An elevator pitch, is as its name suggests, is a brief introduction with which you can share your expertise and credentials quickly and effectively with people who don’t know you; which should be about as long as it would take for you to reach your floor in an elevator. Which is a really, really short duration of time.
Blabbing on won’t do you any good because your potential investor will be gone before you get to the best part. You need a fool-proof pitch that gives the precise details in a ridiculously short span of time – in an appealing way.
So, that brings us to the HOW?
How do you approach making your very own elevator pitch.
Here’s how.
1. Be Brief. Remember when we kept saying it should be short? That.
2. Be persuasive. Something that sparks the listener’s interest. Something that will make them think, ‘Woah, that person was quite cool’.
3. Speak about your skills. Focus on qualifications and skills that add value in many situations. Brag a bit but don’t sound like an annoying know-it-all.
4. Practice. The pitch should be rehearsed but should sound natural, and that definitely needs a lot of practice. Record while practicing to see how you sound.
5. Be flexible. Keep your pitch open-minded and flexible. You aren’t pitching for anything specific.
6. Mention your goals. A non-specific overall goal works fine. But it should be something worthy and professional, no one wants to know about your goal to lose 20 kgs by the end of this year.
7. Know your audience. Don’t use jargons that are industry specific unless you know that your listener will understand it. Give them something they want to know.
8. Give them your Business Card. Help them have a means of contacting you in case they realise they have a role you would fit in perfectly.
How do you fit in everything you want to say within a 30 – 40 second time frame?
Sometimes, the best explanation is an example. Here is an example of an elevator pitch.
I recently graduated from college with a degree in marketing. I worked as an Social Media Marketing manager for most of my college events, and through that, got freelance projects from several clients. I’m looking for a job that will put my skills to work.
Sounds good? Pretty comprehensive, eh?
While you go around giving your elevator pitches, keep your resume ready, just in case you get a call.
We wish you the best of luck!