The Elevator Pitch Made Easy

Going up? It’s a business fairytale: you’re in an elevator and the Ms. Head Honcho of Massive Co. walks in. Your company could use the support of Massive Co., and you only have five floors to pitch your dream idea. What do you say in those 30 seconds? How can you summarize your pitch in a way that’s memorable, unique, and tempting?

An elevator pitch is a short summary of you, your business, product, service, event, etc. It’s the core of any good presentation, and we often refer to it as “the main takeaway” of a full piece. No matter what information you are presenting or how long it may be, you should have an elevator pitch on hand. Here’s how to develop one:

What’s the point?

Your intro should answer “why,” which we realize can sound daunting. Fear not! Often times this statement reflects the current state of wherever it is that your product/idea will fit. Here is an example of a “why:” let’s say your company makes gluten free hot dog buns. The “why” intro would simply be: “people really love hot dogs, but not everyone can enjoy them.” Short, to the point, and true.

What do you do?

Now that Ms. Head Honcho knows there is a problem/purpose, introduce what you do to solve it. “My company makes gluten free hot dog buns specifically for hot dog lovers who can’t enjoy them.” Again, aim to make this short and sweet in one or two sentences.

Why are you different?

This is where the hook begins to build; why are you better than the rest? Perhaps you don’t even have any competition at all? “We are the only bakers making gluten free hot dog buns in the market,” or “our gluten-free hot dog buns taste a lot better than the gravel buns in the current market.”

Something to consider

This is where you can leave them with a rhetorical question, a quote, or something clever to keep them chewing on the idea later. For example: “In the words of Dwight Eisenhower: Some people wanted champagne and caviar when they should have had beer and hot dogs.” Or how about, “like freedom and happiness, delicious hot dog buns should be available for everyone.”

Bring it all back

This is where you can insert a “call to action,” giving them the opportunity to learn more, take a business card, or simply high-five you. Make sure that the action is simple and can be done in the same short space of time as the pitch. Close powerfully. Remind them of your first point, the “why?” For example, “everyone loves hot dogs. Let’s make sure that they can eat as many hot dogs as they want to. Here is my business card.”

Even beyond delivery, creating an elevator pitch can be a good place to start drafting a full presentation. Using these main points, simply expand the content and voila! You’ve created an Elevator Presentation!

Question: What’s your elevator pitch?





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