How to plan the perfect elevator pitch

An elevator pitch is a brief, persuasive speech that you use to spark interest in what your organisation does or in yourself as a professional.

The idea is to capture the listener’s interest quickly within the time it might take to ride an elevator.

A properly done elevator pitch can open new doors and secure business deals.

But learning how to elevator pitch isn’t exclusive to a salesperson.

Why everyone should learn to elevator pitch

Anybody who communicates in a professional setting wants to persuade the listener. Elevator pitching helps in any of the following scenarios:

  • In job interviews when you’re one of 100 candidates interviewed throughout the week. A good elevator helps the company remember your answers and credentials.
  • When introducing yourself to people at networking events, with the idea of forming new and profitable business relationships.
  • In a team meeting, where you’d like the boss to remember and acknowledge your ideas.

Approaching these settings and others would benefit from the elevator pitch approach.

The misconception of the elevator pitch

Although traditional elevator pitching is about communicating your ideas quickly, modern-day elevator pitching adds a new element: conveying the right information.

You can say a whole load of nothing in 30 seconds. While that technically counts as an elevator pitch, such an approach leaves very little impact.

When I say elevator pitch, what I mean is:

  • Understand your audience and what information matters to them.
  • Planning your message to ensure you efficiently communicate the required information in a digestible form.

In my definition of elevator pitching, it doesn’t matter if you speak for 30 seconds or 30 minutes. The idea is to push the necessary and relevant information continually. Only then will your audience remember you–whether that’s an interview panel of three or an audience of 300.

Does that make sense?

Let’s now get into the main elements of a good elevator pitch.

Understanding your audience

As I touched on above, understanding your audience helps you say the right things in the right order.

Before speaking, grasp the following information about your audience:

  • What are their needs and desires?
  • What are their pains and fears?
  • Why are they here listening to you? What do they want from you?

Once you’ve understood your audience, planning what to say becomes much easier.

Let’s put it in an example.

You’re at a job interview for the new project manager role. Your audience is the interview panel. 

Their needs and desires could be:

  • Wanting a project manager who completes projects on time.
  • A project manager who can properly communicate the status of the project.
  • A manager who is organised.

Their pains and fears could be:

  • A project manager who constantly delivers projects over budget.
  • A project manager who doesn’t know how to delegate.

Now, when the interview panel asks you questions, you can answer them within the framework of their needs, desires, and pains.

The same applies to client pitches, where elevator pitching becomes more apparent. The client probably wants to make his/her life easier in some way and save money. Deliver the pitch within that framework.

Once you’ve acknowledged what they need and explained how you can help them achieve it, it’s natural that they’ll remember you over others.

Clarify your goal

As important as understanding your audience, knowing what you want out of the dialogue is crucial.

What constitutes a win? It could be:

  • Making a sale.
  • Getting to the next round of interviewing.
  • Collecting contact information for follow-up communication.

Knowing what you want is helpful because:

  • It allows you to prioritise what you want to say.
  • It guides your intensity level (overly selling to simply educating).

A combination of knowing your and your audience’s goals guides the content and structure of your talk.

Crafting the message

The next step is writing down and planning what you will say. 

Creating a compelling elevator pitch involves focusing on three key elements: relevance, clarity, and memorability. 

To begin crafting your message, first ensure it is relevant—that’s why we go through the exercise of understanding your audience and clarifying your goals. A relevant message sparks interest without overwhelming the listener with information.

Clarity is crucial; your words should be carefully chosen to convey your message in the simplest terms possible, avoiding jargon that could confuse your audience.

Lastly, make your pitch memorable by incorporating a unique aspect of yourself that sets you apart from others. This could be relevant life experiences or personal stories relevant to the meeting.

When writing your elevator pitch, follow these step-by-step guidelines:

  1. Start with a strong opening that captures attention immediately. This could be a surprising statistic, a provocative question, or a bold statement related to your business or project.
  2. Clearly articulate what you do, focusing on the aspects most relevant to your goals. Explain the problem you solve or the need you fulfil.
  3. Highlight what makes you or your offering unique or superior to others.
  4. Where appropriate, tailor the pitch to include a specific call to action based on your initial goal. 

By structuring your pitch/answers around these points, you’ll ensure it is compelling and effective in achieving your desired outcome.

Practicing your delivery

Practicing the delivery is as crucial as its content. 

Repeated practice helps refine your message/answers and boosts your confidence, allowing you to deliver it smoothly and convincingly. 

When practicing, focus on your tone of voice; it should be enthusiastic yet natural, helping to convey your passion and seriousness. 

Pay attention to your pacing—too fast, and you may seem nervous; too slow, and you risk losing the listener’s interest.

Body language also plays a significant role in how your message is received. Practice in front of a mirror or record yourself to observe your gestures and posture. 

Make sure your body language is open and inviting, avoiding crossed arms or fidgeting, which can signal nervousness or disinterest. 

Using gestures for emphasis can make your pitch more engaging, but avoid overdoing it. 

And it’s always worth supplementing your self-help practices with the support of an experienced public speaking coach who can provide you with more tailored guidance or enrol in an online public speaking short course.

Good luck! And if you want to hear more from me, you can find me on:

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