An effective elevator pitch will make you more influential in your role when you want to create interest from people potentially important to you. An elevator pitch is a brief, memorable summary or pitch relating to your organization, your product or yourself that can be made in about 30 seconds, ie the time it takes to ride in the typical elevator and tell someone your story. Elevator pitches are valuable to use in business and sales presentations, speeches and interviews. They are also valuable for creating interest from someone important to you, such as when you want to sell an idea to your CEO, or tell people about the change project you are leading.
As Aja Frost at HubSpot says, “ ”
For many people, without even realizing it, an effective elevator pitch is more important to their career than a business plan or document.
Aim at about 60 words maximum. People generally talk at about 120 words per minute, and therefore the ideal elevator pitch will last around half a minute.
You can also use this technique in an email. Keep it to a maximum of about 100 words. When writing an email, many people don’t get to the point quickly. Practice getting to your point quickly in your media pitches as well. You are likely to score more successes as a result.
As time is so scarce when dealing with others, making a brief statement of your key points can make you a winner, especially if you meet them accidentally and can articulate your pitch.
Therefore you need to rehearse your elevator pitch. Try it on your dog or cat, and if they like it, try it on your partner (!). Listen to their feedback – at least your partner’s! That should help you to find apt words in concise form.
Remember that your body language is important when talking person-to-person and on Zoom connections. People will recall your non-verbal presentation as much as your verbal presentation. Therefore, practice in front of a mirror and in front of others you trust to be candid, until the pitch feels natural. It won’t take much of their time – only 30 seconds!
Elevator pitches are great for networking events. When you first speak to someone, you can briefly summarize your key points smoothly and effectively.
And the pitch works really in social media when you are introducing yourself. So many people waffle in social media. You can come straight to the key points.
For an emailed media pitch you might say:
Subject: Possible interview on …
In the past six months, [name of organization] has helped our customers to [mention the product or service you want to push].
Customers say it is the best
You can easily adapt this general formula for other situations:
“Hi. I’m [insert your name]. I work in [insert your department/organization] and I [insert a couple things you do that add value to the company].”
You might then follow this up with a recent accomplishment.
Another angle:
“Hi. I’m [insert your name]. I manage marketing promotions for [department/organization]. Recently, I began a new email marketing campaign that has increased the number of visitors by 30% and sales conversions by 25%.”
If it is a sales situation you can give a call to action:
“…This could help you to achieve good results. Would you like me to call you to talk about it some further?”
In a 2017 Inc. article, Stephanie Frank makes some good suggestions:
When they ask, “What do you do?”, the real question in the person’s mind is, “What can you do for me?” The answer to that question is one of the most important answers you can provide a stranger or potential new customer. Your reply can either have people nodding and smiling politely or eagerly saying, “Really? I need that!” in response.
Your elevator speech should state, in a sentence or two, exactly who you work with and how you help someone solve a problem. It should include at least three of these five components:
Good luck!
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