When networking or interviewing, you might have just a minute to make a brilliant first impression and get your point across. Failing to do so could mean missed opportunities for sales, investment, or employment. While this can seem like a terrifying challenge, it becomes easier when you understand how to deliver an effective quick pitch, often called an “elevator pitch.”
In your pitch, you’ll need to concisely communicate the problem you’re solving and how you’ll solve it, highlight your unique selling points, and finish on a strong call to action.
As a former employee at a tech startup, I’ve made countless quick pitches at networking events and conferences, and I’m here to show you how to create an elevator pitch that gets results.
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What’s an elevator pitch?
An elevator pitch is a quick summary of what you offer, whether that’s a business proposal, a service, or your own skills for a new role. It’s so called because if you stepped into an elevator and found yourself with your dream client or boss, you’d only have a few seconds to make your case before the doors opened. In real life, an elevator pitch can be useful when meeting new people at an event, making cold approaches on social media or by email, or in an interview.
Because you’ll only have a short time to pitch in such scenarios, you need to get to the point quickly. This means keeping your pitch to under a minute — and ideally just 30 seconds. This will help you maximize how much you can communicate to your audience before they move on.
What to include in your elevator pitch
The exact structure of your elevator pitch depends on your purpose.
If you’re pitching your product or company, it’s best to briefly present the problem you’re solving, tell them how you solve it, and why you or your company are best placed to do this.
For example:
If you’re pitching for a new role, you can use the same idea or else center the pitch on your goals to create a strong rapport and drive for an outcome.
For example:
How to create a knockout elevator pitch
With this basic structure in mind, you can whip up a basic elevator pitch. But there’s even more you can do to make your pitch stand out from the crowd.
Tailor for your audience
It’s really important to understand your audience before you begin pitching. So, draw up a persona for your audience, using the same principles involved in building an ideal customer profile. To help with this, use networking sites like LinkedIn to look at the profiles of people at your event/interview or with similar roles.
Here’s an example persona:
- Name: Jonathan Dollar
- Age: 55
- Role: Head of Startup Funding, New Direction Venture Capital
- Interested in: Climate action, new technologies, supporting younger employees, identifying high-performing startups
As you craft your pitch, imagine you’re targeting “Jonathan.” How can you capture his attention? How can you appeal to his interests – and his fears?
Adapting your language for your audience and preparing for objections (see our blog with a step-by-step guide) can follow.
Tell a story
Storytelling can bring your audience on an emotional journey that moves them to take action.You might tell a brief story about yourself to show how you have benefitted from your product or establish why you’re the best pick of the bunch.
Hi, I’m [name], the founder of Star Dating. Three years ago, I was single and miserable, living in one room next to the train tracks downtown. Now, I’m happily in love and living with my partner. The secret? I developed an innovative AI to match dating profiles on shared values, and I’m proof that it really works…(etc)
You could also use a real or imagined customer story.
Picture Greg. Greg was struggling with daily gut problems, to the point where his girlfriend told him it was her or his microbiome. That’s when he discovered our app, Bacterium. Bacterium helped Greg understand exactly what was going on inside his troubled belly with a detailed breakdown of his microbiome, helpful recipes, and daily tips to ease his pain. (etc.)
Prove your point with facts and figures
Some audiences will appreciate facts and figures, especially those with a serious eye on business performance. Choose and use statistics that really catch their attention. This can work brilliantly in the “problem” section of your pitch, or in the “value proposition” – or both. For example:
Like 90% of women aged 22-25, I’ve got a dating app profile. More than one, in fact. But dating apps just aren’t working anymore – one in four young people have quit online dating in the last year. That’s why I created Star Dating, a new app designed to match profiles on their core values using innovative AI technology. Seventy-five percent of user testers rated Star Dating the most user-friendly dating app they’ve tried, and 80% said they’d love to use it long-term. Can I sign you up for a product demo next week?
Provoke with questions
Questions are a great way to get your audience thinking and spark a conversation. You can include them both at the start and end of your pitch, like so:
Have you ever been on a really terrible date? If so, you’re not alone. Seventy percent of people say they sometimes find dating disappointing. That’s why I founded Star Dating, a new type of dating app that matches users with innovate AI technology focused on core values. And, you know what? Our users love it. Are you ready to check out the future of online dating?
Lighten the mood
Depending on your audience, you could try using humor. A room full of serious investors might not be the place to try out your standup routine. But, if your brand identity is light-hearted and your audience might appreciate an ice-breaker, why not include a funny anecdote? For example:
My most disastrous date was a guy who turned up dressed as, wait for it, a pirate. In the middle of New York. I know. I’m still cringing. I’d told him we were going to a themed bar and I guess he took it way too seriously. I was tempted to quit dating on the spot, but something told me this was the market I needed to disrupt. Enter: Star Dating. (etc)
Use AI to polish your pitch
The great thing about creating an elevator pitch today is being able to draw on AI to get it done faster and with better results. Wordtune is a great example of a helpful tool. If you’re struggling to create a concise pitch, write out your thoughts in full and ask Wordtune to shorten them for you.
You can also ask Wordtune to add facts, examples, or even counter arguments into your pitch.
Write and rehearse
Once you’ve written out your pitch, it’s important to rehearse it. Start by reducing it to bullet points and write these on a card as a prompt. Gradually, try not to use the prompts so you can ultimately deliver the pitch from memory. Use your family, pets, friends, or cuddly toys as a test audience.
Conclusion
Now you know how to create an elevator pitch that sparkles: remember to include the problem, your solution, your value proposition, and a call to action. Connect with your audience using storytelling techniques, useful stats, and even humor. And don’t forget to use technology to help you hone your piece.
For more on building your business, check out our guide to business planning.
FAQ:
What does elevator pitch mean?
An elevator pitch is a short summary of 30-60 seconds that briefly describes your product, company, or proposition in a succinct and engaging way to persuade the audience to act.
What should an elevator pitch say?
Your elevator pitch should cover who you are, what problem you’re here to solve, how you solve it, and why you’re the best person or company to do so. Be sure to finish with a call to action that tells your audience what to do next.
How should you end an elevator pitch?
It’s a good idea to end your elevator pitch with a call to action, like inviting your audience to try a product demo, schedule a call, or read your resume. You can phrase this as a question or an invitation.
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