NOW IS YOUR MOMENT:

Picture this: You’re riding the elevator alone until you hear the familiar ding, the doors open on the second floor, and the CEO of your dream company enters the elevator (Just go with it – this is imaginary so who’s to say you both aren’t conveniently in the same place at the same time). You’ve got at least 5 floors to travel together so you exchange an obligatory smile as he/she asks “So, what do you do?” You now have 30 seconds to make a lasting impression on the person who could potentially change your professional life…go!

WHAT IS AN ELEVATOR PITCH?

This 30-second “conversation” is your elevator pitch, aptly named because it should be deliverable in the time it takes to travel from the bottom to the top of a building in a single elevator ride. An elevator pitch is defined as a succinct and persuasive sales pitch. It is used to introduce yourself and quickly spark someone’s interest in who you are and what you can offer them.

Worried that this seems like a lot of pressure for a 30-second chat? We’ve got you covered! The tips below will help you master the art of creating your personal elevator pitch so you’ll be ready for that 30-second opportunity when it presents itself.

HOW TO CREATE AN ELEVATOR PITCH:

1. Answer Key Questions

A good elevator pitch should answer these questions:

1. Who are you?
2. What do you do?
3. What are you looking for?
4. What makes you unique?

2. Write It Down

It is best to have a lot of information to work with so write out everything you’d want a potential employer to know about your skill sets, accomplishments, and work experiences, that are relevant to your professional goals. Once this is done, go through and delete everything that isn’t absolutely essential to your pitch.

Important: The goal is to peak their interest not give them your whole life story. Cut out unnecessary jargon and non-essential details and words. Use strong and succinct sentences.

3. What’s In It for Them

It’s human nature to tune out information that isn’t directly related to ourselves. To keep your listener interested and engaged, make sure the pitch is tailored to focus on what you can offer with regards to their needs.

Important: Depending on your audience and/or situation, you’ll need different pitches. A best practice is to focus on a few key talking points and build out particular pitches for general scenarios.

4. Read Your Pitch Out Loud

Writing will always be more formal and structured than casually speaking to another person. Reading your pitch out loud will help determine where you need to tweak your words and phrases so you sound authentic and conversational to your listener.

5. Practice Makes Perfect

Rehearse your pitch in front of friends/family or use the recording capabilities of your phone/computer. You want to ensure that your pitch flows smoothly and naturally and not like a rehearsed presentation. You should also solicit feedback from your audience. Ask them what they thought the key points of your pitch were. If their notes don’t line up with your objectives, go back to the drawing board.

Now, let’s jump back in to wrap up our imaginary elevator scenario from above…go!

Your elevator pitch was delivered with a natural confidence that kept the CEO engaged all the way to the top floor. When you part ways, they request your business card because they’d love to chat further about an opportunity they think you would be perfect for. Way to make the most of your 30 seconds with a well-crafted elevator pitch!

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