. The most important tip is to use examples as they pertain to the business when explaining a problem and solution.  

I love your products at Apollo Enterprises. I’m a huge proponent of your mission. I did realize that there may be some opportunities to improve productivity and collaboration internally. Have you ever considered project management software? I think it could have a big impact on business growth now or even down the road. 

4 tips to perfect your elevator pitch

In addition to creating the perfect elevator pitch, you should also work on sprucing up your delivery. There’s nothing worse than sitting through a boring speech, so make sure yours is anything but. From posture to tone, there’s a lot you can practice to make sure you look professional and knowledgeable. Consider these four tips when trying to nail a successful elevator pitch. 

1. Stick to your outline

To prevent getting off-topic, it’s important to stick to your outline at least to some extent. While you don’t need to recite it word for word, it’s best to memorize the majority of your pitch. That way you won’t need to worry about checking your notes. 

2. Speak slowly and clearly

Many professionals tend to talk quickly when they’re nervous—hey, we’re only human. But it’s important to enunciate and speak slowly so the audience can understand you. This is especially important when presenting over video chat. But try not to slow yourself down too much or you’ll go over your allotted time. 

3. Record your pitch

Record yourself reciting the pitch to work on any areas that need improvement. Practice your pitch a handful of times by playing the recording back and working out any pain points. A couple of key areas to focus on are speed and tone. It’s better to sound overly energized rather than monotone. 

4. Practice, practice, practice!

There’s nothing more effective than practicing your pitch until you’re able to recite it in your sleep. If possible, practice in front of friends and family to get constructive feedback on how you can make your pitch even better. Even if you have years of experience, you can never go wrong with being overly prepared. 

Elevate your first impression with an elevator pitch

An elevator pitch is a chance to show off your strengths and pitch your solutions. While it may sound nerve-wracking, using the 15 elevator pitch examples above will help you develop your own method using personal tidbits that tie into your innovative solutions.

While your pitch is an important part of leveling up your business, there are many avenues you can take to achieve growth. One of those ways is by determining whether project management vs. work management tools are right for your team. Not only will they help connect your team members, but the right tools and software can also help your organization set strategic goals. That means more time spent on bigger projects to help your business reach next-level growth. 

Related resources

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Business impact analysis: 4 steps to prepare for anything

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The beginner’s guide to business process management (BPM)

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Project portfolio management 101

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Marketing campaign management: 7 steps for success

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6 Steps for Writing a Powerful Elevator Pitch

Alyssa Gregory is an entrepreneur, writer, and marketer with 20 years of experience in the business world. She is the founder of the Small Business Bonfire, a community for entrepreneurs, and has authored more than 2,500 articles for The Balance and other popular small business websites.

how to write a pitch elevator speech

The Balance / Cindy Chung 

An elevator pitch is an overview of your business, and, as the name implies, it is delivered in the time it takes to complete your average elevator ride. It can be one of the simplest yet most powerful marketing tools for a small business owner.

When delivering your elevator pitch, the goal is to be short and snappy to entice your would-be prospect to want to know more about your business. The length can vary, but you typically want to be able to present your elevator pitch comfortably without rushing in 30 seconds or less.  

How to Write an Elevator Pitch

The elevator pitch goes beyond sharing what it is you do. Instead, the goal is to intrigue your lead so that they want to know more. So, instead of saying, "I'm a virtual assistant," you might say, "I help busy small business owners get more done, in less time, to earn more profits." Any small business owners who heard that would likely want to know how they could earn more by doing less.

Here is a six-step process to help you write an elevator pitch:

  • Who Are You? Write one sentence about yourself. For example, you might introduce yourself as a consultant to small business owners.
  • What You Do or Offer? Use your mission statement and product/service listing as a guide, and write a sentence or two about what you do every day in your business. If your emphasis is on time-saving techniques, state briefly how your strategies work.
  • What Problem Do You Solve? Identify the value you offer to your customers or clients. Avoid listing only your features, and instead, translate them into benefits.
  • How You Are Different? Use your unique selling proposition (USP) as a guide and write about what sets you apart from every other business owner who does what you do. Perhaps you've had relevant experiences and overcome them yourself or you have an uncommon strategy.
  • Ask a Question: Elevator pitches are generally delivered in in-person situations, such as an elevator or networking event, which means you want to be social and engage your lead in a conversation. A great way to involve your lead is to ask a question that relates to your lead and your business. Using the virtual assistant question, you might ask, "What business activity do you find the most tedious?"
  • Give a Call to Action: Once your pitch is done, give the lead something to do next in a call to action , such as take your business card. Briefly let your audience know what they can do to follow up and hear more. Provide a means for further contact or for scheduling a meeting.

Putting Your Elevator Pitch Together

Once you've come up with something for each of the six steps, work with your responses to create up to a 30 second or 80- to 90-word pitch.   Add transitions and edit your pitch until it flows conversationally and captures the most important information. For example, it might read something like this:

"Hi, I'm Sally Smith, a virtual assistant who helps busy small business owners get more done, in less time, to earn more profits. What business activity do you dislike doing the most?"
"Hi, I'm Sally Smith, I'm an accountant who helps people keep more of their hard earn money. Last year I helped my clients save over six-figures. Here's my card which lists the top tax deductions most people don't take advantage of."

The above examples are shorter than most, but they highlight your goal which is to give an indication of what you do and how you can be helpful to your lead.

Tips to Effective Elevator Pitches

There is a secret to a good elevator pitch which goes to the psychology of sales and marketing. Here are a few things you need to keep in mind:

Know Your Audience

Get your lead talking first so you can learn something about them and their pain points so you can tailor your pitch to fit their needs. For example, if Sally Smith learned that a small business owner was buried under papers, she could say, "Hi, I'm Sally Smith, a virtual assistant who helps small business owners get their ducks in a row. My clients scan their paper items and I organize and file them for them, saving them time, money, and clutter."

Target Market

Like all other forms of marketing, the more you can speak to your lead's needs, the greater the chance you'll entice them to want to learn more about your business.

Less Is More

There's a natural tendency to want to say everything about your business, but when you start getting into monologue territory, you risk boring or annoying your lead. Be pithy and hook your lead with information that will naturally lead them to ask about your business. Again, this is where describing your benefits, over your features can help.

Consider Leading With a Hook

A hook is an enticing statement that grabs attention. Your hook can be a question, such as, "You know how so many business owners waste time and money because they wear too many hats? I'm a virtual assistant that takes those hats so business people can focus on what they do best...make money."

Or your hook can be a benefit statement, "I help business owners work less and make more." Just saying that alone would likely have a business owner asking how you did that.

Create Opportunity for Follow Up

All marketing should provide you with a means of following up. That can come in the form of a call-to-action, in which your lead is asked to take a next step, such as, "Here's my card with my website where you can get my free guide on working less and making more."

Better yet, improve your chances of a follow up by getting your lead's information, "Can I have your card? I'll email you my free guide on working less and making more."

Call to Action (CTA)

Always end your conversation giving your lead something to do that will allow you to contact them again in the future.

Practice, Practice, Practice

Don't just write and read your elevator pitch, speak it out loud and practice. It needs to sound natural when you say it, otherwise, you'll come off as a salesman. When the opportunity comes, you want the pitch to flow like it's a natural part of the conversation. If you can't flow through the pitch, then rewrite it until it rolls off your tongue.

Like a business card, an elevator pitch is a quick, easy way to introduce your business to people you meet. But beyond just answering the question of, "What do you do," you want to use your pitch to create interest in your business, and turn a lead into a prospect .

Pepperdine University. " Preparing Your Elevator Speech ," Page 1. Accessed Jan. 17, 2020.

University of California, Davis. " The 30 Second Elevator Pitch, " Page 1. Accessed Jan. 17, 2020.

14 Elevator Pitch Examples to Inspire Your Own [+Templates]

Aja Frost

Published: December 13, 2023

Whether you're introducing yourself at a networking event, telling new colleagues about your business, or pitching to another professional — you want to capture attention and get it fast.

salesperson using an elevator pitch or speech

In situations like these, you need a short and easy-to-grasp explanation of your company and its products, like an elevator pitch.

In this post, we'll discuss why you should use a pitch, discuss different types, learn how to write your own, and give you tips on how to make a memorable one.

→ Download Now: 8 Elevator Pitch Templates

What is an elevator pitch?

An elevator pitch — also known as elevator speech — is a short, memorable description of what you do and/or what you sell. The goal is to earn a second conversation, not to convince the person you're talking to that they should hire you or buy your solution.

An elevator pitch is never an opportunity to close a deal. It's an opportunity to close more of your prospect's attention and time. It's a quick introduction to you, your company, and how you can help your prospect.

Elevator Speech Example

Hi, I'm an account manager with Vacation Locator. We help travelers across the world plan their perfect holiday based on their interests, budget, and location preferences. With travel experts assigned to each account, we find the best deals and most unique experiences for each client, so they can enjoy their vacation, instead of stressing out about planning it. On average, we're able to save travelers up to 30% on expenses such as hotel and airfare.

how to write a pitch elevator speech

Download Now: Free Elevator Pitch Templates

E-pitch templates to better sell your product, fund your business, or network.

  • 4 Fundraising Pitch Templates
  • 2 Networking Pitch Templates
  • 2 Sales Pitch Templates

You're all set!

Click this link to access this resource at any time.

Free Elevator Pitch Templtes

Fill out the form to get the free e-pitch templates., when to use an elevator pitch.

Pull it out at networking events, conferences, warm calls — and even job interviews or career fairs. Keep your elevator pitch goal-oriented (e.g., "I help companies like yours increase production by up to 30% without additional cost.") and always end with a business card or request to connect on LinkedIn.

If you're curious about what an elevator pitch should look like, or simply ready to jumpstart the pitch creation process, download the templates below. We've compiled several types of templates — from sales pitches to funding requests.

No matter which type of pitch you're delivering, concision is essential. You don't want to waste your prospect's, investor's, or fellow professional's time. With that in mind, how much time should you spend on an elevator pitch?

How long should an elevator pitch be?

An effective elevator pitch is meant to be no more than 30 seconds, just like the length of time you ride in an elevator. You want to keep your words easily digestible, so avoid trying to get too deep into specifics as it can drag on the conversation — and lose your prospect's attention.

You should have an effective elevator pitch prepared before you need it, since you have such a short time to deliver it.

To show your value in under a minute, your pitch needs purpose, flow, and a hook to reel in attention.

How to Write an Elevator Pitch

how to write an elevator pitch

Download Free E-Pitch Templates

Get your pitch started by using HubSpot's easy-to-use templates. As you write your pitch, you can adjust it as required to address the specific needs of the recipient.

The templates include three different types of pitches: For sales prospects, investors, and potential network connections. No matter what you aim to do with your pitch, having a strong starting framework is essential. Telling your or your company's story in less than a minute can be a challenge, and using templates can help you more effectively hone your message.

Once you've downloaded your templates, tailor them by following the steps below.

2. Introduce yourself.

Before jumping into your elevator pitch, you'll need to introduce yourself to the person you're talking to. Write a sentence about who you are and what your role is at the company (e.g., "I'm a sales rep at Better Than the Rest Cable."). This will help you start the conversation off on the right foot.

Remember not to ramble. Researcher Diana Tamir shows that when we talk about ourselves, our brains show activity in the areas linked to value and motivation. Our bodies are rewarded when we talk about ourselves, so, especially when we're in high-stress situations, we resort to what feels good.

Tamir says , "This helps to explain why people so obsessively engage in this behavior. It's because it provides them with some sort of subjective value: It feels good, basically."

The problem with rambling in an elevator pitch scenario is that you haven't earned the prospect's interest or attention yet. They don't care who you are yet, how long you've worked in your company, or what job you had before. Keep the information about yourself to a minimum and earn the right to share more later in the deal.

3. State your company's mission.

Have a clear understanding of what your company does. What's the company's mission and goals for its product or service? Include a section in your pitch where you introduce the company. The more you know about the business, the easier it will be to cater your pitch to the person you're talking to.

For example, "I'm a sales rep at Better Than the Rest Cable. We help hotels across the U.S. pair with the perfect cable provider and plan for their region and needs."

This is a succinct description of what the company does — without getting into the weeds. If you were to be cut off after these two sentences, the prospect would still know exactly who you are and what your company does.

4. Explain the company value proposition.

What does your company do exceptionally well that sets its product or service apart from the rest? Write a brief, 1-2 sentence statement about the value the product or service provides to current customers.

You've introduced yourself and your company, now it's time to get to the goods. Let's see what that looks like:

"I'm a sales rep at Better Than the Rest Cable. We help hotels across the U.S. pair with the perfect cable provider and plan for their region and needs. With regional experts assigned to each account, we help hotels identify the most cost-effective and guest-delighting cable plan for them."

In one sentence, you've told the prospect what sets us apart and how you can bring them value. You've likely piqued their interest, but how can you really grab their attention? Read on.

5. Grab their attention with a hook.

Pull in your audience with an exciting story about a customer or the company founders. Or offer up a fascinating fact or statistic about the product. An attention-grabbing hook keeps people engaged with what you're saying. Let's finish up our pitch below with an attention-grabbing statistic.

"I'm a sales rep at Better Than the Rest Cable. We help hotels across the U.S. pair with the perfect cable provider and plan for their region and needs. With regional experts assigned to each account, we help hotels identify the most cost-effective and guest-delighting cable plan for them. On average, we're able to save hotels up to 25% on their annual cable bills."

6. Read and edit the pitch.

Read your pitch aloud and make sure it sounds natural. If your pitch is overly formal, you could come off as stuffy and uptight. Instead, make your pitch conversational. This will keep your audience captivated and more likely to continue the conversation.

Elevator Pitch Templates

Now that you know how to write an elevator pitch, download HubSpot's eight free elevator pitch templates to put your learnings into action. These templates can be used to make a sale, start networking, or jumpstart a deal for business capital.

Featured Resource: 8 Free Elevator Pitch Templates

Our templates follow established best practices for elevator pitches. Each one includes:

  • A personal greeting: Start every pitch by establishing a human connection and making your prospect feel seen and heard.
  • A statement of your company's mission: Your mission can be blended with your value proposition and vice versa. But this piece of information is essential to get your prospect's buy-in, quickly.
  • A hook to get your audience's attention: The hook can be as simple as a probing question or a highly personalized statement that's been tailored to your prospect's needs. Either way, the hook will often seal the deal.
  • A real example: See the template in action by reading a filled-out example, allowing you to visualize what your pitch may look like as you refine and edit it.

Using these templates allows you to save precious time and focus on the essence of the pitch instead of minute details, such as how to start it off or how to organize it. Your prospect's time is valuable, and so is yours.

30 Second Elevator Pitch Examples

If you're looking for some inspiration, look no further. The following elevator pitch examples illustrate different ways to describe what you can offer in 30 seconds or less.

1. An Attention-Grabbing Question

breaking down "the question" elevator pitch into: ask a question, empathize, pivot, add value

This elevator pitch is effective because:

  • It grabs your attention with a question.
  • It reminds you of an annoying — and frequent — pain.
  • It demonstrates empathy for your situation.
  • It's straightforward and doesn't use jargon.

2. The Credibility Boost

As an account executive for AnswerASAP, I talk to hundreds of marketers per month. And 99% of them hate creating reports. It's time-consuming, it's tedious, and it's usually not your highest priority. That's where our tool comes in — it pulls from all of your data to create any report you want in less than the time it takes to pour a cup of coffee.

  • It demonstrates the speaker's authority.
  • It reinforces how strongly you hate making reports.
  • It uses a common metaphor to highlight the tool's ease of use.

3. The Surprise Ending

You want to know how many leads from your webinar campaign became customers versus leads from your trade show booth. But only customers who bought two products — and weren't already in your database.

How long would it take you to create that report?

If you had AnswerASAP, a data and reporting tool, you'd already know. It creates reports in a matter of seconds.

  • It has a "surprise ending."
  • It illustrates how valuable the product is creatively.
  • It forces you to compare your current situation to a better world.

4. An Outlandish Stat

breaking down the statistic elevator pitch example: use a stat for the problem, ask them a question, provide social proof

5. The Short and Sweet

The founders of my company were originally marketers. The worst part of their day, by far, was … Want to take a guess? No, it wasn't arguing with Sales. They detested making reports. I don't blame them. You know what a pain in the neck it is. That's why they created AnswerASAP. You can create any report you want in a matter of seconds.

  • It's short and sweet.
  • It explains the inspiration for the product.
  • It includes the company's origin story — a move in keeping with seminal cognitive psychologist Jerome Bruner's theory that people are 22 times more likely to remember a fact when it's presented as part of a story.

6. A Customer Story

Siena Rosen, a marketer at Dunder Mifflin, used to spend 30 minutes per day manually creating reports. Now that she uses AnswerASAP, that's gone down to four minutes. She's making twice as many reports in less time. Our tool helps marketers like Siena answer any question on their mind (or their boss's) nearly instantly. If you're curious, I can explain more.

  • It uses a customer example to give the product credibility.
  • It shows a clear and compelling "before and after."
  • It demonstrates value.
  • It gives you a chance to say, "Sure, tell me more," or "I'm good, thank you."

7. The Reality Check

breaking down the reality check elevator pitch example: state the problem, aggravate it, tease solution, add value
  • It helps you understand exactly how the product works with a simple example.

8. The Joke

How many marketers does it take to do monthly reporting? None if they've automated the process with AnswerASAP. Each employee that uses this tool saves 30 minutes per day on average, which is time they can spend on marketing tasks more worthy of their time such as improving performance on campaigns and increasing ROI across the board.

  • It engages the audience (at least, if you use a joke that's actually funny).
  • It provides instant relatability.
  • It draws on a known truth about the industry and positions an unexpected solution.

9. The Emotional Appeal

When I started my career in marketing, I thought I would be making a difference for my organization right away, but as the junior member of the team, all the reporting and administrative tasks were pushed onto me. I was spending so much time creating reports for key stakeholders that could've been diverted to more important revenue-generating activities. If you're not using AnswerASAP, you're spending too much of the organization's time, money, and talent on something that can be generated by our tool on-demand in 30 seconds.

  • It evokes emotion and empathy through storytelling.
  • It establishes a pain or problem you can relate to.
  • It draws a hard-hitting conclusion as a natural "moral of the story."

10. The One-Liner

breaking down the one-liner elevator pitch example: demonstrate value, explain the advantage, tell the feature
  • It's too familiar with the prospect to the point of discomfort.
  • It makes assumptions about the prospect's work-from-home tendencies.
  • It uses informal slang ("the absolute pits," "pupperino") for unnecessary humor.
  • 4. Don't under-emphasize the problem you're solving.

    It's possible that you may run into issues when putting reports together for your boss. For instance, things may go awry every once in a while, such as disappearing data or disagreeing sources. With AnswerASAP, you can lay those worries to rest. We have a few features that will help you with those issues if you ever run into them.

    • It treats a customer problem as a possibility and not an urgent reality.
    • It's vague ("things may go awry") and doesn't emphasize how those issues can hurt the prospect.
    • It doesn't specify the product features that will solve the prospect's challenges.
    • Because it never goes into detail, it shows little research and care.

    Remember, an elevator pitch should only come at someone else's prompting. If you're spontaneously reciting it to random people, you're not doing yourself any favors. But if they ask, you want to be prepared with an interesting, well-crafted pitch.

    Elevator Speech Best Practices

    elevator speech best practices

    1. Keep it brief.

    The purpose of an elevator speech is to be as brief as possible while capturing a prospect's attention. Try to stay under sixty seconds — including your introduction. Even if you're delivering your elevator speech during a formal presentation, where you have time to elaborate if needed, keep the bulk of your pitch under sixty seconds.

    If you don't, you won't be able to use your pitch when you're chatting with prospects in situations with tighter time constraints — such as a tradeshow or a chance meeting.

    2. Practice multiple times beforehand.

    You may have written the most incredible elevator speech for your product, but if you hamper the delivery by misremembering or even forgetting parts of your pitch, it won't be an effective tool. Be sure to practice by yourself, with your manager, and with your colleagues.

    The goal isn't just to memorize it, but to practice your tone, pace, and overall delivery.

    3. Come prepared with additional materials.

    When you're delivering your elevator pitch, be prepared to provide your prospect with what they need to continue the conversation. Whether that's a business card, a brochure, or a short demo, carry all that you might need with you.

    The elevator speech is your opportunity to begin a deal on the right foot and speed the nurturing process. Typically, you might take weeks emailing a prospect before they're ready to schedule a meeting with you, but an elevator pitch speeds that work. You want to have the materials you need to keep the conversation going.

    4. Be positive and enthusiastic.

    It's essential to show your personality during your elevator pitch, but whether you're a quiet, calm introvert or a charming, excitable extrovert, you should still convey positivity and enthusiasm.

    You can use your body language and expression to keep things positive, even if your tone is quiet and calm. You might highlight the amazing benefits your prospect will enjoy if they sign up, or tell a positive story from one of your previous clients.

    Most importantly, you should make it obvious that you want to help your prospect more than anything — which will make you sound positive by default.

    5. Vary the tone of your voice.

    As you deliver your pitch, vary your tone and modulation to keep your listener engaged. This will help you emphasize the most important parts of your speech — such as the benefits — while keeping your prospect's attention. The pitch may be short, but you'll be surprised at how easily people can tune out based on your tone alone. We don't want to risk it! Especially if it's a prospect you've never spoken with.

    Reel in Clients with an Effective Elevator Pitch

    While a short speech may seem insignificant, those first conversations can hold some weight. With a well-crafted pitch, you can turn a single conversation with a prospect into a long-lasting customer, or even into a business partner. We hope you found these examples helpful and are inspired to craft your own effective elevator pitch.

    Editor's note: This post was originally published in August 2019 and has been updated for comprehensiveness.

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    Crafting an Elevator Pitch

    Introducing your company quickly and compellingly.

    By the Mind Tools Content Team

    (Also known as an Elevator Speech or Elevator Statement)

    how to write a pitch elevator speech

    You've just bumped into a former client at the airport. After exchanging pleasantries, he asks you what your new company does. You open your mouth, and then pause. Where on earth do you start?

    Then, as you try to organize your thoughts, his flight is called, and he's on his way. If you'd been better prepared, you're sure that he'd have stayed long enough to schedule a meeting.

    This is one situation where it helps to have an "elevator pitch." This is a short, pre-prepared speech that explains what your organization does, clearly and succinctly.

    In this article, we'll explore situations where these are useful, and we'll look at how to craft an effective pitch.

    About the Technique

    An elevator pitch is a brief, persuasive speech that you use to spark interest in what your organization does. You can also use it to create interest in a project, idea or product – or in yourself. A good elevator pitch should last no longer than a short elevator ride of 20 to 30 seconds, hence the name.

    It should be interesting, memorable and succinct. It also needs to explain what makes you – or your organization, product or idea – unique.

    When to Use an Elevator Pitch

    Some people think that this kind of thing is only useful for salespeople who need to pitch their products and services. But you can use an elevator pitch in other situations too.

    For example, you might use one to introduce your organization to potential clients or customers. You could use one in your organization to sell a new idea to your CEO, or to tell people about the change initiative that you're leading. You could even craft one to tell people what you do for a living.

    Creating an Elevator Pitch

    It can take some time to get your pitch right. You'll likely go through several versions before finding one that's compelling and that sounds natural in conversation.

    Follow these steps to create a great pitch, but bear in mind that you'll need to vary your approach depending on what your pitch is about:

    1. Identify Your Goal

    Start by thinking about the objective of your pitch.

    For instance, do you want to tell potential clients about your organization? Do you have a great new product idea that you want to pitch to an executive? Or do you want a simple and engaging speech to explain what you do for a living?

    2. Explain What You Do

    Start your pitch by describing what your organization does. Focus on the problems that you solve and how you help people. If you can, add information or a statistic that shows the value in what you do.

    Ask yourself this question as you start writing: what do you want your audience to remember most about you?

    Keep in mind that your pitch should excite you first. After all, if you don't get excited about what you're saying, neither will your audience. Your pitch should bring a smile to your face and quicken your heartbeat. People may not remember everything that you say, but they'll likely remember your enthusiasm.

    Imagine that you're creating an elevator pitch that describes what your company does. You plan to use it at networking events. You could say, "My company writes mobile device applications for other businesses." But that's not very memorable!

    A better explanation would be, "My company develops mobile applications that businesses use to train their staff remotely. This results in a big increase in efficiency for an organization's managers."

    That's much more interesting, and shows the value that you provide to these organizations.

    3. Communicate Your USP

    Your elevator pitch also needs to communicate your unique selling proposition , or USP.

    Identify what makes you, your organization, or your idea, unique. You'll want to communicate your USP after you've talked about what you do.

    To highlight what makes your company unique, you could say, "We use a novel approach because, unlike most other developers, we visit each organization to find out exactly what people need. Although this takes a bit more time, it means that 95 percent of our clients are happy with the first version of their app."

    4. Engage With a Question

    After you communicate your USP, you need to engage your audience. To do this, prepare open-ended questions (questions that can't be answered with a "yes" or "no" answer) to involve them in the conversation.

    Make sure that you're able to answer any questions that might come back at you, too.

    "So, how does your organization handle the training of new people?"

    5. Put It All Together

    When you've completed each section of your pitch, put it all together.

    Then, read it aloud and time how long it takes. It should be no longer than 20-30 seconds. Otherwise, you risk losing the person's interest, or monopolizing the conversation.

    Try to cut out anything that doesn't absolutely need to be there. Remember, your pitch needs to be snappy and compelling, so the shorter it is, the better!

    "My company develops mobile applications that businesses use to train their staff remotely. This means that senior managers can spend time on other important tasks.

    "Unlike other similar companies, we visit each organization to find out exactly what people need. This means that 95 percent of our clients are happy with the first version of their app.

    6. Practice

    Like anything else, practice makes perfect. Remember, how you communicate is just as important as what you say. If you don't practice, it's likely that you'll talk too fast, sound unnatural, or forget important elements of your pitch.

    Set a goal to practice your pitch regularly. The more you practice, the more natural your pitch will become. You want it to sound like a smooth conversation, not an aggressive sales pitch.

    Make sure that you're aware of your body language as you talk, which conveys just as much information to the listener as your words do. Practice in front of a mirror or, better yet, in front of colleagues, until the pitch feels natural.

    As you get used to delivering your pitch, it's fine to vary it a little – the idea is that it doesn't sound too formulaic or like it's pre-prepared, even though it is!

    You may want to keep small takeaway items with you, which you can give to people after you've delivered your pitch. For example, these could be business cards or brochures that talk about your product idea or business.

    Remember to tailor your pitch for different audiences, if appropriate.

    An elevator pitch is a brief, persuasive speech that you can use to spark interest in what your organization does. You can also use one to create interest in a project, idea or product.

    It needs to be succinct, while conveying important information.

    To craft a great pitch, follow these steps:

    • Identify your goal.
    • Explain what you do.
    • Communicate your USP.
    • Engage with a question.
    • Put it all together.

    Try to keep a business card or other takeaway item with you, to help the other person remember you and your message.

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    How to Write and Give an Elevator Pitch

    By Joe Weller | October 17, 2022

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    Students, professionals, and entrepreneurs should always have a personalized elevator pitch they can deliver at a moment’s notice. With help from experts, we’ve created a guide to developing, writing, and delivering an effective elevator pitch. 

    Included on this page, you’ll find expert opinions on elevator pitch length and a step-by-step guide to writing an elevator pitch . Learn from our useful elevator pitch examples , and get tips from professionals on delivering your pitch . Also, download a free elevator pitch brainstorming guide , a basic elevator pitch template , a cheat sheet for reading listener cues , and more.

    What Is an Elevator Pitch?

    An elevator pitch , or elevator speech , is a short summary of a product, person, or company. A good elevator pitch is usually between 30 and 60 seconds long. Elevator pitches should be well-rehearsed, clear, and persuasive. 

    Appropriate in any networking scenario, formal or informal, the elevator pitch is the answer to the tricky “tell me about yourself” or “tell me about your company” question. A strong elevator pitch will demonstrate professional aptitude, grab attention, and convey information quickly, clearly, and memorably. 

    Morgan Roth

    “A good elevator pitch will align a person emotionally and intellectually with your product and brand,” says Morgan Roth, Chief Communication Strategy Officer at EveryLife Foundation for Rare Diseases . “People need to feel good, smart, and safe about their investment of time, money, or other resources before they commit to calls to action. Your pitch puts your value-add on the radar and invites conversation with the potential for a relationship.”

    Elevator Pitch Example

    Here is an example of a basic elevator pitch for a software company:

    ATS (applicant tracking software) reduces time people spend on hiring by about 20 percent. But these systems also throw away thousands of qualified resumes daily. Our team at Hiring Help has designed an ATS with the fewest formatting restrictions of any option on the market. Hiring Help software keeps hiring times low but discovers 30 percent more qualified resumes than the leading ATS, providing our users the best access to top talent.

    How Long Should an Elevator Pitch Be?

    An elevator pitch should last no longer than a short elevator ride. Usually this time is between 30 and 60 seconds, or 50 and 200 words. Some experts suggest writing elevator pitches that are as short as 15 seconds. 

    Most experts recommend erring on the shorter side. “Keep the pitch short — within seconds, not minutes,” says Roth. “Thirty seconds is the max because of our overworked attention spans. That said, have your next steps ready. What are you prepared to do and say if the prospect asks for a prospectus or a meeting? What if they have questions about you at the ready? Have a plan to follow up in the moment or the following day.”

    Shorter elevator pitches are best for casual networking events or chance encounters, where your primary goal is to spark interest and open the possibility of a continued relationship. Elevator pitches might go longer, about 45 to 60 seconds, in scenarios such as job interviews or career fairs. In these situations, you have a platform to speak, and the person listening might want more specific, detailed information. 

    Remember that no matter the case, an elevator pitch should never exceed a minute in length. A good elevator pitch should open up the possibility of longer, more substantial conversations and professional relationships down the line.

    How to Use an Elevator Pitch

    Use an elevator pitch when you want to create a professional connection. Have your pitch ready for interviews, semi-formal chats, or career fairs. Break it out to spark interest, get across key points, and ask to stay connected. 

    “I love using the elevator pitch when working a room — say, at an industry conference,” says Justin Kitagawa, Senior Director of Revenue Operations at MixMode . “You’re there meeting new people, and you want to make a strong impression quickly and find out if it makes sense to continue the conversation later.”

    Roth suggests having your elevator pitch ready, even if you don’t have a specific networking event in mind. “Certainly, an elevator speech is a great tool to use at networking events, but a well-practiced pitch is also great for those unplanned encounters when you run into someone, say, on an elevator,” she says. “You may not have planned or expected it, but here is that person you’ve been reading about who has some promising connection to your product or cause, and they are a captive audience for some period of time!”

    Finally, Roth stresses the importance of following up after you’ve made a connection. “Don’t assume that your pitch will establish or secure a relationship on the spot,” she cautions. “Your elevator pitch is an introduction meant to generate interest and imagination about possibilities. It represents the start of a cultivation process that can take weeks, months, or even years to mature. You still have to steward the relationship and fan the flames of interest strategically and with sensitivity.”

    How to Write an Elevator Pitch

    When writing an elevator pitch, start with who you are, what you do, how you do it, and why you are unique. Pare down those details. Structure your pitch with an intro, relevant experience, goals, the solution, and your plan. 

    Learn how to write an elevator pitch about yourself, your company, or your product with this step-by-step guide.

    1. Brainstorm Your Elevator Pitch

    The first step to crafting an elevator pitch is to brainstorm some ideas. Think about all the ways you or your product add value. 

    Devin Schumacher

    Devin Schumacher, Co-Founder of SERP , recommends answering several key questions as you brainstorm your pitch: “Who are you talking to? What are their pain points? What are the results they want? What is your solution? When it’s time to write your pitch, you need to answer those questions clearly and simply.”

    Use these questions as a starting point in your brainstorming process to ensure you cover all your bases:

    2. Pare Down Your Ideas

    Once you’ve finished brainstorming, it’s time to pare down your pitch. Effective elevator pitches are concise. Look through all your points, and select a few key details that you think will have the most impact. 

    “Your first order of business is to determine the one takeaway you want your prospect to take in,” explains Roth. “If he or she really hears you on one point only, what do you need that point to be?”

    3. Write Your Elevator Pitch

    Finally, it’s time to write your pitch. Keep the pitch short, usually between 50-120 words. Longer elevator pitches should never exceed 200 words. 

    Begin your pitch with an attention-grabbing detail. This opener might be a surprising statistic, a pain point that your audience can relate to, or a thought-provoking question. From there, be sure to include the following five components in your pitch:

    • Introduction: Include basic information, such as name, job title, or company name.
    • Experience: State any relevant work experience, or give your listener a little background about your company, brand, or idea. 
    • Goals: Clearly state your ultimate goal. This could be a pain point or problem you hope to address or value you can add. 
    • Solution: Tell your listener about your unique solution to the problem. 
    • Plan: Explain your plan for achieving your goal. Demonstrate that you have the necessary skills and knowledge, and be specific about how you are better equipped than your competitors to do it. 

    Use this reference guide to make sure you remember all the key components of a successful elevator pitch:

    Tip: When writing your pitch, Kitagawa recommends talking through it aloud. “I prefer to talk through my pitch rather than write it out. If you can do this live with another person, even better. Writing them out tends to be a bit more one-sided and can leave you sounding like you’re reading off a marketing campaign,” he adds.

    Elevator Pitch Starter Kit

    How to Write and Give an Elevator Pitch Starter Kit Collage

    Download Elevator Pitch Starter Kit

    Use this free starter kit to help you get started writing your elevator pitch. This kit includes templates for a basic elevator pitch and an elevator pitch deck. In addition, you’ll find an elevator pitch cheat sheet, which includes a guide to reading listener cues, brainstorming ideas, and the key components of an elevator pitch, all in one comprehensive document. Finally, consult the list of correct elevator pitch examples to help guide you as you create your own. 

    In this kit, you’ll find:

    • An elevator pitch template for Microsoft Word to guide you through the elevator pitch writing process. 
    • An elevator pitch deck template for PowerPoint to help you structure your elevator pitch as a presentation.
    • An elevator pitch cheat sheet for Adobe PDF to help you read listener cues, brainstorm ideas, and remember the key components of an elevator pitch.
    • A list of elevator pitch examples for Microsoft Word to help you create your own elevator pitch.

    For more free resources to help you craft an elevator pitch, including templates that have been pre-filled with sample text, see this comprehensive collection of downloadable elevator pitch templates .

    How to Write a 30-Second Elevator Pitch

    Most experts recommend keeping your elevator pitch under 30 seconds. This translates to between 80 and 120 words. Be sure to include the five key parts: introduction, background, goals, solution, and plan.

    Here are some examples of each of the elevator pitch components: 

    • My name is Linda, and I work in digital marketing.
    • Our company is Hiring Help, a leading ATS software developer.
    • I’ve spent the last six years coordinating our social media advertising program. In our last initiative, I increased our Twitter engagement by 60 percent in three months.
    • We’ve been producing industry trusted ATS software for more than 10 years. 
    • I noticed that your company hasn’t yet developed a robust social media presence, even while your top competitors are launching social media campaigns.
    • Most ATS solutions cut down on hiring times by about 20 percent, but they also throw away thousands of qualified resumes for things as simple as formatting issues. 
    • As marketing manager, I could develop a social media engagement team to run a program that will make you more competitive.
    • We offer software that saves as much time as our leading competitors, while giving our clients more access to top talent.
    • In my current role, I’ve created a detailed social media development plan that any company can adapt. 
    • Our team of top-tier engineers has created software that discovers 30 percent more qualified resumes than the leading ATS, while keeping hiring times low.

    How to Write a 60-Second Elevator Pitch

    Opt for longer elevator pitches when you have a captive audience. A 60-second elevator pitch should be around 200 words and use the same components as a shorter pitch. In the extra time, add attention-grabbing details to prompt a dialogue.

    “I would typically start with the 30-second pitch, and then be prepared to go into additional detail in the area where the person you are talking to expresses interest or asks a question. It’s all about matching up with their interests and potential needs,” advises Kitagawa.

    “If you have the benefit of a full 60 seconds to make a case and an invitation to keep speaking, be prepared to show that you’ve done your research,” suggests Roth. “Connect your organization’s mission or product to your prospect’s specific needs, interests, or passion.”

    If you have 60 seconds for your pitch, you can add the following on top of the basic elevator pitch components:

    • Did you know that 55 percent of customers first hear about new brands or companies through social media?
    • On average, 43 percent of the resumes that ATS products reject are for file compatibility issues, not because candidates aren’t qualified. 
    • What has been preventing your team from expanding into social media?
    • What initiatives have you been taking to ensure that you are hiring the top talent available in your field?

    How to Deliver an Elevator Pitch

    An elevator pitch needs to be engaging and informative. Speak slowly and clearly, and avoid confusing jargon. Practice saying your pitch ahead of time so that you feel confident and prepared during delivery. 

    Given the short timespan available, it can be tempting to rush and cram in as much detail as possible. However, this is counterproductive. Speak slowly so that your listener can follow along and ask questions as they arise.

    Roth stresses the importance of practicing, and practicing often. “An elevator speech should be articulated fluently and effortlessly and, whenever possible, in the vernacular of your audience,” she stresses.

    Here are some simple ways to make the most of practicing your elevator pitch:

    • Record Yourself: It can be difficult to judge your pitch as you’re giving it. Try recording your voice or filming yourself as you practice your pitch. When you watch it, you’ll be better able to identify areas for improvement. 
    • Use a Mirror: A low-tech option is to deliver the pitch in front of a mirror. Watching yourself as you speak will allow you to practice keeping your body language professional and welcoming. 
    • Do a Trial Run: Ask a friend, colleague, or career counselor to watch your elevator pitch and provide feedback. This practice has two benefits. First, it will help you feel more comfortable when you deliver your pitch in a real networking scenario. Second, they will likely pick up on problems that you aren’t aware of. 

    Kitagawa also recommends keeping your pitch conversational. If it feels one-sided, it’s possible you aren’t engaging your audience. “I recommend everyone drop the 30 seconds of you talking,” he advises. “Instead, use a question. Why? Because talking doesn’t sell. Listening does. If you’re the one doing all the talking, you’ll often miss the opportunity to learn how you can help that person.”

    What Not to Do When Giving Your Elevator Pitch

    When giving an elevator pitch, avoid rambling, using jargon, or ignoring your audience. Elevator pitches should be conversational, concise, and friendly. You can avoid most pitfalls by practicing your pitch often.

    Here are some elevator pitch don’ts to keep in mind: 

    • Don’t Ramble: “Don’t get distracted and start rambling,” says Schumacher. “How do you avoid that? Practice. Practice saying your pitch out loud repeatedly, until you’re sure you can deliver without a hitch.”
    • Don’t Ignore Listener Cues: An elevator pitch should be interactive. If you want to keep your audience engaged, listen to their questions and respond to their nonverbal cues. 
    • Don’t Be Overly Technical: Focus on pain points that you or your company or idea can address. Roth explains, “You can tweak context and vernacular to accommodate the level of familiarity your audience has with your business or mission. Insiders from your field may be more tolerant of some technical or industry jargon, but don’t go overboard.” 
    • Don’t Be Shy: Confidence will generate interest and trust. Combat stage fright by practicing regularly. 
    • Don’t Show Desperation: Elevator pitches are about making connections and starting conversations, not demanding or pleading for help. Remember, desperation can be off-putting. 
    • Don’t Talk Too Fast: When you speak too quickly, you can make mistakes or trip over your words. Your audience will also be more likely to misunderstand you or lose interest. Practice speaking slowly and clearly.
    • Don’t Have Just One Script: “Consider the context in which you are giving the pitch, both the situation and the person. You should adjust the level of detail you go into, formality of the language you use, and key points of your pitch,” says Kitagawa.
    • Don’t Monologue: Keep a conversational tone. “Make sure you don’t sound like a robot. You want to be natural,” adds Schumacher.

    Listener Cues to Look for During Your Elevator Pitch

    Paying attention to your audience can provide vital feedback. Look out for signs such as eye contact and relaxed posture. These signs indicate that your audience is engaging with you. If you notice negative cues such as fidgeting and frowning, have some plans in place to get back on track. 

    “Imagine meeting someone who interests you romantically,” Roth suggests. “You want to make a memorable introduction and establish what you have in common. But you’re still steps away from asking for a date, let alone proposing marriage. Just like in the dating world, how someone responds to your elevator pitch will signal whether you should stand down, move forward, or move on.”

    Look for positive cues as signs that your audience is receiving your pitch well. These cues include eye contact, commentary, and friendly, open body language. “The best cue your pitch is working is when the person you’re talking to starts asking questions. That’s a good sign they’re interested in learning more,” says Kitagawa. 

    If your pitch isn’t going well, your audience is likely to reveal their disinterest in body language and actions. Lack of eye contact, fidgeting, and frowning are signs that your pitch isn’t establishing the connection you want.

    The easiest way to save a pitch is to encourage listener engagement with questions. “If you’re picking up on negative cues, the best thing to do is to ask a question, and then really, genuinely listen to what they have to say,” advises Kitagawa. “This gives the person a chance to explain what they’re thinking, and you a chance to course-correct to get back to how you can help them.”

    Refer to the following cheat sheet for a quick overview of the positive and negative cues to look for, as well as some strategies for turning around a pitch that isn’t going well.

    Elevator Pitch Examples

    We’ve compiled a useful list of correct and incorrect elevator pitch examples for three different encounters: an informational interview, a career fair, and a new business pitch. Use these examples to spark ideas for your own pitch.

    Here are some example elevator pitch scripts:

    Informational Interview

    • Correct: I’m studying political science at X University. This summer I worked on Senator A’s reelection campaign, where I focused on social media promotion. I helped launch a TikTok campaign that got over 6 million engagements in the first three weeks. I want to continue doing this after graduation and would love to talk to you about your work. I’m really drawn to the social media campaigns your company has spearheaded, especially the ones for Governor B and Congresswoman C. 
    • Why It Works: This speaker provides a quick background, notes quantifiable results from previous experience, and gives their listener clear expectations for the conversation. This speaker also demonstrates that they’ve done their research by citing specific campaigns their listener has worked on.
    • Incorrect: I’m in my last year at university, so I’m starting to think about jobs. I’m really good at social media, and I’ve taken some classes in communications and political science. I think I want to work on either political campaigns, but I could also be interested in other kinds of marketing. What kinds of jobs can I get at your company? 
    • Why It Doesn’t Work: This speaker is too vague about their background and experience and doesn’t make it clear what they want from the conversation. The final question presumes that their listener wants to hire them, which could come across as rude.

    Career Fair

    • Correct: My name is Emma Miller. I’m a second-year MBA student studying business operations. I noticed that you’ve been expanding your verticals. Before starting school, I was an assistant operations manager at a multinational clothing manufacturing company, where I assisted with vertical integrations. I’ve been focusing my coursework on process and systems optimization. I’m currently looking for internships and jobs where I can put those skills to use. 
    • Why It Works: Emma is clear about who she is, her background and experience, and her goals for the career fair. She also demonstrates that she’s done research on the company and finds a connection to her own experience. 
    • Incorrect: My name is Sarah Smith, and I’m a second-year MBA student. I’m interested in business operations, but also management. I also have taken some classes on business strategy, which I think I’m pretty good at. I haven’t taken too many classes on corporate finance, but I’m a fast learner. But probably I have the most experience in operations. What jobs are you hiring for?
    • Why It Doesn’t Work: Sarah is vague about her experience and interests. She wavers back and forth so that it is unclear what kind of role she wants or would suit her. The final question is one she could easily look up online and suggests that she hasn’t done her research.

    New Business Pitch

    • Correct: Have you had any nasty surprises on your utility bills? My name is Jim Johnson, and I’ve created and sold four apps to major developers. For the last eight months, my business partner and I have been creating partnerships with local utility companies to develop an app that would allow users to track utility use in real time. Now we’re looking for sponsors so that we can secure enough funding to make this app a reality. 
    • Why It Works: Jim starts with an attention-grabbing question and transitions smoothly into his introduction and background. He also demonstrates that he has already done work toward this business but doesn’t get into too much technical detail. This way, the listener can engage by asking questions.
    • Incorrect: I’m Bob Williams. I want to develop an app that would help people keep track of their utilities. We really need funding to get the ball rolling with this app. I’ve been trying to find investors, but they just aren’t seeing how much value this app has. It would really solve a lot of people’s problems. I promise this will be such a good investment.
    • Why It Doesn’t Work: Bob doesn’t include any interesting details so that his listener can connect with or understand his concept. He focuses for too long on the need for funding and not enough on what work, if any, he’s already done. His pitch risks coming across as demanding or desperate. 

    For a more comprehensive list, including elevator pitch examples by industry, see this collection of elevator pitch examples.

    Use Smartsheet to Master Your Elevator Pitch and Get More Business

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    How To Write An Awesome Elevator Pitch (With Examples)

    • How To Answer Tell Me About Yourself?
    • Elevator Pitch
    • Where Do You See Yourself In 5 Years?
    • What Are Your Career Goals?
    • When Can You Start?
    • How Do You Define Success?
    • Describe Your Work Ethic
    • Where Are Your Current Duties?
    • What Are Your Learning Goals?
    • Intrinsic Vs Extrinsic Motivation
    • What Is Your Desired Salary?
    • What Makes You Unique?
    • Why Are You The Best Person For This Job?
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    • Taking Initiative Example
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    • Tell Me About A Time When You Made A Mistake On The Job
    • Tell Me About Gaps In Employment
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    • What Skills Would You Bring To The Job
    • Who Is Your Mentor?
    • How To Answer Tell Me About A Time You Disagreed With Your Boss
    • How To Answer Common Screening Questions

    Find a Job You Really Want In

    Summary. When writing your elevator pitch should answer who you are, what you do, and what you are looking for. You should first introduce yourself and write about what you do. You should make sure that you describe what you want out of the interaction with the listener. Be sure to thank the listener after the interaction.

    When you’re at a professional networking event, you’ll likely find yourself needing to explain who you are and what you do to a wide variety of people in a short amount of time. This is where having a polished elevator pitch will come in handy.

    We’re here to explain the key elements of an effective elevator pitch, walk you through the process of writing your own, and show you some examples of elevator pitches for different situations.

    Key Takeaways

    Your elevator pitch should be about 30 seconds long or about 75 words long .

    The goal of your elevator pitch is to convince someone that you’re interesting enough to have a longer conversation with.

    In your elevator pitch you should introduce yourself, talk about what you do, and describe what you’re looking for and what you offer.

    How to Write an Awesome Elevator Pitch

    How to Write an Elevator Pitch

    Example of an elevator pitch, what is an elevator pitch, where you’ll use an elevator pitch, who you’re writing an elevator pitch for, how to prepare to give your elevator pitch, tips for writing an elevator pitch, common elevator pitch mistakes, elevator pitch faq.

    • Sign Up For More Advice and Jobs

    Your elevator pitch should answer three main questions:

    Who are you?

    What do you do?

    What are you looking for?

    With that in mind, let’s turn to the step-by-step process for writing and delivering an elevator pitch:

    Introduce yourself. If you’re just meeting someone, smile, shake their hand, and say “it’s nice to meet you.” If you’re in a bigger group or you’re asked directly about yourself, you can skip this step and get right into talking about who you are.

    Write about what you do. You can give a job title, but it’s far more interesting to describe what you do. If you’re a recent graduate , you’ll talk more about your time in school, whereas a seasoned professional would highlight their most interesting and important work experience or expertise.

    When you start writing, don’t limit yourself — you’ll probably end up with too much at first, but that’s when you can begin to cut unnecessary stuff or leave room for alternate topics depending on your audience.

    Think of those accomplishments on your resume that you’re most proud of when you’re writing this part. Just remember, your elevator pitch has to be a coherent narrative, so make sure one point flows into the next naturally.

    Describe what you want. This is the “pitch” part of the equation. Whether you’re after a job, an internship , or just another valuable person to add to your network, there needs to be an “ask” in there somewhere.

    You’ve already set the scene for who you are; now it’s time to turn the focus to your audience. Think of ways that you can benefit them or their company because if you have nothing to offer, they have no reason to engage you in conversation a second time.

    Always be closing. Not really, but definitely finish with a strong call to action. Don’t be vague or confusing; clearly state what you’d like to happen next.

    Whether that’s asking to be kept in mind for job opportunities or just asking if you can follow up with an email, make sure your listener knows what you want. It can be intimidating when you’ve just met a person, so keep your “ask” low-pressure and low-effort on their part.

    Thank the listener. If they accept your request, thank them. Even if they don’t give you a concrete “yes,” thank them for taking the time to listen. It’s just good manners.

    To be marketable for any position, you have to be able to sell yourself. You may be an amazing candidate, but that doesn’t matter one bit if you can’t communicate that.

    An elevator pitch is a brief, persuasive speech that you can use to spark interest in who you are and what you do. You can also use one to create interest in a project, idea, or product – and that includes yourself.

    “Hello, I’m John Smith, nice to meet you. I’m a writer with five years of professional experience in the online content writing industry. My core skill sets are online content writing and social media engineering. I’m endlessly curious and all my colleagues and coworkers look to me for answers – they know that either I know it or I’ll find out. As I’ve always been exceptionally passionate about social issues, I’m looking to write for publications/websites focused on climate change so that I can create content and campaigns urging others to take action and ensure sustainable cacao production for future generations.”

    Well done. That was masterful. You said who you were and described your experience. You inserted details that address your listener’s interests and needs.

    Just remember, it is not, in the words of O’Rourke: “An opportunity to exploit, use, bore, or terrorize someone trapped in an elevator with you.”

    An elevator pitch is a 30-second speech that gives a quick summary of your professional background. It can also be a brief speech about a product, service, or company.

    The goal of an elevator pitch isn’t to immediately snag a job; it’s to generate enough interest to land a second, more thorough conversation. Elevator pitches are short, and if you’re writing yours down to practice, aim for around 75 words.

    With an effective elevator pitch, you’ll have an easier time introducing yourself professionally and creating more connections within your field. Your elevator speech, while not necessarily life and death, is a crucial piece of your job-seeking toolkit.

    Whether it’s bumping into a hiring manager on an elevator or just a former classmate in a Starbucks – being able to sell yourself quickly and succinctly is the difference between an awkward “see ya” and “Hey, so there’s this position at my company…”

    This is how you sharpen that pitch. This is how you nail that introduction.

    If you spend any time socializing with human beings, someone’s going to ask you about yourself.

    You should be able to rap off your elevator pitch in the following situations:

    Job interviews. An elevator pitch is basically the perfect answer to “ tell me about yourself .” It’s impactful, to the point, and sets the stage for follow-up questions. Consider cutting some elements, though, so you don’t cannibalize your answers for other common interview questions .

    Social events. Elevator pitches aren’t just for the professional world. They’re also a great answer to the question “ what do you do ” that you’ll hear a lot at social events and when meeting people for the first time.

    Obviously, you’ll tone down the “selling yourself” part of your pitch when it’s just casual conversation , but even chance encounters can lead to professional opportunities.

    Career fairs. This is where you’ll be really happy you prepared an elevator pitch. You’ll deliver it countless times throughout the day, making career fairs a great place to practice and hone your elevator pitch. Just be sure to mix it up depending on the recruiter .

    Resume summary statement. A resume summary statement is, more or less, an elevator pitch specifically tailored for the company you’re applying to. It just takes a few tweaks like shortening the introduction and removing the call to action entirely, and bam, you’ve got a winning resume summary statement.

    Professional profiles. LinkedIn also has a profile summary section, which should look very similar to a resume summary statement . The only difference is that you can’t tailor it for a specific audience. So if you can generalize your elevator pitch to the widest possible audience, you’ve finished that section of your LinkedIn profile .

    Business conferences. Whether you’re there to learn, network , or just get a company-sponsored trip somewhere nice, you’ll meet a lot of people at business conferences.

    If you’re not actively looking for anything (a job, new connections, a mentor , etc.), then you can simply drop the “pitch” part and elaborate more on your introduction.

    Elevators. I mean, we had to include it, right?

    As you can see, having an elevator pitch handy will help you be prepared for a number of situations.

    Pretty much anyone who will listen, but in particular it’s for people who can help you in some way. That sounds a little selfish, but that’s how it is.

    To narrow it down, anyone who asks you the following gets your elevator pitch:

    Can you tell me about yourself ?

    What makes you…you?

    In order to deliver a stellar elevator pitch, you need to do more than just write one. Here are some ways you can prepare to give your elevator pitch with confidence at a moment’s notice.

    Practice in the mirror. This definitely sounds (and will probably feel) cheesy, but it’s a surprisingly good way to get used to delivering your elevator pitch. You get to hear yourself and check to make sure you aren’t making any weird facial expressions.

    Practice with someone else. Then ask for feedback on your speed, tone, energy levels, and clarity.

    Remind yourself to smile. It may sound weird, but remembering to smile before you begin speaking can help your voice and facial expressions to come across more positively.

    Check your teeth. To help boost your confidence and remove any distractions, take a quick peek to make sure you don’t have anything stuck in your teeth if there’s a high likelihood you’re going to give your elevator pitch in the immediate future.

    Identify Your Goal and Explain What You Do

    The first part begins with asking yourself a few questions about your goals and answering them.

    This step of the process – focusing on yourself and determining your goals – is more difficult than it seems, but defining that will streamline everything from writing your resume summary statement to answering the most common interview questions .

    “Hello, I’m [your name]. I’m a writer with five years of professional experience in the online content writing industry and I’m looking for opportunities in the San Francisco area with both online and print companies.”

    That bit would take maybe ten seconds.

    Get Your Selling Point Across

    This doesn’t have to be complicated – just mention something about yourself that adds value to your description.

    A phrase you might hear for this is your unique selling proposition – that’s just a fancy way of saying what makes you special and desirable.

    “Hello, I’m [your name]. I’m a writer with five years of professional experience in the online content writing industry. My editors applaud my endless curiosity and ability to chase any lead – and always in time to make deadlines! I’m looking for opportunities in the San Francisco area with both online and print companies.”

    That’s another five seconds.

    Engage Your Listener

    Since you’re selling yourself to your listener – and make no mistake, that’s what you’re doing – you need to tailor what you say to your market.

    Elevator speeches are sometimes called elevator pitches because you’d use a similar format to pitch your product or company to the listener – another good reason to master the skill.

    Think about the last time you heard a sales pitch. Did it sound rehearsed? Do you think the salesperson gave the same spiel to everyone?

    It’s a turn off. So when you’re giving your speech, consider your audience and adjust accordingly:

    How big is the company?

    What differentiates it from other companies?

    How would you fit in?

    You can also ask them a question that requires a response. It shows them that you’re thinking about them. And since they’ve been wondering “what’s in it for me?” the whole time, that’s the right step.

    “Hello, I’m [your name]. I’m a writer with five years of professional experience in the online content writing industry. I’m a bit of a jack-of-all-trades – my boss pretty much sends everything she doesn’t understand my way! Since this is such a fast-moving industry, I keep myself relevant by learning new skills. So many companies have needs for online content but don’t want to hire an agency, so I’m looking for a place that needs someone with my skillset in video marketing and Photoshop. I hear you manage your own practice, have you seen any success with video marketing?”

    Oh, well done, you sly dog.

    As you prepare your elevator pitch, there are a few common mistakes you’ll want to avoid:

    Forget the listener’s needs. An elevator pitch is mostly about you, but not entirely. A common mistake people make is simply listing their great achievements but forgetting to mention how they’re relevant for what the listener wants out of the interaction.

    Being vague. You need to be specific about what you do, which, we understand is tough in about 75 words. The key is to pick a quick story that embodies what you do and why it’s so effective. Numbers and attention-grabbing facts will engage your listener more than broad statements.

    Speaking too fast. You may have heard that 30-second goal and thought, “well, if I speed it up, I can fit more words in, right?” Wrong.

    You want your listener to be able to process all the great information you’re saying, so calm those nerves and slow your speaking speed down. Confidence is key, and rapid speech is a sign of nervousness or a rehearsed script.

    Sounding rehearsed. It’s great to write down your elevator pitch in full, but don’t memorize it and give the same spiel each and every time. For starters, your audience will impact what points you decide to emphasize.

    More than that though, people don’t like listening to scripted pitches. You want to sound like a natural human being. To that end, we recommend writing bullet points once you’ve got a full elevator pitch written.

    That way, you’ll always hit the most important points, but your speech patterns will change each time and sound more organic.

    Rambling. Your goal is to interest the listener in learning more, not to tell your whole life story. It’s okay to be selfish about who you give the speech to; it’s not ok to be selfish about how much of their time you take.

    Full of jargon. You need to make your pitch easy for anyone to understand, so avoid industry-specific words and a bunch of acronyms. The goal is to start a conversation , and too much jargon might leave your listener with no quality follow-up questions to ask you.

    What are three things your elevator pitch should include?

    Your elevator pitch should include who you are, what you do, and what you are looking for. Answering those will help give the person you are giving your pitch to a better understanding of who you are. It’s important to not be vague and provide enough information to the listener so they know who you are.

    What is a common mistake when doing an elevator pitch?

    A common mistake when doing an elevator pitch is forgetting the listener’s needs. It’s important to let the listener know how you can benefit them. This will help them have a better understanding as to why you are doing an elevator pitch.

    How long is an elevator pitch?

    An elevator pitch should be a 30 second speech, or around 75 words. You should make it long enough that you could tell someone your pitch in enough time that it takes to ride the elevator. You will be able to use an elevator pitch at job interviews, career fairs, and as a resume summary statement.

    Princeton University – What is an elevator pitch and why do I need one?

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    David Luther was the Content Marketing Editor for the Zippia Advice blog. He developed partnerships with external reporting agencies in addition to generating original research and reporting for the Zippia Career Advice blog. David obtained his BA from UNC Chapel Hill.

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    • Awesome Elevator Pitch

    Transizion

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    How to create a perfect elevator pitch (examples included).

    “Tell me about yourself”

    “What do you do?

    “So, what’s your story?”

    These are common questions asked during networking events and interviews. They’re difficult to answer because you can respond with almost anything.

    How should you start and end your response? What’s an appropriate response length? What should I include in my response?

    Luckily, there is a foolproof way to answer these questions: by using your elevator pitch.

    This guide will explain the importance of your elevator pitch. It will also help you craft an incredible pitch that you can use for interviews, networking events, and other social gatherings.

    Let’s get started!

    Elevator Pitch: The Ultimate Guide!

    Click above to watch a video on Elevator Pitches.

    What is an Elevator Pitch? When Should I Use It?

    An elevator pitch, otherwise known as an elevator speech, is a short but powerful response you give to someone who asks about your background.

    There are three kinds of elevator pitches:

    • Two-minute pitch

    Use the two-minute pitch for interviews. This is the perfect response to the “Tell me about yourself” question.

    • 45-second pitch

    Use the 45-second pitch for formal networking events. Your response will establish your background and qualifications.

    • 15-second pitch

    Use the 15-second pitch for informal gatherings. This is an excellent response for when you meet someone on a train or at dinner.

    Why is an Elevator Pitch Important?

    It is said that 93% of human communication is nonverbal, while only 7% is verbal.

    • This means that “how” you say something is more important than what you actually say.

    An elevator pitch helps you explain your background and qualifications with confidence. When you know what you’re going to say, you’ll state it with passion and clarity.

    The elevator pitch also demonstrates that you’ve done your due diligence.

    • Specifically, people who can convey their background with clarity inspire confidence in others.

    It also demonstrates strong soft skills, which all CEOs and other high-performing professionals possess.

    Well, How Do I Create a Great Elevator Pitch?

    Your elevator pitch is just one part of networking with skill . Therefore, you need to supplement it with the following.

    Confident Body Language

    • Firm handshake
    • Shoulders back
    • Neck straight
    • Eye contact
    • Fluidity of speech

    Make sure to practice your pitch in front of a mirror. If that’s too hard, you can stand up in the middle an empty room and pretend to speak with someone.

    • You can also practice your pitch while cooking, brushing your teeth, or running errands. All you need to do is know what you want to say and state it slowly.

    In my opinion, the best way to practice is with a trusted friend. In a no-judgment zone, state your elevator pitch. Do this until you get it right 10 times in a row. It’ll be hard at first, but this experience will greatly improve your confidence.

    Don’t rush through your elevator pitch. After stating one or two lines, take a deep breath and collect yourself.

    Not only will this calm you down, but it’ll also help you think of your next lines.

    Start Your Elevator Pitch From Scratch

    Get a blank piece of paper, Word or Google Doc, flash cards, or pull up a notepad app on your phone.

    This is where you’ll record the first draft of your elevator pitch.

    What Should I Include In My Elevator Pitch?

    Generally, there are three critical aspects of a two-minute elevator pitch. It’s best to first create the two-minute pitch and then cut it down for the shorter versions.

    You’re going to include these four elements:

    • Top-line introduction
    • What I’ve Done
    • What I’m Doing
    • Where I Want to Go

    You can order these parts in your elevator pitch any way you like. I recommend prioritizing the things you want people to remember.

    You might get interrupted during your elevator pitch, so order it according to importance.

    What does each part mean?

    Part 1: The Introduction

    This section is straightforward. In one or two sentences, what are you best known for? What do you want people to know you as?

    This can include:

    • Your professional role

    For example: Computer engineer , developer, political assistant, manager of operations, chief executive officer, head accountant, founder

    • Informal title

    For example: Entrepreneur, writer, mentor, journalist

    Then, put your introduction together:

    I’m Jason Patel, the founder of Transizion, a college and career prep company with a 100% client satisfaction rate. We help students get into the top schools in the country.
    Hey, I’m Sean McVay. I serve as a head developer at GSOT IT Systems. I’m also a mentor to 11 young men who aspire to become business leaders .

    Get personalized advice!

    Part 2: what i’ve done.

    This is where you’ll mention pertinent qualifications from your academic or work history.

    Hint: If you’re several years out of school, there’s no need to mention academic history.

    Before beginning this section, think about whether you need to custom-tailor your elevator pitch for a specific industry. This is important if you’re:

    • Applying for an internship or job
    • Meeting professionals at an industry event
    • Networking with investors who want to know more about your background

    Otherwise, you can mention top-line or sweeping aspects of your background.

    In this section, you can include:

    • Past job duties
    • Career-defining moments
    • Accomplishments or projects you’re proud of
    • Numbers, figures, and percentages that highlight your successes
    • Results you’ve procured
    • Companies you’ve worked for and with
    • Certifications and/or degrees earned
    • What drives and motivates you
    • A personal story that represents you well

    Now, let’s combine this part with the intro (Part 1). The bolded parts are what we added:

    For example:

    Hi, my name is Jason Patel, and I’m the founder of Transizion, a college and career prep company that features a 100% client-satisfaction rate. We also donate a portion of profits to veterans and young professionals in need of college and career help. I am a graduate of the George Washington University with a degree in political communication. I have served as a college coach for several years. My work has taken me to cities across the world, where I’ve helped students and professionals with college applications, writing, professional branding, and job searching.

    Here’s another example:

    Hey, I’m Sean McVay. I serve as a head developer at GSOT IT Systems. I’m also a mentor to 11 young men who aspire to become business leaders. I’ve worked on building AI systems for creative purposes, such as musical instruction and autonomous learning. In the past, I’ve also built highly responsive websites for major e-commerce platforms in the apparel and electronics industries.

    Part 3: What I’m Doing

    In this section, you’ll mention what you’re working on right now. This can include work, major projects, dissertations, or earning a degree or certification.

    It’s best to communicate qualifications that relate to the industry you’re pursuing.

    In other words, don’t talk about your interpersonal qualifications when you’re seeking a position as a financial analyst. Instead, mention your ability to work with numbers, balance tasks, and provide recommendations to clients.

    Hint: If you’re looking for a job, try to avoid the generic-sounding “Currently seeking a position.” Instead, discuss how you’re sharpening your skills while looking for work.

    If you’re a professional, you can discuss the following:

    • Current job duties
    • Projects you’re working on
    • Clients or industries you serve
    • Skills you’re sharpening
    • Initiatives keeping you busy

    If you’re a student, discuss the classes, major, or projects you’re working on.

    Let’s combine this section with the two previous sections – the Intro (Part 1) and What I’ve Done (Part 2). Again, the bolded parts are what we added:

    Hi, my name is Jason Patel, and I’m the founder of Transizion, a college and career prep company that features a 100% client-satisfaction rate. We also donate a portion of profits to veterans and young professionals in need of college and career help. I am a graduate of the George Washington University with a degree in political communication. I have served as a college coach for several years. My work has taken me to cities across the world, where I’ve helped students and professionals with college applications, writing, professional branding, and job searching. Our customers love us, and our instruction and tutoring work. We’re a growing brand that has sent students to the best schools in the country, including Stanford, NYU, UC Berkeley, and Carnegie Mellon. I work with my team to design college mentorship, college application, and career success boot camps that help our students succeed. We pay strong attention to customer service and make sure that our families have the resources and access to thrive during the stressful college process. I make sure each student partners with an awesome college mentor who will him or her with college planning, essays, and narrative building. We also serve college students and professionals who need help with finding internships and jobs. We’re the best at resume critiques, building interview skills, and professional brand building. It’s my job to make sure our product is the best in industry. I’m always building my management and marketing skills. I want students and families to know that we want to solve their problems, so I’m improving my SEO skills to ensure website visitors know they can reach out to us if they have questions. Although I’m a leader, I know I’m a work in progress.
    Hey, I’m Sean McVay. I serve as a head developer at GSOT IT Systems. I’m also a mentor to 11 young men who aspire to become business leaders. I’ve worked on building AI systems for creative purposes, such as musical instruction and autonomous learning. In the past, I’ve also built highly responsive websites for major e-commerce platforms in the apparel and electronics industries. Currently, I’m building customer portals to bring retail, brick-and-mortar businesses online. It’s a challenging project, but I’m thankful for it. I get a chance to learn more about transferring memberships from a point-of-sale system to the online gateway system. We’re working to integrate Stripe, a payment platform, to our website so our customers can purchase their products online. So far, we’ve grown 14% from last year and are looking to grow 50% over the entire year. Better yet, I’m also working to integrate the payment system to the logistics gateway. You know what that means? We’re working on delivery! During the summer and holiday seasons, our customers across the state will be able to purchase products and have them delivered within a specific window. No more waiting in lines. That’s what I love doing. Growing businesses and helping them acquire customers.

    Part 3: Where I Want to Go

    In this final section, you’ll discuss your goals. You can elaborate on your goals in the following windows. This will help you simplify your goal setting.

    1. Short-term goals (within 3 years) can include:

    • Switching fields
    • Getting your first job
    • Starting business
    • Graduating from college
    • Finishing a book

    2. Intermediate-term goals (within 5-7 years) can include:

    • Finding your place within an industry
    • Starting and publishing a study
    • Climbing the managerial ladder
    • Starting a family
    • Growing a business
    • Raising venture capital
    • Training to join a new industry
    • Going back to college

    3. Long-term goals (7+ years)

    • Joining the C-suite
    • Getting your business acquired
    • Raising your kids
    • Writing an autobiography

    If you’re planning on creating your elevator pitch for professional networking events in an industry you want to stay in, choose goals that relate to the industry.

    Picking irrelevant goals runs the risk of coming off as uninterested or unmotivated.

    Let’s combine this section with the three previous sections – the Intro (Part 1) and What I’ve Done (Part 2), and What I’m Doing (Part 3). As usual, the bolded parts are what we added:

    Hi, my name is Jason Patel, and I’m the founder of Transizion, a college and career prep company that features a 100% client-satisfaction rate. We also donate a portion of profits to veterans and young professionals in need of college and career help. I am a graduate of the George Washington University with a degree in political communication. I have served as a college coach for several years. My work has taken me to cities across the world, where I’ve helped students and professionals with college applications, writing, professional branding, and job searching. Our customers love us, and our instruction and tutoring work. We’re a growing brand that has sent students to the best schools in the country, including Stanford, NYU, UC Berkeley, and Carnegie Mellon. I work with my team to design college mentorship, college application, and career success boot camps that help our students succeed. We pay strong attention to customer service and make sure that our families have the resources and access to thrive during the stressful college process. I make sure each student partners with an awesome college mentor who will them him or her with college planning, essays, and narrative building. We also serve college students and professionals who need help with finding internships and jobs. We’re the best at resume critiques, building interview skills , and professional brand building. It’s my job to make sure our product is the best in industry. I’m always building my management and marketing skills. I want students and families to know that we want to solve their problems, so I’m improving my SEO skills to ensure website visitors know they can reach out to us if they have questions. Although I’m a leader, I know I’m a work in progress. Eventually, I want to grow Transizion into the foremost college and career prep company in the world. We’re going to be a force in closing the Opportunity Divide in America. The robots are coming. Automation is coming. It’s my job as an entrepreneur to prepare my customers and the greater public for the challenges ahead. An additional goal is to increase our product offering and expand the network of college and career mentors that we hire. Our brand should precede us – people should know that our name stands for excellent customer service and outstanding mentorship. Previous generations fought wars, totalitarianism, and fascism. Our generation’s job is to fight the Opportunity Divide. I want to become a leader that changes people’s attitudes toward the class divide in America. Only we can save the country. Only we can save each other.
    Hey, I’m Sean McVay. I serve as a head developer at GSOT IT Systems. I’m also a mentor to 11 young men who aspire to become business leaders. I’ve worked on building AI systems for creative purposes, such as musical instruction and autonomous learning. In the past, I’ve also built highly responsive websites for major e-commerce platforms in the apparel and electronics industries. Currently, I’m building customer portals to bring retail, brick-and-mortar businesses online. It’s a challenging project, but I’m thankful for it. I get a chance to learn more about transferring memberships from a point-of-sale system to the online gateway system. We’re working to integrate Stripe, a payment platform, to our website so our customers can purchase their products online. So far, we’ve grown 14% from last year and are looking to grow 50% over the entire year. Better yet, I’m also working to integrate the payment system to the logistics gateway. You know what that means? We’re working on delivery! During the summer and holiday seasons, our customers across the state will be able to purchase products and have them delivered within a specific window. No more waiting in lines. That’s what I love doing. Growing businesses and helping them acquire customers. In that vector, I do want to start my own marketing company in the next 3-5 years. The company would focus on bringing complete marketing solutions to small and large businesses. Solutions would include email marketing, website building, social media branding, and all forms of inbound and outbound marketing. Assembling a brand around our products is the dream. Hey, maybe we can create plug-ins and software to compete in the SaaS space. To be honest with you, another goal of mine is to travel. I’ve been working so hard over the years that I think a few months of exploring new cultures and perspectives would be healthy for my professional growth. I’ve been thriving in this bubble, but it’s important to expand my reach. This will help me further develop my vision.

    More Elevator Pitch Examples

    A young professional in Washington, DC:

    My name is Mandy. I’m a legislative aide at the United States Capitol. I spend much of my time corresponding with constituents and aides from other offices on a wide range of issues. I graduated from the George Washington University with a political science degree. I’m planning on attending part-time graduate school to pursue a master’s in health administration. Eventually, I want to work as a lobbyist for healthcare issues. I want to help expand Medicaid and lower the cost of prescription drugs.

    From an MBA at Carnegie Mellon:

    I’m Ben, and I attend Carnegie Mellon, where I’m pursuing a master’s in business administration. Two summers ago, I interned at AT&T. This past summer, I interned at Verizon, where I learned about operations management, human resources, and project management. I want to stay in the communications technology sector because I know I can build a wide range of operations-related skills here. Right now, I am also studying for my PMP, so that’s taking up a lot of my time. My hope is to leverage it for opportunities in the tech sector – I want to lead teams to success.

    This one’s from an analyst:

    Hey there, I’m Dom. I work as a financial analyst for Goldman Sachs. Since my goal is to become an investment banker, I’m putting in long hours helping my wing with investment decisions. Right now, I’m getting a lot of practice with analyzing data in the energy sector. This job is demanding, and so are my colleagues. The opportunity has given me the chance to improve my communication and self-management skills. I want to stay in the financial sector because I love numbers. Down the road, I’d like to work in venture capital or start my own investment-banking firm. I’m setting up the foundation for my dream by networking with established investors who can give me access to their connections.

    From a mother entering the full-time workforce after raising children and working on side projects:

    Hello, I’m Cynthia. For the past 10 years, I’ve worked with over 40 clients – from small businesses to law firms – helping them with their graphic design needs. I’m a skilled designer who can create infographics, brochures, booklets, covers, magazines, and branding assets from scratch. I have the self-discipline to work remotely and address client needs in a timely manner. I always beat deadlines – it’s a part of my personal creed. Whether clients need help with Photoshop or InDesign, I’m your girl. I know how to create design assets that work for customers.

    An artist who wants to develop his skills:

    My name is Nick. As the founder of Nick’s Art & Graphics Studios, I bring over 5 years of experience in all kinds of photography. I’ve worked weddings, galas, diplomatic occasions, and sporting events. To be a skilled photographer, you need to know lighting, lens, and direction. But the most important thing is patience. Getting the right shot is never easy, but I have the experience to give you photos you’ll love. I want to develop my expertise in multimedia so I can improve my product offering to customers. That’s why I’m learning Adobe After Effects to learn more about motion graphics. I’ve also hired two assistants and an intern to help me create beautiful media for my clients. I want to help them convey their brands to the world. Eventually, I’d like to become the dominant media company in my city. I want to become the go-to resource for anyone, from students to professionals, who needs help with creating beautiful media. We’re expanding right now, so I’m doing all I can to better my skills.

    From a student:

    Hi, I’m Megan. Right now, I’m pursuing a degree in psychology from Ohio State. My coursework includes child and criminal psychology. To supplement my studies, I’m interning as a child-care specialist with Hope for Kiddos, where we work with students individually by talking about their problems at home and bettering their interpersonal skills with team activities. I want to become a child psychologist because I love children and want to cultivate their young minds healthily. Hopefully, after putting in all my training hours, I can open up my own office. Down the road, I’d love to write a book on best practices for childcare psychologists and parents.

    Advice from Professionals and Experts

    We’ve taken the liberty to cite successful professionals and industry experts.

    These opinions offer a first-person perspective on what makes a great elevator pitch.

    Darshan Somashekar, founder of Minesweeper Challenge :

    In the small time you have, make sure you tell a story. It’s important to capture someone’s attention and emotionally connect. Talk about the problem you’re hoping to solve, or the background on what motivates you. Ask if your audience can relate. If you can hook them to your story, you’re setting yourself up to succeed

    Melissa Richards, vice president for communications and enrollment management at Sweet Briar College:

    An elevator pitch is called that for a reason. If someone in an elevator asked you about your organization, what would you say in the 20-30 seconds before you reached your floor? Your reply needs to be branded, use plain speech and flow like dialogue. Content basics include what your organization does, how it does it differently than others, for whom and where. The listener must understand all those things without asking for clarification. Avoid complex and run-on sentences, jargon and acronyms. Emphasize your organization’s brand pillars, brand personality and competitive advantages. Practice reading it out loud dozens of times to internalize it but use your own speaking pace, intonation and natural breaks and breaths. It should not sound memorized.

    Brian Lim, CEO of iHeartRaves , who appeared on Shark Tank and received deals from Mark Cuban and Daymond John:

    If possible, get proof of concept before pitching. We focused on building our business without any outside funding for many years before pitching on Shark Tank and the numbers we presented validated our business better than anything I could say. Know all key metrics around your business and be ready to answer all the basic questions. Shark Tank had a standard pitch format. Two minutes to pitch the Sharks and to be as entertaining as possible and then it jumps into Q&A for hours. We did excellent on the pitch and Q&A by preparing and doing mock pitches and Q&A’s. We presented our success and showcased that we were ready to scale. I had to imagine myself as an investor and check off boxes that I would want to see if I were going to invest money into a company.

    Zach Bellas, an American musician, producer, writer, and founder of SMB Records :

    Make it relatable – This is a particular problem for musicians. They want to throw out a hundred genres and artist they have the slightest resemblance to and end up confusing everyone they pitch with an endless barrage of information. Make it fun. – People respond to good energy, so it’s not just what you say but how you say it. Put yourself in a good mood, make strong eye contact and speak genuinely from the heart. At the end of the day that is what people buy into.

    Laura Prestwich, client coordinator and lead copywriter at Fuze Branding :

    Crafting an elevator pitch can be tricky. I think people often want to fall into the trap of using industry buzzwords, and those don’t always translate well outside of industry insiders. Use plain language. What problem are you solving or what barrier are you smashing? How are you doing that in a unique and personal way?
    In order to answer those questions, you have to know your target really well. Don’t be afraid to craft multiple elevator pitches based on a specific target or goal. Just like your resume should be specific to the company and position you’re targeting, your pitch should be personal too.

    Joy Altimare, chief engagement and brand officer at EHE :

    Capture their attention from the first sentence. Studies show that most people remember what you say at the beginning and the end of the conversation. So, you want to start strong and immediately answer the question: “Who are you” and “what makes you different” than others in your field or with your background. You want to establish a relationship with the other person while delivering a firm understanding that you’re the best option for the opportunity/role.
    Creatively establish your qualifications by leveraging the art of storytelling. For me, it’s not interesting when someone just list their background and previous roles; I love it when someone can demonstrate the connective tissue between the experiences and can express a common theme that sums up their experiences. So, when you walk away, you leave the person with a very positive – and memorable – expression.
    End with a focus on them – the listener. You’ve told them about you, now tell them how you can help them. This demonstrates that you’ve either 1) done a little homework or 2) you understand their category and can quickly access their key issues and provide tangible action items to help them succeed. This will round out the conversation and lean towards a great partnership.

    Dr. Kara Fasone, co-founder and Chief Wellness Officer at  Wise & Well Academy :

    Your elevator pitch will not stay the same! In fact, you should adapt it based on the situation. So, an elevator pitch I use at an internal networking event will be slightly different from the one I use at an industry-specific conference which will also be different from the one I use at a leadership retreat.
    Spend 3 minutes reviewing and updating your elevator speech each time you sign-up for a new event that requires use of your pitch. This allows you to ensure your spiel is relevant while providing an opportunity to practice, practice, practice.
    The key is to get to a point where your pitch sounds conversational and unrehearsed. You don’t want to come off as scripted and disingenuous as you’re meeting new people.

    Rich Franklin, president of KBC Staffing :

    Unless you are certain of your audience and their precise level of comprehension, don’t throw too much new information at them. Too much industry-specific, technical jargon or less-than-universal acronyms can cause mental saturation. Having industry expertise is great but make sure to demonstrate it without sacrificing clear communication.
    Make sure your value proposition, customer segments, monetization strategy, and differentiators are easily understood – Clearly describe a) what you do, b) who you do it for, c) how you make money doing it and d) what makes you special or prevents someone else from doing the same thing.
    Depending on your audience and the situation, you may not bring up all these areas in your short elevator pitch but you should know how to clearly explain them all. If you explain it to your grandmother and she doesn’t “get it,” your pitch might need some work. If you pitch it to twenty potential cofounders and none of them “get it,” your pitch definitely needs work.

    Gennady Litvin, attorney at Moshes Law :

    There’s a tendency to ramble and rush when giving an elevator pitch because the time allotted is so short but don’t. Instead, take your time and make sure you’re speaking clear enough so they can understand what is being said. You’ll find that rushing through it does more harm than good.
    What’s the point of pitching them if they can’t even follow what you’re saying? Be concise with your message, this is easy if you understand what you sell, who you’re selling to, and how it benefits them as I stated before. And be conversational, even though this is a pitch find a way to include them and turn this pitch into a conversation. Pitches only last for about 30 seconds but a conversation can go on for hours.

    Marina Shumaieva, co-founder and CTO of CruiseBe :

    The main thing in this short pitch is practice. You should work on speed, intonation, readiness to respond to questions and interruptions. As for the proper construction of sentences describing your company, I’d like to recommend you a good game practice. Write down 5-10 large companies that were founded as startups. Try to write one-sentence pitches that could be the basis of their elevator pitches. Then try to find examples of pitches and compare the results.

    Conclusion: How to Craft an Amazing Elevator Pitch

    The elevator pitch, also known as the elevator speeech, is one component of successful networking . It will help you network confidently. When giving your elevator pitch, stand up straight, give a firm handshake, and look your partner in the eye.

    Keys to crafting an excellent elevator pitch include practice, organization, and discipline. Take your time, take it slow, and start from scratch.

    Last, be sure to include pertinent information in your elevator pitch. Stick to the important facts and elements of your story.

    Good luck! Let us know if you have any questions.

    Learn how we can help you with college and career guidance! Check out our YouTube channel!

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    How to Write the Perfect Elevator Pitch with Examples

    An elevator pitch is a great way to win new clients and partners in just a short pitch. Learn how to develop an elevator pitch for your brand or business.

    No matter the size of the business you run, understanding how to write the perfect elevator pitch is essential. Think of how little time you have in an elevator heading from the ground floor to the fifth floor. That's not much time to explain what your business is and what you do, is it?

    However, being able to write an elevator pitch is a beneficial aspect of your marketing. It might sound a bit outdated, but it's really not. This grassroots marketing concept can be used in other scenarios more relevant in today's world besides in an elevator.

    Nowadays, you might not run into a potential investor or client on an elevator and have little time to speak to them. You will, though, meet people or need to send emails and want to keep them short and sweet. You may be at a networking event, where you have short bouts of time to mingle with different people.

    Therefore, when you can summarize what you do and offer in a short speech, it keeps people engaged and gives them just enough information to pique their interest, no matter where you run into them or reach out to them.

    how to write a pitch elevator speech

    What is an elevator pitch?

    An elevator pitch is basically a sales pitch. It's succinct and persuasive. Unlike crafting an entire speech, you're condensing who you are, what you do, and what your company offers into a few short sentences, just enough to explain but not enough to bore or overwhelm.

    A good elevator pitch essentially lays the foundation to get people interested in your idea, product, or service. They then want to know more and might just contact you.

    While today an elevator speech doesn't necessarily have to be in an elevator, it's been rumored that the first elevator pitch was in an elevator. It happened in 1853 when a number of buildings had elevators. They were dangerous, especially considering they used ropes to pull the elevator and passengers.

    Alisha Otis thought of another, safer way for people to travel from one floor of a building to the next. And he demonstrated his idea in an elevator display at a convention.

    How long should an elevator pitch be?

    Now that you know the answer to "What is an elevator pitch," know that it should be the length of a brief elevator ride, so about 20 to 30 seconds.

    Keep in mind that it doesn't matter whether you want to start a business , have online business ideas , or already have a business and are looking for ways to grow your audience , expand your company, or sell your product or service.

    It also doesn't matter what type of entrepreneurship the pitch is for either, whether a small business, medium-sized company, or large enterprise. The goal is to write something concise and quick that can encapsulate your main idea.

    Ultimately, the object of an elevator speech or sales email is to explain how it's a product market fit in as short of an amount of time as possible. You must give enough information to adequately explain but not too much that the audience loses interest.

    According to Inc., elevator pitches should be: irrefutable, succinct, understandable, and attractive.

    How to create an effective elevator pitch

    Creating an elevator speech is less complicated than you may think if you're contemplating how you can summarize everything about your business in a few sentences.

    Here are some key aspects to consider:

    Know your business and target audience

    Before you create your elevator pitch, make sure you create a business plan .

    In your business plan, establish what you plan to offer, who you'll hire, and a variety of other details that are vital to creating your business. Not to mention, you perform market research , so you develop a profound understanding of who your target market is.

    Know your goal

    What do you plan to accomplish with your elevator speech? Do you want to find a co-founder , gain a new client, or sell your products to a large company? The possibilities are numerous. And not everyone will create the same type of elevator pitch since they may not have the same purpose.

    Briefly describe your business

    In your elevator pitch, sum up your business in a sentence or two. While it sounds difficult to keep your elevator speech short, especially if you've been in business for a bit, it's possible.

    Think of what your company does or offers. Even if the concept of your products or offerings is technical in nature, leave out the technical jargon. Describe it in a way that almost any adult could understand what you do and provide.

    Explain what makes your business unique

    You have competition out there who are trying to obtain business in your niche. You need to find a way to stand out. Think about what sets your company apart. Why is your product or service better? Is it your customer service or the product itself?

    Whenever you're going to networking events, meeting new people, or even cold emailing, you need to persuade people to choose you and your business over others. Therefore, make sure you explain why you're different in your elevator pitch.

    Be positive

    It's easy to come across in a negative way, even if that wasn't your intention. For instance, you could exacerbate the problem or put the competition down. These, however, come across poorly and can be off-putting for your potential customers.

    Instead, explain everything in a positive manner. If you mention anything about how your company is different, explain it in a way that shines a light on your product or services and doesn't trash the competition.

    For instance, if you want to say your company offers quicker service, don't mention that other companies can take days to show up. State that you built your business around providing quicker service than the competition.

    When you talk about something you know, it becomes almost effortless to just ramble on. You then might find people are ignoring you when you're pitching your idea. This can pose quite a problem when you're trying to summarize your business quickly and intrigue people.

    For this reason, always create the elevator speech first before you start using it on people. You can then slim it down and make it more concise. Speak only about the most important points. Save everything else about your business for once the person takes an interest in learning more.

    Be the solution

    Whether you're at a professional networking event, sending an email, or preparing for job interviews, make your pitch encompass being a solution for their problem.

    For instance, if someone has dry skin, your elevator pitch could sell lotion. Let's say the individual is a major investor. Their focus is on making money. Therefore, marketing your company is a way for them to earn big bucks.

    Go out with a bang

    At the end of your elevator speech, you need a solid conclusion that pulls the audience in. For instance, you could conclude with how your product or service can change people's lives. Or it may include how much becoming your partner could bring prosperity.

    Besides ending with a thought-provoking statement, you could also end with a question to get the audience thinking and questioning if what you're saying is right for them. It could also be a question that gets them to respond so you can begin a conversation with them. If they're in a hurry, it's a prime opportunity to exchange information, such as a business card.

    From Business News Daily: 3 situations where a prepared elevator pitch is important: You are meeting someone for the first time. Your time to capture the person’s attention is limited. The person is in a position to help you.

    Elevator pitch examples

    Although the advice above may help, these elevator pitch examples can further your understanding and start you thinking about your own elevator pitch.

    Skincare product

    Are you tired of scanning the store shelves for natural skin care products only to find parabens and phthalates? After much deliberation and research, I created the perfect blend of herbs, minerals, and vitamins to give you soft, supple skin without everything you don't want. Would you like to give it a try?

    Housekeeping company

    It can often seem like you're failing when you can't juggle everything. That's when my company can help. No matter how frequently you need cleaning, my company can assist. We complete everything from sweeping and dusting to washing walls and windows. We're insured and guarantee high-quality results. So if you're sick of streaked windows, give us a try.

    Restaurant looking for investors

    Who doesn't want a mouthwatering, healthy, home-cooked meal brought to them? I've been in the restaurant business for over 10 years and am ready to take it on my own and provide the area with healthy, comfort food. While it sounds like an oxymoron, it isn't. I know how to cut calories and unhealthy ingredients without sacrificing taste. I'm just looking for an investor for this potentially profitable venture.

    Marketing solutions software

    Did you know, on average, a company spends between 7% and 8% of its revenue on marketing? Think about that in dollar amounts. With 365 Marketing, many of those tasks you're paying for right now can be automated, saving you time and money in the long run.

    Expand your reach with Mailchimp

    An elevator pitch is a synopsis of what makes you and your company unique. It's often offering a solution to a problem. Fortunately, Mailchimp provides various options that can help you with the process.

    With Mailchimp's products, you can reach your investors, clients, or customers conveniently through automated email generation and more. You can then use your well-written, well-thought-out elevator pitch on a large number of people.

    Related Topics

    • Personalization
    • Grow Your Team
    • Grow Brand Awareness
    • Measure Marketing Performance
    • Drive Sales

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          Blog

          How to write an effective elevator pitch – and use it in your business [with examples]

    How to write an effective elevator pitch – and use it in your business [with examples]

    Gary Woodward

    Author : Gary Woodward

    Posted : 25 / 02 / 21

    Share this:

    Business man presses for an elevator

    When you think about doing this, what you’re essentially doing is working on a version of your elevator pitch .

    This article will show you what an elevator pitch is, when you should use one, how to write and structure your elevator pitch, and mistakes to avoid.  

    What is an elevator pitch?

    An elevator pitch is a short statement in writing or speech. It encapsulates the value of what you’ve got to offer, whether it be your skills, a product, service or an idea. It should capture your audience’s attention and interest so that they want to find out more.

    The name comes from the idea that you might take the opportunity to present yourself, your business or your plan to someone you find yourself in an elevator with. And you only have the length of the ride to make that winning impression.

    You may have come across other names for the same concept, such as ‘pitch’, ‘value proposition’ or ‘back of the taxi test’.

    How long should an elevator pitch be?

    Think in terms of creating a highly condensed summary. To begin with, I’d recommend making your oral pitch about 30 seconds long. For one in writing, go for between 30 and 50 words.

    This may mean taking some time to pare your initial drafts down. That’s OK – you can gradually make them more succinct and focused.

    Your audience will want to know more if your pitch does its job. So prepare an expanded version too, should the situation demand it.

    When to use your elevator pitch

    You can use an elevator pitch in many situations (and not just in an elevator). Here are a few examples:

    • during sales phone calls and emails
    • at conferences, events and networking situations
    • in marketing, especially on landing pages for websites
    • when trying to secure investment in an idea, product or service (think Dragons’ Den or Shark Tank )
    • at high-level meetings, such as at board or executive-committee level
    • for job-hunting, job interviews and career profiles, including your CV, covering letter and LinkedIn profile.

    How to write your elevator pitch

    The downfall of many elevator pitches is that they’re written (or spoken) without properly considering the audience. As humans, we tend to talk and write from our own point of view. But this isn’t the best way to capture another person’s heart and mind.

    Here is a simple three-step process to get your elevator pitch on the right track.   Step 1: Identify your target The first step is to think about the context in which you’ll be using the pitch and what your audience might be interested in. What do they care about? What’s most important to them? You might not be able to answer these questions with 100% certainty. But an educated guess will still help you enormously.

    Step 2: Express the value or interest Now that you’ve thought about who might be receiving your pitch, think about how your skills, ideas, product or service could benefit them. Talk or write less about what you do and more about how you help . (In other words, your pitch should not be just another version of your business card.)

    So, rather than ‘We specialise in big data and artificial intelligence’, go in the direction of ‘We help organisations unlock the power of their data to boost productivity.’ You can also apply this concept to your marketing documents or your own LinkedIn page.

    Step 3: Add some specifics Your pitch can get even stronger if you can add something specific that resonates with your audience. For example, in the example above, you could make it more specific if you were targeting a particular sector: ‘We help top-tier investment banks unlock …’. And if you’ve got data to back up the benefits, add that too.

    Social proof is a powerful tool. So if you have solved this problem for someone in the same industry as your audience – or even just a big name – be sure to mention this. It can really help your credibility.

    Weaving your elevator pitch naturally into conversation

    Elevator pitches are ideal for in-person situations where you want to make connections. But many of us find it difficult to make an elevator pitch in speech. It can feel too ‘salesy’. In our discomfort, we may be tempted to deliver the full spiel in one go, robot-style. The trick is to make it sound more like a natural conversation.

    Picture the scene. You’re at a conference or networking event. You’re listening to someone talk about their job and (despite your best efforts) you can feel your eyes glaze over as you slowly (or quickly) lose the will to live.

    Why is this such a common experience? It’s generally because people will talk about themselves without connecting what they’re saying to the person they’re talking to. So the message fails to make an impression.

    The examples below show the difference between this me-centric approach and a better one:   Typical conversation (not a great pitch) New contact: ‘And what do you do for a living, Gary?’

    Me: ‘I’m a business-writing trainer. I help people and organisations to improve the writing they produce.’

    New contact: ‘Oh, sounds interesting. Anyway, do excuse me: I’ve got to catch up with an old colleague. Nice to meet you.’ [Makes swift exit]

    Me: *Sigh*   Better example New contact: ‘And what do you do for a living, Gary?’

    Me: ‘Well, you know we all have to write emails and other documents at work?’

    New contact: [nods vigorously]

    Me: ‘And do you ever spend longer than you’d like reading or writing them?’

    New contact: ‘Oh yes, it’s a nightmare! Takes up so much of my week.’

    Me: ‘Well, you’re definitely not alone. I train people so that they can write things that have more impact – and so they can do it more quickly.’

    New contact: ‘That’s really interesting. We could do with that kind of help where I work. Do you have a business card?’

    Now, things might not always immediately work out so well as in the second conversation. But you increase the odds of making a great impression dramatically if you bring out an interest factor and the meaningful value you can provide for your audience.

    The structure of an elevator pitch

    You may have also noticed that the second version above tells a mini story. I started with a situation, something that the other person can identify with. I then identified a problem that resonated with them, and then gave a solution.

    Telling a story doesn’t mean that you embark on a tortuous ‘Once upon a time…’. But it’s important to take your audience on a journey, even if it lasts for only 30 seconds.

    This situation-problem-solution structure is at the heart of many great stories and one which you can borrow for your elevator pitch, whether you’re describing your own job or your company’s products or services. And the great thing is it works in both writing and speech.

    Remember that part of presenting the solution is making it clear that you are the one that’s the best choice for delivering it. That’s where the specifics and social proof can come in: make clear the benefits that are possible for your audience, along with some targeted evidence (like who has benefitted before and exactly how ).

    Examples of elevator pitches in action

    Let’s explore some examples of elevator pitches in the wild and a few of the different ways you can use them.  

    Making an elevator pitch to investors

    Imagine you’re a contestant on Dragon’s Den or Shark Tank . You’re proposing an idea, service or product to try and secure investment. Here you could use an extended version of the situation-problem-solution model.   Situation Skiing is increasing in popularity across the globe, bringing health benefits to those who practise it and economic benefits to many local economies. Latest figures suggest that there are 135 million skiers in the world, a figure which is growing by three per cent each year.

    Problem Sadly, the number of skiing accidents is also increasing, with serious head injuries up by 5% last year alone. Yet approximately 80% of those injuries could have been prevented had the skiers worn more robust headgear.

    Solution Here at Ski Futures we have developed a new type of headgear that we estimate will reduce serious head injuries by up to 90%. The new helmet includes state-of-the-art technology software that detects moving or stationary obstacles. It also gives you audio instructions if your speed is too fast for the terrain you’re on. Finally, it’s made from a new tough yet lightweight material, tested to withstand impact speeds of up to 150 km/h.

    (From this point on, you’d probably add some details about your experience and how much money you want.)

    When you’re pitching an investment idea like this, you might even add a strapline or soundbite at the start to really capture your audience’s imagination, before you begin with the situation. In the case above, it could be:

    Introducing SafeSki – the revolutionary product that prevents injury on the piste

    Elevator pitches in sales emails (a cautionary tale)

    A well-written pitch is the perfect addition to a sales email, including in an introductory – or ‘cold’ – email. Unfortunately, this is one of the key places where a misplaced me-focus too often undermines the pitch-writer’s efforts.

    Here’s an example based on one I received from a company wanting to sell me software that can measure the long-term impact of training. Now, that’s potentially very interesting, but sadly the author missed the opportunity to deliver a good sales pitch.   Subject line: Meeting invitation

    I wanted to get in contact with you to introduce our company, ABC.

    We have developed a web-based learning platform used to increase results from all types of educational activities. We help organisations, such as X and Y, improve the impact of their training programs, through behavioural application. Our platform incorporates the methodologies of Dr X and Professor Y, both world-renowned experts in the field of training evaluation.

    Using our platform enables training programs to achieve the highest transfer of learning from the classroom back into the workplace.

    If you’re interested to know more on how ABC can benefit your organisation, I suggest we set up a time for a video Skype call.

    I look forward to hearing from you.

    John Doe Business Developer   There are plenty of things wrong here, not least the uninspiring subject line and lack of a name after ‘Hi’. Both of these tend to result in immediate deletion.

    Most striking, though, is that the email – especially his ‘pitch – is all about him, his company and his product. It’s not focused on the recipient and how his product can help them.

    Here’s a better alternative that opens with a reader-focused pitch:   Subject line: Proving the long-term value of your training courses

    As an experienced training provider, you’ll know how difficult it can be to measure the long-term impact of training. You’ll also know it’s a key factor in securing new clients.

    But what if there was a way to convince clients more easily? That’s what our new platform, ABC, can help you with. [Insert the system’s key features/benefits here, including specifics, data and social proof that reinforces any claims.]

    So if you’d like to keep your current clients happy and gain new ones more easily, ABC could be the answer.

    Interested in a 15-minute video call to look at some of the system’s features? You can book a call in my calendar [here].

    Best wishes

    John Doe Business developer   Notice here that I’ve combined the situation and problem together in the opening sentence, making it a bit catchier:

    ‘You’re an experienced trainer’ → the situation, and starts with the reader – plus flattery!

    ‘Securing new clients can be difficult’ → the problem

    The solution here is the product. And having been given a reason to care at the very start, the email’s reader is more likely to take an interest in the details about the platform.

    Using an elevator pitch on your website’s homepage

    Once you get familiar with the situation-problem-solution structure, you can sometimes combine the elements within one sentence, or even play with the order. This website’s landing page provides a good example:

    Slack homepage

    As you’ve probably gathered, Slack is an app that helps teams work together. Notice the strapline, designed to capture your imagination: ‘Welcome to your new HQ’.

    Then we’ve got the situation and problem reversed: ‘Teamwork is still the best way to work’ [situation], ‘but it can be hard, messy and complicated’ [problem]. They end with the solution: ‘That’s why we made Slack – a place where people get work done, together.’

    Notice the examples of Slack in action underneath the value proposition – again showing the power of being specific to help your audience form an easy mental picture.

    Elevator pitches: a summary of key ideas

    Let’s recap what we’ve covered:

    • Tie what you’re offering to the concerns or interests of your target audience. Think about how you help rather than simply what you do.
    • Use the situation-problem-solution framework to tell a mini (or extended) story.
    • Add some specifics and social proof to make your pitch more vivid and persuasive.
    • Where appropriate, begin with a strapline to capture your audience’s attention – this is especially useful in pitching for investment and landing pages.
    • Be prepared to give more facts or details should your pitch generate interest.

    Final thoughts

    Do consider the country and culture you’re pitching in. The way of doing business varies a lot across the globe – launching directly into conversation with a stranger won’t work everywhere, for example. So remember to consider this in your audience analysis.

    And, crucially, remember to follow up with any potential leads . Ask for people’s contact details – or find them on LinkedIn – and send them a polite and friendly message later, reminding them of the value you can provide. However mesmerising your initial pitch, it’s up to you to keep the momentum going.  

      If your team is focused on prospecting and growing your business and they need to sharpen their writing skills, take a look at our Writing for business development course and get in touch if you’d like us to run a tailored course with you.  

    Image credit: IPGGutenbergUKLtd / iStock

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    How To Create Your 30 Second Elevator Pitch!

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    The Elevator Pitch is a vital tool for any professional looking to make lasting impressions and forge valuable connections, especially at a career fair. However, many people struggle with creating and implementing an effective pitch that can be delivered at a moment’s notice. Fear not, because today we will be taking you through each step of a perfect pitch, including an example of what a good one looks like. Trust me, having this knowledge will take you far through. Plus, you’ll gain some knowledge about Precision Castparts Corp.!

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    IMAGES

    1. How To Give an Elevator Pitch (With Examples)

      how to write a pitch elevator speech

    2. How to Create the Perfect Elevator Pitch with Examples

      how to write a pitch elevator speech

    3. 8+ Elevator Speech Samples

      how to write a pitch elevator speech

    4. 11+ Sample Elevator Pitch Examples

      how to write a pitch elevator speech

    5. 13 (Really) Good Elevator Pitch Examples & Templates (+How to Write

      how to write a pitch elevator speech

    6. 13 (Really) Good Elevator Pitch Examples & Templates (+How to Write Yours)

      how to write a pitch elevator speech

    VIDEO

    1. ELEVATOR PITCH

    2. Elevator Pitch Speech

    3. Speech elevator pitch

    4. Pitch Elevator Frutiland!

    5. Elevator pitch speech

    6. Elevator Pitch Speech

    COMMENTS

    1. How to Give a Great Elevator Pitch (With Examples)

      While you probably have a stock answer ready to go (I'm in sales; I'm majoring in English), the person asking may be able to help you achieve your career goals — but they won't know unless you've got an elevator pitch ready to go. An elevator pitch is an enticing and interesting three or four-sentence summary of you.

    2. How To Write A Killer Elevator Pitch (Examples Included)

      In a nutshell it's just what it sounds like: a short, 30-60 second well crafted business pitch telling someone who you are and why they should want to hire you It's called the elevator pitch because it's meant to represent the amount of time you'd have if you were stuck in an elevator with someone riding from the bottom of the building to the top.

    3. How To Give an Elevator Pitch (With Examples)

      First, exchange names and greetings, then the employer will likely reply with, " Tell me about yourself ." If they don't, then you could say, "I'd love to tell you about myself—would that be ok?"

    4. How To Create an Elevator Pitch (With Examples)

      Key Takeaways Keep your elevator speech short and sweet, aiming to deliver your message in 60 seconds or less. Say who you are, what you do, and what you want to achieve. Your goal is to focus on the essentials. Be positive and persuasive with your limited time. Focus on what you want to do, not what you don't want to do.

    5. 11 actually great elevator pitch examples and how to make yours

      An elevator pitch is a concise speech in which you introduce yourself and a few key points about what you're pitching, whether it's to acquire investors, promote a product, advertise a business, or even sell yourself as a potential employee. If it takes longer than a minute to get the point across, it's getting too long.

    6. 15 creative elevator pitch examples for every scenario

      October 10th, 2022 15 min read Jump to section A good elevator pitch can be the difference between landing your next big opportunity or falling short of the competition. But the reality is, people want to have meaningful conversations without the forced sales pitch.

    7. How to Make an Elevator Pitch, With Examples

      Give your writing extra polish Grammarly helps you communicate confidently Write with Grammarly What is an elevator pitch? An elevator pitch, sometimes called an elevator speech, is a memorable, succinct summary of who you are, what you do, what you want to do, or what you sell. Elevator pitches can be about you or about your business.

    8. The 15-Minute Method to Writing an Unforgettable Elevator Speech

      The 15-Minute Method to Writing an Unforgettable Elevator Speech by Kathryn Minshew Updated 6/19/2020 Let's start by getting one thing straight: Elevator speeches aren't just for riding elevators anymore. And they're not just for CEOs like me trying to pitch their companies, either. What's the best job for you?

    9. How to Write a Powerful Elevator Pitch

      The Balance / Cindy Chung An elevator pitch is an overview of your business, and, as the name implies, it is delivered in the time it takes to complete your average elevator ride. It can be one of the simplest yet most powerful marketing tools for a small business owner.

    10. How to Make an Elevator Pitch (With Examples)

      Use our templates to write an excellent elevator speech about yourself and deliver it like a pro. Tools. Resume Builder Create a resume in 5 minutes. Get the job you want. ... Here's how to write a powerful elevator pitch in six easy steps: Start with who you are. Write about what you do and how you do it.

    11. 13 (Really) Good Elevator Pitch Examples + Templates

      Table of contents What is an elevator pitch? What makes a good elevator pitch? How long should an elevator pitch be? How to write an elevator pitch Basic elevator pitch templates Business elevator pitch templates The best elevator pitch examples to inspire you Final tips to achieve your best elevator pitch What is an elevator pitch?

    12. 14 Elevator Pitch Examples to Inspire Your Own [+Templates]

      An elevator pitch — also known as elevator speech — is a short, memorable description of what you do and/or what you sell. The goal is to earn a second conversation, not to convince the person you're talking to that they should hire you or buy your solution. ... How to Write an Elevator Pitch. 1. Use elevator pitch templates. Download Free ...

    13. Crafting an Elevator Pitch

      Where on earth do you start? Then, as you try to organize your thoughts, his flight is called, and he's on his way. If you'd been better prepared, you're sure that he'd have stayed long enough to schedule a meeting. This is one situation where it helps to have an "elevator pitch."

    14. Elevator Pitch How-To Guide

      An elevator pitch, or elevator speech, is a short summary of a product, person, or company. A good elevator pitch is usually between 30 and 60 seconds long. Elevator pitches should be well-rehearsed, clear, and persuasive. Appropriate in any networking scenario, formal or informal, the elevator pitch is the answer to the tricky "tell me about ...

    15. Elevator Pitch: How to Write the Perfect Speech--with Example

      Keep it concise. Be short and sweet. Cut the fat out of the pitch and focus on the message. Have a compelling angle. Make your audience want to continue to the discussion - make them want to hear ...

    16. How To Write An Awesome Elevator Pitch (With Examples)

      An elevator pitch is a 30-second speech that gives a quick summary of your professional background. It can also be a brief speech about a product, service, or company. ... It's great to write down your elevator pitch in full, but don't memorize it and give the same spiel each and every time. For starters, your audience will impact what ...

    17. How to Create a Perfect Elevator Pitch (Examples Included!)

      When Should I Use It? An elevator pitch, otherwise known as an elevator speech, is a short but powerful response you give to someone who asks about your background. There are three kinds of elevator pitches: Two-minute pitch Use the two-minute pitch for interviews. This is the perfect response to the "Tell me about yourself" question.

    18. How to Write an Elevator Pitch

      The first step to write an elevator pitch or speech is to know what questions your elevator pitch must answer to be successful. The questions and information you'll provide will differ depending on the situation you're in and the reason for your pitch. To focus your thoughts, write out the answers to questions below.

    19. How to Write the Perfect Elevator Pitch: Tips & Examples

      In your elevator pitch, sum up your business in a sentence or two. While it sounds difficult to keep your elevator speech short, especially if you've been in business for a bit, it's possible. Think of what your company does or offers. Even if the concept of your products or offerings is technical in nature, leave out the technical jargon.

    20. How to Write an Elevator Pitch [+ 7 Examples]

      Rest will come automatically to you if you truly know your brand, your company, your startup idea, or the product you are selling. Here is an effortless and easy-to-understand template to write a superb elevator statement: #1. Explain Yourself, the Company, or the Brand. Name the project, brand, or company in the introduction.

    21. How to Give an Elevator Pitch (With Examples)

      Now you've got your perfect elevator pitch written up, it's time to learn how to deliver it. 1. Speak Confidently. Being confident is, of course, easier said than done. But when delivering your elevator speech, you want to be clear, confident, and compelling. Now is not the time to be shy, especially if you're pitching your business or ...

    22. How to write an effective elevator pitch (with examples)

      Step 3: Add some specifics. Your pitch can get even stronger if you can add something specific that resonates with your audience. For example, in the example above, you could make it more specific if you were targeting a particular sector: 'We help top-tier investment banks unlock …'.

    23. How to Create a Winning Elevator Pitch for Your Startup

      2 Define your problem and solution. The core of your elevator pitch is to explain the problem that your startup solves and how it does it better than anyone else. You need to show that you ...

    24. 20 Unique Elevator Speech For Every Situation

      Template 1: Sweet and Short. It is a regular occurrence. That is not to say it is the finest, but it is an excellent elevator speech example of a fast and simple pitch that works in virtually every setting. When developing this sort of elevator pitch, make it as brief and concise as possible.

    25. How To Create Your 30 Second Elevator Pitch!

      How To Create Your 30 Second Elevator Pitch! Monday, February 26, 2024. 2pm - 2:30pm. The Elevator Pitch is a vital tool for any professional looking to make lasting impressions and forge valuable connections, especially at a career fair. However, many people struggle with creating and implementing an effective pitch that can be delivered at a ...