The Elevator Pitch

Crafting an Elevator Pitch

An elevator pitch is a brief, persuasive speech that you would use to spark interest in what your organization does. You can also use elevator pitches 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.

Elevator pitches should be interesting, memorable, and succinct. They also need to explain what makes you – or your organization, product, or idea – unique.

Some people think that elevator pitches are only useful for salespeople needing to pitch their products and services. But you can use an elevator pitch in a variety situations. For example, you can use one to introduce your organization to potential clients or customers. You could use them in your organization to sell a new idea, or to tell people about the change initiative you're leading. You can even craft one to tell people what you do for a living.

Creating an Elevator Pitch

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

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?

The Elevator Pitch | A Wasted Opportunity

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

My elevator pitch goes something like this:

“I’m Steve with Klick Twice Technologies, The Klick is with a 'K' we use analytics and SEO techniques to get our clients better positioning in the search engines. The results are increased web traffic and more sales. Now would you rate your web traffic? "

Engage With a Question

After you communicate your message, 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 engage them in the conversation.

Make sure that you're able to answer any questions that he or she may have.

Put it all together and read it aloud. Use a stopwatch to time how long it takes. Your elevator pitch should be no longer than 20 – 30 seconds. Otherwise you risk losing the person's interest, or monopolizing the conversation.

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

Make sure you're aware of your body language as you talk, which conveys just as much information to the listener as your words. 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!

Steve Steinberger

www.klicktwice.com
561-281-8330