The elevator pitch might seem like an outdated idea-something an intern in a ’90s comedy had to come up with for a big presentation. But with increasingly short attention spans, the immediacy of social media, and the vast quantity of information bombarding people on an hourly basis, the concept of a short, attention-getting pitch is still valid.
What is an elevator pitch?
Meant for a quick answer to a question like “What do you do?” or “What does your company do?”
- A short description of your shtick, about one to three sentences long
- Back in the day, when people wore suits and rode elevators together, they would have an elevator ride’s worth of time to give their pitch.
Adapt Your Pitch to the Medium
Create a few versions of your pitch depending on the medium and the audience. Start with a hook and end with a question.
- This method is meant for live elevator pitches. If you’re delivering your pitch in writing, you won’t be able to have that pause or ask that same kind of conversational follow-up question.
How to write an elevator pitch
Begin with something unexpected
- End with a question
- Surprise the listener with a “pattern interrupt”
- Asking a probing question builds rapport
- Make sure your question is genuine and unique-not something they’ve heard a million times
How to Deliver and Hone an Elevator Pitch
Practice it
- Test it out
- Keep refining until you get something that consistently works
- Ask people what they thought
- If the pitch isn’t leading to deeper conversations, go back to the drawing board
