Elevator pitches are a boon to many who pitch their startup or ideas to potential investors. It creates a 5-minute standard introduction so as not to bore the other party as well as engage them to present your ideas further. Have you ever experienced going into a networking event and listening to extremely long introductions? Granted that most people in the room may be high achievers but if every person took 15 minutes to present themselves, then the event might flow on for the entire night! To reduce the monotony in such events and help maximize networking in a short period, you would need to concise your introduction. Elevator pitches are a great way to do so.
Elevator pitches are super-condensed concepts that allow you to convey your ideas and provide a brief synopsis of your background and experience to ensure that you can network effectively. Also known as elevator speech or statement, Wikipedia [2] describes it as “… a short description of an idea, product or company that explains the concept in a way such that any listener can understand it in a short period of time.”
To help make effective elevator pitches, consider the following 5 tips.
1. Make it Brief
The word ‘elevator’ is used to describe this form of the pitch because of its length. It takes between 30 to 60 seconds, going up to a maximum of 2 minutes, to reach a floor; hence that is the amount of time that it should take one to introduce themselves effectively.
You can always take a hint through the various professional networking sites that require just a few words as headliners. They might be just 10 words but would penetrate easily and effectively through the audience. For example, adding a post to network on Alumni Alliances uses only a brief idea/ status/update, images, external video URL, location and tags of other alumni. Reading a post with such brief details would take only a few seconds but it will have a lasting impact.
Try painting the same picture that you might do while adding a post on Alumni Alliances while writing out your elevator pitch. Keep it brief but ensure that it comprises all the elements that you would like to address.
2. Address your Goals
Addressing all the goals that you would like to outline would make the pitch longer. Hence, identify the specific goals that you would like the opposite party to know and understand. Consider the following steps to streamline your elevator pitch as outlined by an online article [3]:
- State the problem
- Present your solution
- Explain why people should trust you
- Describe your value proposition. (Value proposition is an innovation, service, or feature intended to make a company or product attractive to customers.)
- Offer a Call-to-Action
3. Make it Persuasive
The pitch needs to be persuasive. That does not mean that you have to make it longer. Try editing the statement and practicing it many times before using it.
Caution: Ensure that the pitch is not in a monotone. Over practicing could also make a pitch sound robotic, hence it is advisable to say it steadily and fluctuate the tone.
4. Know Your Audience
A quick way to lose the attention of your audience is by using jargon! Sometimes you have to use jargon or technical words to demonstrate your skills as well as an understanding of the industry. Nonetheless, using complicated words without identifying your audience would be disastrous. Therefore, edit your elevator pitch each time to ensure that it meets the attention span of the given audience.
5. Keep your Business Card Ready
Not only you, but everyone at a networking event would come armed with an elevator pitch. Yours might be quite useful but how to ensure that a potential client gets in touch with you post the networking event? Always keep your business cards ready and distribute it after meeting a person. In this way, a potential client can contact you easily.
Examples of Elevator Pitches
Check out these examples of elevator pitches as per an online article [4].
“I recently graduated from college with a degree in communications. I worked on the college newspaper as a reporter, and eventually, as the editor of the arts section. I’m looking for a job that will put my skills as a journalist to work.”
“My name is Bob, and after years of working at other dentists’ offices, I’m taking the plunge and opening my own office. If you know anyone who’s looking for a new dentist, I hope you’ll send them my way!”
“I create illustrations for websites and brands. My passion is coming up with creative ways to express a message, and drawing illustrations that people share on social media.”
“My name is Sarah, and I run a trucking company. It’s a family-owned business, and we think the personal touch makes a big difference to our customers. Not only do we guarantee on-time delivery, but my father and I personally answer the phones, not an automated system.”
So here you go! These are the 5 ways that you can elevate your pitches. Stay tuned to Alumni Insider for more helpful articles. Also, if you haven’t signed up already, then get on board Alumni Alliances to connect with many professionals from your alma mater.
(If you think this article is useful, then please spread the word via the below social media handles and also bookmark Alumni Insider for more insightful articles like this.) References: 1. Featured Image – Antenna 2. Wikipedia – Elevator Pitch 3. Toggl – Top 7 Killer Elevator Pitch Examples 4. the Balance Careers – How to Create Elevator Pitch with Examples
