elevator speech teaching position

How To Write A Killer Elevator Pitch (Examples Included)

Mike Simpson 0 Comments

By Mike Simpson

You’re on the elevator, riding up from the lobby to the top floor to drop off your resume with Human Resources in response to a job posting for your dream career.

You’re excited, but nervous, because you know your resume is going to be just one of hundreds that the hiring manager is going to look over before even thinking about inviting anyone in for an interview.

If only there were a way to make yourself stand out. If only…

The doors open and a woman in a sharp looking business suit steps in with you. She looks over and sees the top floor button is already lit. She smiles and in that instant a current of nervous energy rips through your body. This isn’t just any generic passenger you’re sharing the ride with…this is the hiring manager you’re hoping to impress!

Your heart starts pounding, your palms are sweaty, you feel light headed…

This is your chance!

You have a 12 floor uninterrupted ride up with her and in those moments, in that tiny elevator, she’s your captive audience.

You open your mouth and turn to her with a look of enthusiasm…and speak.

Let’s hope that elevator pitch  (or elevator speech) is ready!

Here’s the deal, after you make your successful elevator pitch (which you will after reading this article!), you need to know that you will get an interview…

But here’s the thing: there are over 100 other difficult interview questions you could be asked in your job interview. Sounds stressful right?

Well don’t worry, because we created a free PDF that outlines the most common questions and gives you word for word sample answers that you can use at your next interview.

Click the link below to get your copy now!

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What Is An Elevator Pitch?

So what exactly is an elevator pitch?

In a nutshell it’s just what it sounds like: a short, 30-60 second well crafted business pitch telling someone who you are and why they should want to hire you .

It’s called the elevator pitch because it’s meant to represent the amount of time you’d have if you were stuck in an elevator with someone riding from the bottom of the building to the top.

“Well, this stinks. I live in a town of nothing but one floor buildings. How am I supposed to use an elevator pitch? Clearly this article means nothing to someone who doesn’t live in the heart of a big city or surrounded by high rise buildings.”

Elevator speeches are good for so much more than just catching someone in a small enclosed space. You never know who you might run into at a cocktail party, or the movie theater, or grocery store…or any other number of places.

A solid elevator pitch will allow you to distill down to the most pure form exactly who you are and what you offer, and that focus can help to set you apart from all the other candidates who are vying for the same job.

Think of it as a commercial and you’re the product . You’ve got 30 seconds to market yourself and convince whoever is listening to not only NOT change the channel, but to buy what you’re selling…you as the Perfect Candidate!!

“So where do I start? Should I lock myself in the bathroom with a stopwatch and pretend it’s an elevator? Do I need a jingle?”

Hmmm…all we’ll say is do whatever works for you…but let’s all agree to skip the singing…for now. Instead, let’s focus on answering a few basic questions by doing a little pretending.

How To Write An Elevator Pitch

Let’s imagine you’re in sales and you just got into an elevator with the CEO of a huge manufacturing company. The doors shut…it’s just the two of you…and you have 60 seconds to convince him to not only listen to you, but to consider you as a potential employee, not just a fellow passenger on a short ride upstairs. So how do you do that!?

Let’s watch…er, we mean, read:

What do you do? Can you tell someone what you do in such a way that it’s interesting? Can you turn it into a quick little anecdote or story that will capture someone’s attention?

“Let me tell you about the time I took our products all the way to the North Pole. I’m in sales. I started out selling refrigerators to moose in Canada.”

Now that we’ve got your job title, can you tell us what you do when you’re doing what you were hired to do?

“In four short years, I’ve helped lead my team to the number one spot in sales…”

Okay, great…but what’s next?! What’s your objective ? What’s your goal?

“…but I knew we could do better. That’s why I took our refrigerators all the way up to the penguins in the North Pole.”

What makes you the best at what you do? Okay, now’s your chance to shine. Why are you the Perfect Candidate?

“Did you know that broken beaks from trying to eat frozen fish is the number one problem facing penguins today? Their issue isn’t that it’s not cold enough for them to keep their fish fresh, it’s that it’s too cold. I knew that by putting their fish in our double insulated hermetically sealed refrigerators instead of the traditional snow bank, the penguins would be able to keep fish fresh longer without having to freeze them, making it easier for the penguins to eat. As a result, we’ve more than quadrupling our current sales and are not only ranked number one regionally, but nationally as well.”

What’s your hook? You’ve just told a great story, but besides being entertained, why should your audience care?

“Now, just imagine what I can do for your products…”

Wait, who are you? D’oh! Nothing says missed opportunity quite like totally forgetting to tell someone your name.

“My name is Bob Mackrel,”

And most importantly…what do you want?

“…and I’m looking for my next big sales challenge. My I give you my business card?”

Boom. And there you have it: the perfect (if not a little outlandish) elevator pitch. In 30 seconds you’ve told your audience what you do, why what you do is important, hooked them in with what you plan to do next for their company, and who you are.

Easy, cheesy, right?

Penguins and refrigerators aside, this pitch was clearly perfect for the audience because our boy Bob knew the CEO, knew the company, and knew that his skills with sales would be a great match. Bob tailored his pitch.

“Again with the tailoring! That’s all you guys talk about…tailoring!”

That’s because it works! Again, think of our commercial analogy. When you’re watching TV, which ads do you skip over or tune out? The ones that don’t apply to you…right? And the ones you listen to and remember are the ones that DO apply to you.

“Ahh…I see what you’re saying. That does make sense!”

The nice thing about an elevator pitch is that it’s short and sweet and to the point, which means once you get the basics figured out, you should be able to use it on just about anyone in any situation…as long as you make sure to always tailor your hook to your specific audience.

Elevator Pitch Mistakes To Avoid

So now that you know what to do in your elevator pitch, let’s quickly talk about what NOT to do.

Speaking too fast.

Yes, you only have about 60 seconds, but try to avoid cramming 15 minutes of information into one minute.

Using highly technical terms, acronyms or slang.

You want your pitch to be easily understood by any audience and that means try to avoid using words that will confuse the average person. The last thing you want is for whoever is listening to you to feel dumb. Remember, think commercial!

Not being focused.

This isn’t a general conversation and you’re not discussing the weather (unless that’s your job, in which case, never mind). Keep your pitch clear and focused.

Not practicing what you’re going to say.

First, write down your pitch. Read it over. Have your friends and family read it. Does it make sense? Make sure it flows well and that there aren’t any spots that feel rough or awkward. Then practice it. Practice it again. Keep practicing it until it becomes so easy for you to pitch that you can do it at the drop of a hat.

Being robotic.

This is all about a face to face interaction with someone you want to impress. Having an easy, approachable, conversational style to your pitch will get you much further than an overly rehearsed monologue approach.

Not having a business card or other take-away with you.

Okay, you’ve sold them on you…now how are they going to get a hold of you when they decide it’s time to bring you in? Make sure you always have something on you to pass on that will allow people to not only remember you, but contact you later on.

Not saying anything.

It does absolutely nothing for you to have a killer elevator pitch if you never use it. Now it’s your turn! Here are three example elevator pitches to get you started. Remember, these are just examples! Make sure you do the work to craft one specific to you and your audience!

3 Great Examples To Use As Inspiration

Graphic designer/logo branding specialist.

Hi, I’m Pam Tone and I’m a graphic designer. Did you know it takes the average person just two seconds to look at a company logo and decide if they like it? Did you know that a badly designed logo can do irreversible damage to a company brand and that most companies go through at least three to four versions in a single year before settling on their final design, costing both time and money? Having worked for over 10 years as a professional graphic designer specializing in brand identification means I’ve built my reputation on the longevity of my logo designs. I can say that not only are my clients happy with what I’ve done for them, but my designs have gone on to win national and international logo and branding awards. I have worked hand in hand with some of the biggest advertising agencies and companies and out of over 300 contracts, have had only one logo changed, and that was as a result of a merger, not poor design. I’d like to bring that award winning history to your company. Would you be willing to meet with me for 20 minutes to go over my portfolio and see how I can help make sure your logo properly reflects your brand?

TEACHER/EDUCATOR

Mobile app developer.

Hi, I’m Chip Ohm and I’m a developer. Did you know one of the biggest challenges facing companies these days is tracking employee work time? Of course, when you have a building where your employees are required to clock in and out it makes things easier, but what about employees who work from home or are on the road? I’ve come up with an easy way for both employees and employers to log and keep track of hours using just their cell phones and an app I’ve designed. The app allows employees to log in from wherever they are and input their start and stop times at the push of a button. You don’t even need to be in an area with a signal. The program captures all the data and holds it in a file which is then automatically uploaded to the employer’s servers as soon as the user is back in signal range. The system is not only simple, but it’s tamper proof. Not only has this app helped streamline the timecard process for remote employees, but it’s reduced timecard inconsistencies and paycheck errors by 90%, saving both time and money. So, how does your company handle logging in hours for your remote clients?

So there you have it! Now that you’ve read through this article and seen a few examples, it’s time to craft your own elevator pitch. Remember, keep it simple, keep it short, and keep it tailored.

And as always…good luck!

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Mike simpson.

Co-Founder and CEO of TheInterviewGuys.com. Mike is a job interview and career expert and the head writer at TheInterviewGuys.com. His advice and insights have been shared and featured by publications such as Forbes , Entrepreneur , CNBC and more as well as educational institutions such as the University of Michigan , Penn State , Northeastern and others. Learn more about The Interview Guys on our About Us page .

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Elevator Speech: Your Tool to Landing an Interview

What is an elevator speech.

An elevator speech is a "30-second introduction highlighting your interest, previous experience, and skills with a potential employer or as you are networking with a professional. An elevator pitch should be clear, short and address what you are looking for and the skills you bring to an organization.

Purpose of an Elevator Speech

• Make a sincere and memorable impression
• Highlight what you contribute to the company
• To network with key people in your career field
• To use at a Job Fair when meeting multiple people quickly over short periods of time
• To use in an Interview when asked to tell them about yourself

Insider Tips

• Don't forget to ask for a business card 
• Use your resume as a guide
• Highlight your strengths and what you can bring to the employer
• Close your speech by thanking the person for their time
• Make sure to change your elevator speech for each person you are speaking with to make it unique and relevant to each position/company.
• Carry a copy of your speech with you so you can scan it quickly before you enter a job fair or interview.

Elevator Speech Template

• Hello my name is {full name}  
• I am currently a {insert year in school}, majoring in {intended major}.
• From the research I’ve conducted on your organization {mention something you’ve learned or something that interests you about the company}
• I previously worked at {work experience including part-time jobs or internships}. I am also involved with {list any student clubs/organizations, volunteering, leadership experience, sports}.
• In addition, I completed an internship with {company / organization} where I {list general responsibilities}.
• These experiences have enhanced my {skills and qualities a company would find appealing}
• I am interested in learning more about the {list type of job/internship} job/internship with your company. *Follow up with a question, but don’t ever ask ‘what does your company do?’

Student with a face-to-face pitch example from Delivering an Authentic Elevator Pitch by Tatiana Kolovou

Elevator Speech Examples

“Hi, my name is Boko Bobcat.  I am currently a sophomore attending Texas State University. My major is in Psychology.  I worked part-time with H-E-B through my first two years of college. Last summer, I was an intern at Girlstart in Austin, where I developed an interest in fundraising and event planning.  I am hoping to find a job to utilize my experience at Girlstart and my customer service skills as I transition into a full-time role.  Do you have any positions that align with that area of interest?"

Teaching Position

Hello Mr. Smith, my name is Mary Ann Johnson. I am a new graduate from Texas State University-San Marcos I received my Bachelor of Science in Mathematics. I also received my teaching certificate at the same time.

I am interested in the teaching mathematics to junior-high age students specifically with Algebra, Calculus and Geometry.  My training and education includes four months student teaching at San Marcos High School along with several student observations throughout my four years of undergraduate course work. I also worked as a tutor at the Learning Academy in the evenings and on weekends.

I received the student teacher of the year award and ten of the students I tutored were able to increase their math scores on their TAKS tests by multiple points. I can provide strong team work and a strong work ethic to your school.

Thank you so much for your time today. I hope you have a great afternoon and I look forward to talking with you again soon.

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Teacher Education Elevator Pitch

• Where are you now? (Education: school, location, grad date, degree, majors/minors, concentration, teaching certification, etc.)
• Where have you been? (Experience: student-teaching, career-related activities, additional work experience, volunteer experience, activities, study/teaching abroad, leadership, etc.)
• Where are you going? 
• How would your strengths/skills benefit their school? (Career objective/future goals)
• Senior at St. Norbert College, De Pere, WI, majoring in elementary education, minor in early childhood education, certification in early childhood/middle childhood.
• Student-teaching at Westwood Elementary School, international student-teaching in Ireland, assistant teacher at St. Norbert College Children’s Center, 2-year captain of SNC varsity track and field
• Seeking 3rd-grade teaching position at Heritage Elementary School; interested in coaching athletics  

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How to Create an Elevator Pitch to Land an Educational Job

Prepare to effectively network with an elevator pitch to show your value, passion, and expertise as an educational leader.

Are you conducting an educational leadership job search or considering making a career change soon?

As you search for school administrative roles in education, you’ll want to be able to quickly and efficiently communicate your experience and fit for potential new opportunities.

Have you encountered the term’ elevator pitch’ recently during your school administrator job search?

This term refers to the brief sixty-second speech people use to describe the product or service they offer others. While this speech may not be part of your regular discourse, it must be delivered concisely and compellingly and have the necessary attracting points to entice employers’ interests around you.

It could be called a two-minute commercial about yourself as a school administrator.

All job seekers need to learn how to create a compelling elevator speech. Familiarize yourself with professional branding and enhance your brand to promote yourself.

More often than not, personal branding through an adequately drafted elevator speech will allow you to create a good image for yourself, which you can use for a successful job search. This will enable you to differentiate yourself from other applicants applying for the same position.

Understand that personal branding will play an essential part in your elevator pitch. Your pitch will be a mini-presentation of what you can do to overcome the all-too-common phrases like “what can you do for us” and “tell us about yourself.”

An effective elevator pitch conveys to your audience that you are a professional. Your pitch will address your unique selling points and the concerns of your listeners.

But how do you create an effective elevator pitch for your job search?

With an honest evaluation of yourself and thorough introspection, you can develop your elevator pitch even without a career coach’s help.

Statements and Questions to Create an Elevator Speech

• Determine the main objective of your job search and what your job target is.
• Who are the individuals you are planning to communicate with?
• Uncover your unique selling point – what is your brand?
• Research the problems faced by those interested in your expertise.
• Determine how you can help solve those problems.
• What characteristics do you have that set you apart from other applicants?
• Analyze the education leadership benefits you can bring to a school community.

As you create your elevator pitch, try to incorporate all these elements in a short presentation you can deliver in no more than sixty seconds. Once you assess the correct answers to the above questions, you will have everything you need to create a compelling elevator pitch.

Don’t worry too much about being eloquent. A concise and direct speech can help you get the attention you need to secure the job interview you have been waiting for. An excellent elevator speech is a conversation starter. Use the language you’d typically use in conversation with professional colleagues.

CLICK on the video to start!

Did your excellent elevator speech help you get an interview?

Next post: Education Job Search Follow-up Strategies and Tips

Previous post: 10 Education Recruiters To Help Generate Job Leads

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How to Create an Elevator Pitch with Examples

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How to Write a Perfect Elevator Speech

“What’s an elevator pitch, and how can it help your career? An elevator pitch —also known as an elevator speech—is a quick synopsis of your background and experience. The reason it’s called an elevator pitch is that it should be short enough to present during a brief elevator ride.

This speech is all about you: who you are, what you do, and what you want to do (if you’re job hunting).

Your elevator pitch is a way to share your expertise and credentials quickly and effectively with people who don’t know you.

Done right, this short speech helps you introduce yourself to career and business connections in a compelling way. It can help you  build your network , land a job, or connect with new colleagues on your first day of work.”

Read the full article at thebalancecareers.com.

My Speech Class

Public Speaking Tips & Speech Topics

Elevator Speech [Outline + 13 Examples]

Jim Peterson has over 20 years experience on speech writing. He wrote over 300 free speech topic ideas and how-to guides for any kind of public speaking and speech writing assignments at My Speech Class.

Capturing your background, skills, and objectives into a short and clever elevator speech can be difficult. How do you know what to keep and what to leave out? How do you make an impression in such a short time?

Standing out with your elevator speech doesn’t have to be complicated. With a little practice, you’ll gain confidence in introducing yourself at a job interview, career fair, and, of course, on an elevator ride! Here’s a quick guide to help you craft the perfect pitch along with several elevator speech examples.

In this article:

Tips for Creating a Good Elevator Speech

A sample elevator speech outline, checklist for fine-tuning, elevator speech examples.

The elements that make up a great elevator speech outline are pretty straightforward. You need to describe who you are, what you do, and what your goal is. While the elevator speech template stays the same whether you’re speaking with a potential employer or a sales prospect, you might add other elements to match your unique situation.

Here are a few tips for crafting your personal elevator pitch:

Can We Write Your Speech?

Get your audience blown away with help from a professional speechwriter. Free proofreading and copy-editing included.

• Keep it 30 to 60 seconds long.
• Use persuasive speech to spark your listener’s interest.
• Showcase your qualifications or skills.
• For a sales pitch, try starting with an open-ended question.
• Describe who you help and what problem you aim to help them solve.
• Be ready to customize your speech to fit your target audience.

Whether you’re a business owner preparing for a networking event or a job seeker attending a job fair, you can benefit from perfecting a succinct and effective elevator pitch. A go-to elevator speech comes in handy when you’re introducing yourself to new people in general. Have a business card on hand and ready to deliver as well.

Your elevator speech can also provide the right content for social media bios or a resume objective statement. This statement represents your personal brand, so keep it consistent across all social media channels.

Be sure to practice your elevator statement over and over so that you’re able to deliver it naturally, even in a moment’s notice. If you’re stumped for ideas, draw from the elevator speech examples listed below.

This model suggestion plan assists you to avoid creating a sales pitch. It must be  from  your mouth and supporting body language gestures, and  about  your skills and abilities. Use each idea to write one short powerful sentence.

The 10 speech topics I will explicate right now in the next paragraphs are primers to write a carefully planned and prepared presentation that grabs attention and says a lot in a few words.

Remember: tweak till it fits your personality and decisive nature.

ABOUT YOU 1. Smile to your counterpart, and open with a statement or question that grabs attention: a  hook  that prompt your listener to ask questions. 2. Tell who you are: describe you and your company. 3. Tell what you do and show enthusiasm.

WHAT DO YOU OFFER 4. Tell what problems have solved or contributions you have made. 5. Offer a vivid example. 6. Tell why you are interested in your listener.

WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS 7. Tell what very special service, product or solutions you can offer him or her. 8. What are the advantages of working with you? In what do you differ from competative companies?

HOW DO YOU DO IT 9. Give a concrete example or tell a short story, show your uniqueness and provide illustrations on how you work.

CALL FOR ACTION 10. What is the most wanted response? Do you want a business card, a referral or an  corporate appointment for a presentation after your elevator speech ?

OTHER BUSINESS QUESTIONS

These are other points, questions and business subjects you could ask:

• Who is your target?
• How large is your market volume?
• How do you make profits?
• What are the background, major milestones and achievements of your team?
• Who are your competitors, how do they solve a problem? What is your strength and advantage compared to them? What is your Unique Selling Proposition?
• Are there special patents or technology? Do you have a special approach in client management? And so on.

STEP 1: First write down all that comes up in your mind.

STEP 2: Then cut the jargon and details. Make strong short and powerful sentences. Eliminate unnecessary words.

STEP 3: Connect phrases to each other. Your elevator speech address has to flow natural and smoothly. Do not rush, keep eye contact all the time and work steady to the grande finale: the call to action.

STEP 4: Memorize key points and practice out loud – test it with a close relative in the safe environment of your home.

STEP 5: Have you really answered  the  key question of your listener:  What’s In It For Me?

STEP 6: Create different versions for different business situations of your elevator speech. Note them on professional business cards:

Perfect your own elevator presentation by learning from others. Here are a few effective elevator pitch examples to help you craft your own:

1. Job Seeker Elevator Pitch Example

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JH0Thez9gvA

You run into all kinds of people at the elevator, even a hiring manager. This sample elevator speech is a good example for those looking for a job interview. It shows how you can highlight your skills and experience even when you’re caught off guard. Notice how she also has a business card ready?

“I’m excited to hear back because the position helps me to use my brand management and social media skills…”

2. Recent Graduate Great Elevator Pitch

This is an excellent example for those who recently graduated with a bachelor degree in business. Notice that she states exactly what she’s looking for – an internship or job opportunity. In just 41 seconds, she states her experience, skills, and some good details about her personality that make her the perfect job candidate.

“I hope to incorporate my business knowledge into consumer trend analysis and strengthening relationships among consumers…”

3. College Student Personal Elevator Speech

This college freshman opens with her interest in the company. She states her major and reflects on high school experiences, also sharing relevant awards she has won for her skills.

“I’ve gotten awards for my leadership skills and I’m very involved with my college…”

4. Personal Brand Elevator Pitch Template

This college graduate pitches his personal brand through stating the skills he acquired in his education, the type of job he is looking for, and why he wants to work in that type of job. He offers a good mix of talking about his own experience while also focusing on how he’ll help clients. He ends his speech with the call to action of directing his audience to his website.

“I strive to lead a team on various projects one day.”

5. Personal Brand Pitch with a Personal Touch

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m_paOrg5Zpg

Video pitches are becoming increasingly popular for those looking to connect with brands online. This college student’s personal brand sales pitch stands out because it opens and closes with inspirational music. She explains her personal promise and future plans to receive her master degree.

“I promise to always bring positivity to the table and to remain hard working and dedicated no matter what the task.”

6. Business Plan Effective Elevator Speech

This example is perfect for a small business owner looking to pitch a product. The speaker opens with a compelling situation that appeals to his target market, offers his solution and details the features and benefits, announces his promise, and states his objective – all in 51 seconds.

“Don’t let frost bite your buns. Get the hot seat!”

7. Small Business Elevator Speech Sample

Opening with an interesting fact of how much Americans spend on fishing each year, the speaker follows up with an open-ended question to immediately grab audience attention from her target market. This is a great example of a sales pitch to investors, as the speaker outlines her plan for marketing her product and making their ROI (Return on Investment).

“Our goal is to revolutionize the economics of fishing in favor of the customer.”

8. Financial Advisor Elevator Speech

Ron Coleman explains who he is as a financial advisor, who he works for, and what exactly he helps his clients do. Additionally, he explains the type of people who benefit from his services.

“I’m confident that if given the opportunity I can provide you with the service and the coverage you need in order to protect your business, you, and your family from a variety of different risks.”

9. The Career Fair Elevator Pitch

This funny elevator speech example is the perfect model for a job seeker attending a job fair. The speaker highlights the importance of expressing interest in the company by acknowledging their work and asking a related open-ended question. Of course, lead with your own experience and skills that are relevant to the company representative whom you’re speaking with.

“I read on your website that you are the only company that has increased efficiency by employing mannequins. Can you tell me a bit more about that process?”

10. Good Elevator Speech for Speed Networking

This example from a holistic marketing mentor shows how you can sum up who you are, what you do, and the people you can help in one quick and savvy sentence.

“I help wellness professionals find additional revenue streams so that they can help more people and live a life of ease and grace.”

11. Extreme Sale Pitch Example with Iron Man Jericho Missile Test Scene

Sure, you might not ever get the opportunity to pitch a missile system, but you can take away a lot from Robert Downey Jr.’s confidence as Iron Man. Notice how he opens with a thought-provoking question, offers his guarantee, and humbly ends with a bonus.

“That’s how Dad did it, that’s how America did it, and it’s worked out pretty well so far.”

12. Don Draper’s Funny but Effective Sales Pitch

This funny elevator speech example shows the importance of using a tagline for your personal brand.

“From a basket of kisses she picks one. It makes her unique. It colors her kiss. And her kiss, well, it colors her man. Mark your man.”

13. Real Estate Elevator Speech Example

This is the perfect elevator pitch example for real estate agents. Stacy talks about what she specializes in and highlights her experience in the real estate industry.

“If you know of someone who is looking for a real estate agent in the metropolitan Kansas City, Missouri area that is professional, knowledgeable, and technologically savvy, that’s me!”

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Best Elevator Pitch With Examples For Job Seekers

By Biron Clark

Published: November 8, 2023

Interview Preparation | Networking

Biron Clark

Writer & Career Coach

In this article, I’m going to quickly show you some great elevator pitch examples for job seekers, plus how to go create your own quickly and easily so you can find a job faster.

What Is An Elevator Pitch?

Essentially it’s a short summary about yourself and what you do, in the time it takes to ride an elevator. You have to be able to deliver and convince in that time frame. That’s the famous 30-second “elevator pitch.” And it can be for anything. Finding a new job, going to a networking event, starting a sales relationship, etc. Here’s the thing about an elevator pitch- you have one whether you know it or not.  Any time somebody asks you about your work or asks what you do, you’re saying something… right? And if you’re looking for a new job, your elevator pitch is going to be a big part of how you respond when they ask, “tell me about yourself” . This could be a phone conversation with a recruiter , or an in-person interview when you first sit down. If you’re at a networking event , your elevator pitch will be the information you share when somebody asks what type of work you do. It’s your one and only chance to get their attention and set the tone for how they view the rest of what you tell them. That’s why it’s so important.

Here are the 2 best elevator pitch methods, with examples…

Method 1: Elevator Pitch for Job Seekers

There are a few key pieces that your elevator pitch should contain. This is assuming you are looking for a job or looking to grow your network. If you’re trying to create an elevator pitch while working in sales , it’ll be a bit different and you should read the alternate method below this first method.

Here are the key pieces to creating a perfect elevator pitch…

1. Who Are You And What Do You Do?

The first piece of what you actually say needs to tell them who you are. This might include a bit about your background, what you do, what your skills and interests are, etc. This is where you need to tailor your answer to fit the outcome you want. If you describe yourself as an expert in finance, do you think people will pay attention to you on financial topics? Yes! But what if you made yourself sound more like a generalist who knows a little about many areas, and finance is just one of them? Nobody is going to respect your opinion nearly as much, and they might not even remember you mentioned it. That’s why it’s important to tailor your answer to fit the result you’re hoping to achieve and what you want to be known/remembered for.

To recap, the first part of your elevator pitch might sound like this example: “Hi,  I’m David. I’m a Scientist with a background in chemistry. I specialize in research and development, and new product discovery. ”

2. Why Should They Care?

Now you want to get a bit more specific and draw their attention in. What are you working on right now or what have you accomplished recently?

Here’s an example:

“I currently work at Johnson & Johnson and my team is working on developing a new antibacterial cream that’s set to go into clinical trials this month.”

Now they know your expertise, and assuming it’s relevant to them, you’ve caught their attention and opened up the conversation. This is why the first step was so important though… if you don’t decide what you want to be known for, and tailor your answer to emphasize those strengths, you’ve lost them!The same goes for job interviews . If you’re applying to be a supervisor, don’t talk about how you love focusing on your individual goals in your job interview answers . Talk about how you’re a good manager or how you take the lead on projects.

I can’t emphasize this enough- it’s all about deciding what you want your audience to remember you for. And you need to pick only one or two things. If you mention more, they’ll assume you’re not particularly talented in any!

3. What Do You Want?

After the two steps above, you need to conclude your elevator pitch and this is your chance to be upfront and tell them your objective. Why are you in this conversation to begin with? If you’re at a networking event because you’re starting a job search soon, say something like this:

“So, I’m interested in meeting people with similar backgrounds, and I’m considering changing jobs this year so I’m curious to learn about the work environments in different companies.”

It’s rare that someone would turn down the chance to hear about how another company does things, so you’ve offered a pretty good trade-off! They might also ask why you’re considering a job change. Either way, you’ve opened up multiple ways for them to expand the conversation. Get comfortable with these three steps and you will have a MUCH easier time answering basic interview questions , introducing yourself at networking events, and more.

Full Elevator Pitch Example Based On The 3 Steps Above:

“I’m a Scientist specializing in chemistry and new product discovery. I currently work at Johnson & Johnson and my team is working on developing a new antibacterial cream that’s set to go into clinical trials this month. So, I’m interested in meeting people with similar backgrounds, and I’m also considering changing jobs this year so I’m hoping to learn about the work environments in different companies.”

Method 2: For Business Owners, Salespeople, And Job Seekers Who Want A More Direct Elevator Pitch

The method above can work for pretty much anybody, but it’s really designed to create the best elevator pitch possible for job seekers. But if you own a business or you work in sales, you should be much more direct… I recently came across a great formula and have yet to find anything better in terms of a very specific, direct elevator pitch. So I’ll share the formula here and then give you some elevator pitch examples with this method.

I suggest you try it if you want a more direct approach.

The Basic Formula/Template:

I help who wants to get without having to . Do you know any who wants to get ?

Elevator Pitch Example With This Method:

“I help job seekers who want to advance their careers and find a job in 60 days or less, without having to memorize hundreds of answers or spend hours studying. Do you know any job seekers who want to find a job in 60 days or less?”

Use a definitive period of time if possible. Don’t just say “fast.” And narrow down your market as much as possible. I didn’t say “working professionals.” I said, “job seekers who want to advance their careers.”

Another Example:

“I help restaurants with multiple locations organize their customer data and boost their sales up to 10%, without having to spend any additional time or money on advertising. Do you know any restaurants with multiple locations that want to boost their sales up to 10%?”

This direct approach could be adapted back to your job search too. Let’s look at one final example of this second method for a job search:

“I’m an R&D Scientist who helps companies use their existing patents and technologies to develop new skincare products. Right now at Johnson & Johnson, I’m finishing a successful project for an antibacterial cream and I’m looking for my next challenge. Do you know any companies that are involved in discovering and developing new skincare products?”

How To Deliver Your Elevator Pitch

Now that we covered how to create the best possible elevator pitch… with plenty of elevator pitch examples… there’s something just as important we should talk about.

You need to be convincing and memorable. Without this, the content won’t matter.

The First Impression

People want to know they are talking to a good, honest, reliable person that they can trust and perhaps even like. They won’t get this by looking at your resume. You need to open up by having great body language and being confident and excited about what you’re saying. You have to appear like you know they’ll be interested. You cannot be hesitant here so practice. And pay attention to body language too. Smile, look confident, and stand or sit up straight. When you’re slouched over, not only are you not using the full potential of your brain (yes, there’s been research ), you also look untrustworthy.

Make Them Feel Important

Who doesn’t like to hear that their own background or story is interesting? Or that you feel their opinion is needed on something! So, here are ways to make the other person feel important, which will help you be more memorable and convincing to them!

• Ask Questions When they tell you something about their background or give their own elevator pitch, show interest and ask a follow-up question. Don’t just sit there waiting for your turn to talk.
• Compliment Their Expertise If you are asking them a question or hoping to get information from them, compliment their experience first and give a reason why you’d value their response. Example (in a job interview): “You mentioned working here for ten years and rising from an entry level position to Manager. What tips for success can you offer if I were to start in this role?”
• Remember The Facts Don’t make somebody repeat important pieces about their background. How do you feel if somebody can’t remember your name or a story you just shared? So if they’re taking the time to tell you about their latest project, try to capture the details. You don’t want to be standing there two minutes later asking, “wait, you said you were involved in a research project, right?” It’ll immediately make them take less interest in what you’re saying as well.

When you’re nervous or anxious, you breathe with short, shallow breaths in the upper chest. Here’s how you should breathe:

Use your stomach and take long, deep breaths. I had to teach myself this, it didn’t feel natural at first. I couldn’t figure out how to breathe in a way that’d get my stomach to go in and out, at least not when I was paying attention and “trying.” I was filling my upper chest with as much air as possible but my stomach wasn’t moving. That’s not the right way.

Practice, figure it out, and then use it as a way to relax when you’re waiting for a job interview or a meeting.

Nothing comes out perfect the first time. Having the best elevator pitch is useless if you don’t practice. Give it a test run a few times and make sure you’re hitting the key points and keeping it short. 30 or 60 seconds is about as long as your elevator speech should take. It’s a good idea to practice job interview questions and answers, too. In general, practicing makes your responses better. Don’t try to memorize your elevator pitch or interview answers word-for-word, though. It’ll come out sounding scripted and rehearsed (not good). Instead, focus on hitting the key points you want to mention. It might sound a bit different each time but if you have three key points to hit, and you go through a few elevator pitch practice runs and hit all three, you’re ready to go!

What Happens If You Don’t Prepare An Elevator Pitch?

You only get one chance to make a first impression. If you sound unsure of yourself and don’t have a clear story of what it is you do, you’re going to be less convincing and immediately turn people off! And they’ll be less likely to remember you when you follow-up by email after an interview , or after meeting them at any type of networking event.

I’ve learned this myself the hard way. I’ve met new people, mentioned five different things I do, and just came across like I was average (or worse) at all five. People want to meet experts that they can feel confident in, not generalists that know a bit about everything but can’t really lead the way on any given topic! Your elevator pitch needs to come out smoothly and be designed to share your strengths and facts that relate to the direction you’re heading in. And that doesn’t happen without practice. Even if you outline an average elevator pitch and just practice it a few times in your head, it will be so much better than making it up on the spot!

About the Author

Read more articles by Biron Clark

36 thoughts on “Best Elevator Pitch With Examples For Job Seekers”

Very helpful. After being out of the workforce for a while it’s a big help.

Excellent information with examples. Great and effective approach. Even I was consumed with the initial intro and info (about you). Although I am prepping for a far different career, and have a basic bus mgmnt degree under my belt, I shall follow your examples here. Starting a new career and haven’t interviewed in years, oh my. But, maybe I will make it now, gulp. Not sunk yet, shiver, (lol). You’re one of the best teachers for this kind of stuff. Thank you, thank you.

Hey, i saw your video and i have this question – i am a undergraduate and want to go for a consulting interview and i dont have much internships so how can i make my answer more interesting

Talk about what you’ve studied, projects you’ve led or participated in, etc. You just have to do the best you can and talk about the most relevant/interesting things you have done in your elevator pitch.

We’re all searching for that almost PERFECT, direct, clear, concise and TOTALLY USABLE place/template of advice. We rarely find it. , Most of the time, it’s not even close. YET this material is the best I have seen” it is PERFECT in terms of the message, need, delivery and ease of use.

Thanks, These were useful

This was awesome.

Very good information on the small ins and out on the interviewing process( especially on the elevator part of the interview).

A sincere thank you! You are precise, to the point and relevant. Your integrity shows so again, thank you, Biron

Can somebody give a good engaging pitch of IT field Student

Thanks for sharing, some really good suggestions

I’m so nervous about interviewing and Biron’s advice makes me feel like I can do it. I especially like when he comments about being nervous, i.e. even if I only remember 70% … I am so much more prepared for the whole process.

Thank you Biron. It was really helpful. I am looking for a job, would you please share some tips or do’s and don’s.

My background is customer service representative in call centers. My last job is a phone banker. I’ve worked in different call centers so I have experience in different fields. Do you have examples that I can use for my elevator pitch along with the question on why I want to work for the company I’m applying for? I’ve been on several interviews where I have the experience but I’m getting turned down a lot.

Thank you so much for the help this I will sure use to my advantage on my next interview, greatly appreciated

This is wonderful advice and so practical . What about those of is who haven’t worked in a long time? I have been a SAHM for 18 years , always meaning to go back to work but always was busy w my son’s sports , academics or Church . I have a master’s degree but not had an interview in 4 years . I have applied for over 40 jobs at my Alma mater , all entry level jobs except a handful that required my degree . I can’t afford to retrain . I wanted to to an accelerated BSN program but can’t afford the 50k price tag . We need to move to pay instate tuition, but my husband refuses . I’m in a hole feeling quite hopeless . Thanks

Great guide! Thank you!

I’m this kid with good grades in class but so naive about the real world. this info is just incredible for me.

very helpful..

I hate these standard interview questions.It is really meaningless.When I had interview I asked from recruiter please dont ask me standard interview questions:)

How did that turn out for you? Telling the recruiter which questions they can ask? :)

I’m an unemployed top producing sales executive re-entering the workforce. I need your help, for a fee, to develop my elevator pitch.

Hi Paula, I appreciate the request. Unfortunately I’m not available for one-on-one consulting/coaching right now, or in the near future. Sorry I couldn’t help more directly on this.

You are never ready for any interview until you have read through Biron’s work!!!!!

Haha thanks, appreciate that :)

What if your resume looks like a jumper. You’ve held temp jobs for the last five years. How do you answer to get out of the stigma while at a job career fair?

Biron, thank you very much for the excellent tips! Examples you provide make it very clear how a good elevator pitch should look like, and are a great help to write my own. Kudos! :)

Thank you Biron you the best :) .

Glad it helped Darin :) Good luck!

What are most common interview questions and answers

You can find a lot of them in this article:

https://careersidekick.com/what-to-say-in-a-job-interview-questions-and-answers/

Great information and thanks for sharing.

You’re welcome, Angela. Glad you found it helpful!

Thanks Biron

I was an hour away from blowing up my chance … thanks,you saved the planet

This video was extremely helpful ! It helped me understand what I really want in a job more towards a career. Thank you so much

Comments are closed.

5 Elevator Pitch Examples for Students + Quick Tips

Take your student elevator pitch from robotic and canned to genuinely interesting. Make relevant connections and land your next career.

11 minute read

helped business professionals at:

Short answer

How can you maximize your elevator pitch?

Introduce effectively: State your field and experiences.

Share uniquely: Present interesting, field-specific details.

Highlight clearly: Focus on pertinent achievements.

Conclude engagingly: Finish with a thought-provoking question.

Let me guess… you’re here because you’ve got an important networking event coming up, you got an assignment to craft an elevator pitch, or you’d just like to learn how to introduce yourself in a professional manner when the moment comes. Regardless of why you came here (and I’m glad you did!), let me just get one thing straight: elevator pitch is a nightmare . At least, the kind of elevator pitch old-school career advisors recommend.

I mean, a careers site of a college I’m not going to name claims an elevator pitch “should sound like an advertisement of you.” Um, no, it definitely shouldn’t, unless you want to come across robotic, awkward, and full of yourself. The good news is that there is a perfectly easy formula for a great, conversational elevator pitch that will make whoever you’re talking to genuinely interested in your qualifications and skills.

Just give this guide a 5-minute read and you’ll learn it. Plus, you’ll get actionable examples of elevator speeches for different scenarios you can use as a point of reference to build your own .

What is an elevator pitch for students?

An elevator pitch for students (AKA elevator speech) is used by individuals during career fairs, networking events , or job interviews. An elevator pitch is about getting a potential employer to want to learn more about you and the value you can bring to the table. 99.9% of the time it will not land you the position, but rather get you the opportunity to apply.

The name elevator pitch comes from the idea that you should be able to deliver it while on an elevator ride—roughly, in 30 to 60 seconds.

A 30-second student elevator pitch is hard to get right —unless you’re an Ivy League prodigy and a superstar in your field already (in which case I want your email and I’ll be launching my elevator pitch to you very soon).

For all of us mere mortals, sharpening a killer personal elevator pitch will take a systematic approach and some practice. Lucky for you, there is a system you can follow to make your value shine brigh t. We’ll get into that in the next section.

How to create a good student elevator pitch?

A student elevator pitch has to communicate something. And communication is never a one-way process (hey. That’s why the end goal of your pitch should be to start a conversation, not brag about your accomplishments. Of course, depending on the situation, you’ll want to modify your elevator pitch a little bit, but the main ingredients remain the same.

Below are the core priciples that tie together a killer elevator speech:

1. Introduce yourself, say what you do, and how you do it

There’s no going around that part. Say your name, tell them what you study and what relevant experience you have. But, don’t stop there. Instead of just detailing what you do, focus on how you do it and what it is about it that you find particularly interesting.

2. Add some captivating details about you

Mention something that makes you unique. It can be a quick story about how you got into your field, an interesting finding you uncovered recently that might be relevant to the person you’re talking to, or a pain point related to your industry that they’ll immediately understand.

3. Provide examples of your past achievements

If you’ve had internships or part-time work experience in your industry, do talk about what you learned, the skills you developed, and results you helped achieve. This way, you’re presenting yourself as a potential asset to an organization or a good partner for collaboration, if speaking to a peer.

4. Use the ending of your pitch as a conversation-starter

At the end of your pitch, ask a question. Depending on the situation, it might be an invitation to talk more about how you could help them, asking them to share some of their knowledge with you, asking about their professional challenges and how they tackle them, or even just asking what they do!

The critical thing, after you deliver your pitch is to keep the conversation alive! Alright, I know. The theoretical parts often sound pretty vague.

Let’s have a look at 5 different student elevator pitch examples for different situations and scenarios and break down each of those to see what makes it work.

How and when to use your elevator pitch

Okay, so enough of theory. Now what?

1) Perfect your draft

If you got the gist of it - start crafting your elevator pitch. The first draft is rarely the best draft.

2) Practice

Once you have a good 30-60 seconds speech, practice speaking it in front of a mirror.

3) Simulate

Then, if you have solid friends that don’t mind some role-playing (and won’t make fun of you), simulate the elevator pitch in the context of a back-and-forth conversation.

Start with - “hey, you’re [person of interest] right? I’d really love to join your team”, and have the friend start by asking “can you tell me a bit about you?” then let it roll from there.

4) Look for opportunities to bump into your person of interest

You can wait a lifetime for an opportunity to meet the person to set you on your career path . Finding out what you want to do early on makes it much easier for future you. Changing careers later on may prove to be difficult, though not impossible.

If you believe in destiny then you’re all set… but if you don’t then it’s best you plan for such an event. Make sure to be consistently in the right place and time to meet and have at least 30 seconds with your person of interest.

5) Apply your elevator pitch to sharable documents

The untold truth is that you may or may not get the opportunity to ever give your elevator pitch. But where your elevator pitch really comes in handy is when you proactively add it as part of your CV , application letter, research proposal, digital flipbook or design portfolio. A 30-60 seconds pitch should be 100-300 words, if you are struggling to get it short enough you can use an AI-enabled word counting tool that will adjust your elevator pitch to the target length.

Where to use your elevator pitch

Go ahead and use any of our free interactive templates below . Nothing you can do will help you stand out like these templates.

Student elevator pitch examples and why they work

Career fair.

Let’s start with, arguably, the most “standard” scenario. You’re at a career fair, wandering around different companies’ booths (or doing it in a virtual setting). All of them are offering internship opportunities or even entry-level positions for graduates. But there are these few amazing employers you've wanted to work for since you started your studies! How do you approach them? Well, see what Jane did:

Hello, my name is Jane, I’m a recent CUNY graduate with a bachelor in Marketing and a minor in French. And, as an amateur fiction writer, I’m a strong believer in creative storytelling. In my BA dissertation, I found that marketing campaigns centered around a narrative were up to 55% more memorable than those based on promoting benefits. “Features tell, benefits sell?” Maybe. But stories sell even better. I would love to apply my skills in storytelling for marketing as a Digital Content Development Intern with Acme and contribute to your growth. Could you tell me more about your current challenges with digital content creation?

What’s so good about it:

• Adds a bit of personal branding that will help distinguish her from other attendees: “I’m a strong believer in creative storytelling.”
• Sparks immediate curiosity by referring to her own research that could be very relevant to the potential employer.
• Promises to add value instead of just asking for a position.
• Ends with an engaging question that encourages meaningful conversation.

Job or internship interview

Now, let’s imagine a similar scenario in an even more formal setting: a job interview. During job interviews, your elevator pitch is, in essence, the answer you give to that dreaded “Tell us about yourself” question. This type of a student elevator speech is the one with least room for creativity. There are rules of the interview game, and you need to follow them. Like this candidate did:

I’m working on a degree in Hospitality and Communication from the University of Boston and I have 6 months of experience in junior Customer Happiness Officer roles with ABC Company and XYZ Corp. What drives me professionally is providing tailor-made, individual solutions to every customer. In my previous role at ABC, I collaborated with a cross-departmental team of 8 colleagues on a surveying project aimed at improving the company’s mobile app user experience. By carefully listening to our customers’ feedback, I helped boost customer retention by 28% and I’d love to translate that experience into similar results for Acme!

• Quickly establishes her academic qualifications as well as professional experience.
• Instead of just saying what she did, this candidate briefly explains how she did it and what results she achieved.
• Turns an elevator pitch into an offer to help the employer achieve desired business results.

Casual networking event

Now, not all elevator pitches are about a current employment or internship opportunity. Sometimes you’re at a conference or an event dedicated to networking and you meet other people from your industry. See how this student, we’ll call him Jack, approached an editor of one of his favorite journals:

What do I do? I make sure robots don’t take over human jobs just yet. And how do I do it? By making friends with them! I’m a senior at Stanford completing my Bachelor’s in Machine Intelligence and Machine Learning this summer. I’m sure you’ve seen all those snappy headlines about AI writers already being more efficient than human beings. Well… Truth is, they’re not there yet and trusting robots with creating high-impact informational content such as news articles would be extremely risky. But, they can help us tremendously with the research process. That’s the premise of a project I’ve been working on in the past 6 months. I developed an alpha-stage AI research assistant that can cut the research time for news pieces by over 60%. Would you be interested in telling me more about your research process at XYZ Magazine?

• Opens with an emotional and captivating intro: saving humans from robots, wow, sounds scary AND exciting!
• Identifies an issue relatable to the person he’s talking to: all those half-spammy headlines about “AI writers already being more efficient than human beings.”
• Shows how his knowledge can make life easier for the person he’s pitching and backs it up with numerical data.
• Doesn’t want anything immediately out of the conversation, ends with a call to exchange experiences.

Elevator pitch with no experience

Did those elevator pitch samples above still sound too intimidating? It’s true, the people from the examples had at least some work or internship experience and were nearing the end of their college studies. But— Even if you have zero experience and are only starting out on your degree, you can still deliver a head-turning elevator pitch. What you need is to center it around your passion and enthusiasm. Like James did here:

My name is James and I’ve been crazy about programming since I was 11 years old and my dad showed me how to write a basic algorithm. It just blew my mind that I could do things like that with a computer, so I started following that passion which led me to studying Computer Science at Stanford where I’m a sophomore. Recently, I’ve been reading a lot about how to develop an app for the healthcare sector and I was amazed to read your recent case study on the TeleHealth app. Would you have the time to tell me a little bit more about the development process?

• Starts with a personal story. And all humans love stories.
• Uses the story to highlight his genuine interest in his field.
• Talks about specifics: healthcare mobile app development, wow, this guy is not kidding, he’s really into this niche!
• Uses the elevator pitch as a learning opportunity, asking one of his gurus to share some of her expertise. Who would say no to that?

Semi-personal introduction

Finally, an elevator pitch for the least formal scenario: an introduction to a peer in a semi-personal setting such as a university event. Almost like something you’d say when introducing yourself to someone at a party. You’ll want them to quickly understand what you do and encourage them to tell you the same about themselves. Like in this example:

I’m in the business of making NatGeo documentaries with David Attenborough’s voiceover! No, I’m kidding, not there yet. But I’m a senior at UPenn, doing a BSc in Marine Biology. And my main area of research interest is the patterns of melodies of whale songs! And I’d love to make a documentary about it one day, once I’m done with my big project. What about you? Where will I hear of you once you get famous?

• Sparks curiosity by referencing an element of our pop culture. I mean, who doesn’t recognize David Attenborough?
• Presents her area of professional interest in a casual, easy-to-grasp way.
• Asks a creative question at the end, steering the conversation away from generic cliches of “I’m an X-year student of Y with a minor in Z, you?”

The "Elevator Email"

Now a couple of years into a global pandemic, a lot of opportunities and connections are made online. Networking post-pandemic has changed the way we typically connect and communicate with each other. For students, this means shifting elevator pitches to “elevator emails” or messages that state your value proposition in a quick and simple email. Although it might seem daunting, being able to write a strong elevator email is an essential skill for showing your ambition and eagerness for a role or opportunity. Once you create your first elevator email template , you can continue to work and improve your message.

Here is a great example of an elevator email:

My name is Tony and I am a recent graduate from UC San Diego with a Bachelor’s Degree in Communication and Marketing. I came across your opportunity for the role of Marketing Intern and was immediately drawn. While looking over the job description, it reminded me of my previous experience working at the Best Marketing Firm as an intern where I assisted in launching multi-channel marketing campaigns , developed a strong relationship with the company’s marketing and product teams, and increased customer engagement by 15%.

My goal is to become the best marketer I can be, and I strongly believe I would thrive in this role and come in and make immediate contributions to your team and organization. I would love the opportunity to meet with you over a call or meeting to further discuss this position and the qualifications you are seeking. I went ahead and included the job description, my resume , and a cover letter with more details about myself. I look forward to connecting with you!

• Opens with a personalized message that shows your experience, qualifications, and relevance to the role.
• Introduces your interest, industry, job title, or previous experience.
• Highlights your accomplishments, skillset, and related history.
• Includes prepared assets and resources.
• Provides a call to action or next step for you to meet in a more personalized setting.

TIP: If you'd like to attach a portfolio of relevant projects to your Elevator Email, you can create a professional-looking presentation in a matter of minutes using Storydoc's presentation maker . Just pick a template from our extensive template library , fill in the blanks, and let our editor take care of the rest!

Wrapping it up:

Before you go, here are a few extra tips to help you deliver a great student elevator pitch:

• To keep your elevator pitch as natural as possible, try not reciting a rehearsed formula. Use an outline but adapt the exact wording every time.
• Always end your pitch with an engaging question. The ideal outcome of “pitching” is starting to chat with the person, not just hearing “Oh, nice to meet you.”
• If you’re passionate about something, don’t tone it down! Your genuine enthusiasm is one of your strongest assets at this stage of your career.
• Avoid cliches and meaningless buzzwords: “go-getter,” “A Player,” “hard-working,” “attentive to detail,” and the like.
• Practice your pitch in front of someone who knows you well. Ask them if you sound the way you do when you normally speak. If not, adapt your tone and wording.

And that’s all from me today! Thanks for reading my guide and I hope the whole idea of an elevator pitch is now less scary and intimidating than it used to be. Keeping my fingers crossed for your pitch!

Hi, I'm Dominika, Content Specialist at Storydoc. As a creative professional with experience in fashion, I'm here to show you how to amplify your brand message through the power of storytelling and eye-catching visuals.

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• Career Planning
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• Interview Strategies

How To Create an Elevator Pitch (With Examples)

Tips for writing a perfect elevator speech

When and How To Use an Elevator Speech

What to say in your elevator pitch, what not to say and do during your elevator speech, tips for virtual elevator pitches, elevator pitch examples.

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What's an elevator pitch, and how can it help your career? An elevator pitch—also known as an elevator speech—is a quick synopsis of your background, experience, and purpose. The reason it's called an elevator pitch is that it should be short enough to present during a brief elevator ride.

This speech is all about you: who you are, what you do, and what you want to do (if you're job hunting) or are doing.

Your elevator pitch is a way to share your expertise and credentials quickly and effectively with people who don't know you.

Done right, this short speech helps you introduce yourself to career and business connections in a compelling way. It can help you build your network, land a job, or connect with new colleagues on your first day of work.

Key Takeaways

• Keep your elevator speech short and sweet, aiming to deliver your message in 60 seconds or less.
• Say who you are, what you do, and what you want to achieve. Your goal is to focus on the essentials. 
• Be positive and persuasive with your limited time. Focus on what you want to do, not what you don’t want to do. 
• Deliver your speech to a friend or record it, so that you can be sure that your message is clear. The more you practice, the better your speech. 

If you're job searching, you can use your elevator pitch at job fairs and career expos, and online in your LinkedIn summary or Twitter bio, for example. An elevator speech is a great way to gain confidence in introducing yourself to hiring managers and company representatives.

You can also use your elevator pitch to introduce yourself at networking events and mixers. If you're attending professional association programs and activities, or any other type of gathering, have your pitch ready to share with those you meet.

Your elevator pitch is just as useful in virtual networking events, interviews, and career fairs as it is during in-person gatherings. 

Your elevator pitch can be used during job interviews, especially when you're asked about yourself. Interviewers often begin with the question, "Tell me about yourself"—think of your elevator pitch as a super-condensed version of your response to that request.

Maddy Price / The Balance

Your elevator speech should be brief . Restrict the speech to 30-60 seconds. You don't need to include your entire work history and career objectives. Your pitch should be a short recap of who you are and what you do.

You need to be persuasive.  Even though it's a short pitch, your elevator speech should be compelling enough to spark the listener's interest in your idea, organization, or background.

Share your skills.  Your elevator pitch should explain who you are and what qualifications and skills you have. Try to focus on assets that add value in many situations. This is your chance to brag a bit—avoid sounding boastful, but do share what you bring to the table.

Practice, practice, practice.  The best way to feel comfortable about giving an elevator speech is to practice it until the speed and “pitch” come naturally, without sounding robotic. You will get used to varying the conversation as you practice doing so. The more you practice, the easier it will be to deliver it when you’re at a career networking event or job interview.

Practice giving your speech to a friend or recording it. This will help you know whether you're keeping within the time limit and giving a coherent message.

Be positive and flexible.  You often aren’t interviewing for a specific position when you deliver your pitch, so you want to appear open-minded and flexible. Don’t lead with the stuff you’d rather not be doing. (For example, if you don’t want to travel a lot for work, that’s completely legitimate —but you needn’t volunteer that information right off the bat.) This is your chance to make a great first impression with a potential employer. Don’t waste it.

Mention your goals.  You don't need to get too specific. An overly targeted goal isn't helpful since your pitch will be used in many circumstances, and with many different types of people. But do remember to say what you're looking for. For instance, you might say, "a role in accounting" or "an opportunity to apply my sales skills to a new market" or "to relocate to San Francisco with a job in this same industry."

Know your audience and speak to them.  In some cases, using jargon can be a powerful move—it demonstrates your industry knowledge. But be wary of using jargon during an elevator pitch, particularly if you're speaking to recruiters, who may find the terms unfamiliar and off-putting. Keep it simple and focused.

Have a business card ready.  If you have a business card, offer it at the end of the conversation as a way to continue the dialog. If you don’t, you could offer to use your smartphone to share your contact information. A copy of your resume, if you're at a job fair or a professional networking event, will also demonstrate your enthusiasm and preparedness.

Don't speak too fast.  Yes, you only have a short time to convey a lot of information. But don't try to fix this dilemma by speaking quickly. This will only make it hard for listeners to absorb your message.

Avoid rambling.  This is why it's so important to practice your elevator speech. While you don't want to over-rehearse, and subsequently sound stilted, you also don't want to have unfocused or unclear sentences in your pitch, or get off-track. Give the person you’re talking to an opportunity to interject or respond.

Don't frown or speak in a monotone way.  Here's one of the downsides to rehearsing: it can leave you more focused on remembering the exact words you want to use, and less on how you're conveying them through your body language and tone. Keep your energy level high, confident, and enthusiastic.

Modulate your voice to keep listeners interested, keep your facial expression friendly, and smile.

Don't limit yourself to a single elevator pitch.  Maybe you're interested in pursuing two fields—public relations and content strategy. Many of your communication skills will apply to both those fields, but you'll want to tailor your pitch depending on who you are speaking to. You may also want to have a more casual, personal pitch prepared for social settings.

All the same guidelines apply when it comes to a virtual elevator pitch. You may have an opportunity to give an elevator speech in a virtual career fair, a job interview over Zoom, or during a networking event. Follow the dos and don'ts listed above. 

Plus, keep these tips in mind: 

• Check how you look.  You'll want to have a clean and professional background. Plus, make sure you're well lit and aren't in any distracting shadows. 
• Make eye contact.  Try practicing beforehand, so you get accustomed to looking at the camera—that will help you appear to make eye contact with the person on the other side of the video chat. Though avoid overdoing it or staring!
• Aim for high energy.  As with in-person pitches, you'll want to avoid speaking too quickly. Also important: modulate your voice (to avoid a monotone) and keep your energy high. It's easier for people to be distracted during video meetings, and you'll want to keep their attention. 

Use these examples as guidelines in crafting your own elevator pitch. Make sure your speech includes details on your background, as well as what you'd provide an employer with:

• I recently graduated from college with a degree in communications. I worked on the college newspaper as a reporter, and eventually, as the editor of the arts section. I'm looking for a job that will put my skills as a journalist to work.
• I have a decade's worth of experience in accounting, working primarily with small and midsize firms. If your company is ever in need of an extra set of hands, I'd be thrilled to consult.
• My name is Bob, and after years of working at other dentists' offices, I'm taking the plunge and opening my own office. If you know anyone who's looking for a new dentist, I hope you'll send them my way!
• I create illustrations for websites and brands. My passion is coming up with creative ways to express a message, and drawing illustrations that people share on social media.
• I'm a lawyer with the government, based out of D.C. I grew up in Ohio though, and I'm looking to relocate closer to my roots, and join a family-friendly firm. I specialize in labor law and worked for ABC firm before joining the government.
• My name is Sarah, and I run a trucking company. It's a family-owned business, and we think the personal touch makes a big difference to our customers. Not only do we guarantee on-time delivery, but my father and I personally answer the phones.

.css-s5s6ko{margin-right:42px;color:#F5F4F3;}@media (max-width: 1120px){.css-s5s6ko{margin-right:12px;}} AI that works. Coming June 5th, Asana redefines work management—again. .css-1ixh9fn{display:inline-block;}@media (max-width: 480px){.css-1ixh9fn{display:block;margin-top:12px;}} .css-1uaoevr-heading-6{font-size:14px;line-height:24px;font-weight:500;-webkit-text-decoration:underline;text-decoration:underline;color:#F5F4F3;}.css-1uaoevr-heading-6:hover{color:#F5F4F3;} .css-ora5nu-heading-6{display:-webkit-box;display:-webkit-flex;display:-ms-flexbox;display:flex;-webkit-align-items:center;-webkit-box-align:center;-ms-flex-align:center;align-items:center;-webkit-box-pack:start;-ms-flex-pack:start;-webkit-justify-content:flex-start;justify-content:flex-start;color:#0D0E10;-webkit-transition:all 0.3s;transition:all 0.3s;position:relative;font-size:16px;line-height:28px;padding:0;font-size:14px;line-height:24px;font-weight:500;-webkit-text-decoration:underline;text-decoration:underline;color:#F5F4F3;}.css-ora5nu-heading-6:hover{border-bottom:0;color:#CD4848;}.css-ora5nu-heading-6:hover path{fill:#CD4848;}.css-ora5nu-heading-6:hover div{border-color:#CD4848;}.css-ora5nu-heading-6:hover div:before{border-left-color:#CD4848;}.css-ora5nu-heading-6:active{border-bottom:0;background-color:#EBE8E8;color:#0D0E10;}.css-ora5nu-heading-6:active path{fill:#0D0E10;}.css-ora5nu-heading-6:active div{border-color:#0D0E10;}.css-ora5nu-heading-6:active div:before{border-left-color:#0D0E10;}.css-ora5nu-heading-6:hover{color:#F5F4F3;} Get early access .css-1k6cidy{width:11px;height:11px;margin-left:8px;}.css-1k6cidy path{fill:currentColor;}

• Business strategy |
• 15 creative elevator pitch examples for ...

15 creative elevator pitch examples for every scenario

A good elevator pitch can be the difference between landing your next big opportunity or falling short of the competition. But the reality is, people want to have meaningful conversations without the forced sales pitch. So how do you pitch yourself during a job interview or client meeting with authenticity? 

First things first: What is an elevator pitch?

An elevator pitch, also known as an elevator speech, is an opportunity to share a quick summary of yourself and your product offerings. But a pitch can also be your chance at making a real connection that you can use later down the road. It’s not always an immediate benefit, but you should be prepared for any scenario in which you could be giving an elevator pitch. 

In reality, most people have given an elevator pitch whether they realize it or not. That’s because there are many different types of pitches—from interviews to new business opportunities. That makes preparing for your next pitch an important step in marketing both yourself and your company. 

When it comes to figuring out who to deliver your pitch to, you should aim for the best point of contact, not just the highest point of contact. Choosing connections that are related to or interested in what you’re offering will give you a better chance at making your sale. 

How long should an elevator pitch be?

One of the biggest unknowns about creating sample elevator pitches is how long they should be. In most cases, it will depend on what it’s about and who you’re pitching. A good rule of business etiquette is to make it as short as possible by carefully selecting the most important points. 

A study conducted by Microsoft found that the average person has an attention span of around eight seconds, meaning you’ll have to fight for that undivided attention. That’s no small task. So when it comes to a great elevator pitch, aim to keep it around 30 seconds—though the exact length can vary depending on your industry and what you’re pitching. 

When looking at pitch length based on industry, each one differs to some degree. Let’s take marketing for example. Your pitch opportunities will likely be to customers that come across your brand. And in that case, you have very little time to get your message across—whether it’s text, video, or imagery. But when it comes to sales, you may get the opportunity to expand your elevator pitch past 30 seconds. You will likely have plenty of networking opportunities where people are more than willing to listen to what you have to say. It really just depends on your medium and the audience’s eagerness to listen. 

But what if you can’t cut your elevator pitch down to 30 seconds? It may seem like your brand is too complicated to distill down to such a short timeframe, but if you’re pitching to the right audience you shouldn’t have that problem. Make sure you pitch to people related to your industry or a tangential audience that will be able to interpret your offerings. 

How to write an elevator pitch 

When it comes to writing an elevator pitch, it can be hard to decipher important facts from unimportant ones—this is why knowing how to effectively communicate in the workplace is important in the first place. For example, while it’s good to personalize your communication tactics wherever possible, it’s not necessary to give prospects an entire history lesson on your business. Only the most recent and relevant details should be included. To get started creating your own pitch, you first need to understand the basic components that make up any good elevator pitch.

Introduce yourself

All good pitches start with a short introduction. It could be as simple as stating your name and who you work for if those details apply. But the more personal you can make it, the more natural your elevator pitch will seem. Body language is also an important part of a solid introduction, as is eye contact. Here are a few tips to keep in mind when introducing yourself to a new prospect. 

Greet your audience in a way that’s appropriate for the occasion. Go formal for a business pitch or more casual for a fun event. With business meetings and networking events being held virtually, you’ll need to get creative with your introductions over video chat. You could even start with a lighthearted joke to break the ice. But whatever you do, make sure it’s relevant to your audience. 

Present the problem

All solutions start with a problem. Whatever you or your business is trying to solve, it’s important to get the point across early on in your elevator pitch to set the theme for the rest of your speech. An example problem: coordinating work between teams is chaotic.  

If possible, relate the problem back to your audience by using real-world examples. This will help make the problem more relevant and, hopefully, grab your audience’s attention. If your problem isn’t easy to explain, try using more than one example or a visual to really paint a picture for your audience. 

Offer the solution

If the problem is what draws the audience in, then the solution is what hooks them. This is your time to show them why they need your help. Here’s an example solution: Asana gives teams a system to organize and manage work so they know what to do, why it matters, and how to get it done.

The solution is arguably the most important part of an elevator pitch, so spend time perfecting it. If you’re pitching for a business, it’s likely the quick solution pitch has already been created. But again, it’s always better to personalize your pitch. So don’t be afraid to tweak it to fit your audience. If pitching for yourself, talk about the unique skills you’ve developed and why they would be beneficial to your prospect. 

Explain your value proposition

Now that you’ve piqued your audience’s attention, it’s time to seal the deal by explaining why your solution is better than anyone else's. An example value proposition is: Asana is the only platform that connects goals with the work needed to achieve them. 

The value proposition differs from the solution by focusing on why your audience should use your solution over a competitor’s. If you don’t have that answer just yet, perform a competitive analysis to compare your offerings or look to your executive summary. 

If your market is extremely niche and you don’t have a clear differentiator or significant competition, look to communication and interface capabilities. Consider why your idea or solution is original enough that someone would want to use it.   

Engage the audience

While most of the hard work is done, it’s important to engage your audience with a compliment or question before you part ways. Always err on the side of being genuine rather than delivering a scripted goodbye. 

There is no right or wrong way to engage your audience. While ending with a question can create a dialogue between you and your audience, a genuine compliment can go a long way. Think about what made you want to pitch them in the first place and use that to end the conversation. Lastly, don’t forget to swap contact information, such as a business card, if you don’t already have it. 

A foolproof elevator pitch template

Now that you know the basic components of a pitch, the next step is creating your very own elevator pitch. This template can work for just about any situation, from a job interview to pitching a small business or startup. That’s because we analyzed some of the most famous templates from industry experts—from Harvard research to Guy Kawasaki’s art of pitching—to create a foolproof template that will work in any situation. 

Plug your information into our elevator pitch template to draft a quick speech. While you won’t necessarily recite it word for word, it’s a great model to keep in mind in case you find yourself in a position where you’re not prepared with a personalized pitch.

Whether you’re looking for a pitch template for a job interview or for pitching your business, this template is a foolproof example for any situation you might find yourself in. 

General elevator pitch template

Use our elevator pitch template to start constructing your speech by adding statistics and personalized greetings where needed. This template incorporates the four parts explained above to hit all of the important details of a good elevator pitch. 

Introduction : “Hi I’m [name], a [position title] at [company name]. It’s great to meet you!”

Problem : “Since you work with [company name or industry] I figured you’d be interested to know that [problem + interesting statistic].”

Solution : “The great part about working at [your company’s name] is that we’ve been able to fix just that problem by [solution].”

Value proposition : “In fact, we’re the only company that offers [value proposition].”

CTA : “I think our solution could really help you. Are you available this week to speak further on this?”

Don’t be afraid to change up your pitch template based on your personality and professional expertise. We’ve also included personalized 30-second elevator pitch examples below to inspire personal facts you can add to create a more engaging speech .

30-second elevator pitch examples

Let’s dive into the best 30-second elevator pitch examples to help you create a pitch that’s both engaging and informative. Our examples take inspiration from the four elements included in the template above, to demonstrate how you'd pitch project management software to  increase productivity . Try a few or try them all to find one that best fits your personality and value proposition. 

Example 1: Short and sweet

This example is one of the most common you’ll come across. That doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s the best, but it’s a great example of a quick and easy pitch that fits almost any situation. When working on this type of elevator pitch, be sure to keep it as short and to the point as possible. Try to stick closely to the 30 seconds or less rule since the point is to be brief and transparent.

The problem is that work is chaotic no matter what industry you’re in or how good you are at your job. But a good project management software can help improve productivity and communication. I haven’t missed a deadline in years. If you’re interested in how it can help your team, give me a call and I can take you through some numbers. 

Example 2: Relatable over reliable

Sometimes the best way to grab your audience’s attention is to reel them in with a personal anecdote they’ll relate to. While it’s still important to drive home your solution, this approach puts more weight on making a personal connection rather than an immediate sale. 

It’s so great to finally meet you. How is business going? I heard you’ve been struggling with communication issues. My team and I struggled with that too. It wasn’t until we added project management software into our routine that we really saw an improvement in teamwork and overall communication. I hope you find a solution that works for your team. 

Example 3: Savvy with stats

Start your pitch off with a hook by dropping an attention-grabbing statistic. It’s important to have hard data to back up your statistics to ensure their accuracy before pitching. When it comes to a statistics pitch, it’s a good idea to come full circle at the end and connect how your solution can help solve that statistic.  

Did you know that despite having more ways to connect remotely, 60% of workers’ time is spent on work coordination with just 26% spent on skilled work and 14% on strategy? No wonder teams need help with project management. Implementing project management tools can decrease time spent on work coordination and help increase skilled work.

Example 4: Question everything

This example uses questions to make your pitch easily comprehensible. It also forces the audience to join in on the conversation rather than just presenting them with a speech. Try starting and ending with a question that makes the audience think about your pitch long after you leave the room.

Do you ever feel like you spend too much time on work about work? I’ve talked to so many people who share the same frustrations. I used to work long hours every day just trying to catch up. But do you know what? Ever since we started using project management software, I've been able to get so much more work done. Have you tried anything similar in the past?

Example 5: Comedic twist

If your pitch isn’t about a serious topic, you can add comedic twists to engage the audience. This is especially useful if giving a presentation. Add a GIF or quick funny clip in between slides to lighten the mood. If using this example, be sure it fits the occasion and tone of your company. 

Did you know that the average person can only pay attention for eight seconds? That’s not even long enough to place my coffee order in the morning. Maybe that’s why my barista always gets it wrong. But seriously, I think that’s why so many companies struggle to hit deadlines. 

Example 6: Tell a story

Use customer testimonials or your own personal story to paint a picture for the audience. This can be especially helpful if your topic is hard to explain in 30 seconds or less. Telling a story is a great way to add a relatable twist. 

We have a customer that transitioned to a fully remote workforce this year and needed help making sure deadlines were met. With our help, they were able to get up to 10% of their time back in their day and focus on more important things like strategic planning.  

Example 7: Emotionally driven

While this type of pitch may be more difficult to create, you have a better chance of winning over your audience if you can make your pitch emotionally driven. It’s also more likely they’ll be willing to share the experience with someone else down the road. It’s important to keep the emotions on the lighter side to prevent the conversation from steering too dark. Here is an example to inspire your own speech. 

It may seem like any other tool, but when you look closely it really is helping teams connect. And not just that, but it’s helping cultivate teams that actually enjoy working together on new projects. That’s something that’s hard to come by, but something everyone is looking for.  

Example 8: Write it first

While most speeches start by writing a general outline, you can opt to write the entire pitch from start to finish. This tends to create a thought-provoking and poetic flow once you do present your pitch. You’ll have to memorize this pitch, so practicing is a key element to this strategy. 

Hi, my name is Kelly! It’s great to meet you. You work for Apollo Enterprises, right? I’ve heard a lot about them. I actually heard that you’re looking for project management help. In my experience, any organization—whether sales or suppliers—needs help coordinating work and team communication. Work can be rather chaotic, especially now, without it. That’s why we’ve created a software tool that helps both individuals and teams organize their projects and communications all in one place. Have you ever thought about using something similar?

Example 9: End with a one-liner

Making a grand exit doesn’t come easily, but if you can pull it off your audience is sure to be impressed. Stay away from cliche one-liners and make your closing authentic to you. The point here is to leave them with a thought that they’ll remember after the meeting is over. Consider sharing a surprising statistic or question relevant to their business.

Over one-quarter (26%) of all deadlines are missed each week because of a lack of clarity. But with the right project management tools, that number could be much lower. So the question is, can your business afford not to use project management software? 

Elevator pitch examples by scenario

Now that we’ve covered the types of pitch examples, let’s dive into example elevator pitches for different scenarios. Whether you’re pitching for your business or yourself, you can use an elevator pitch to organize your thoughts and prepare for the real deal. Let’s look at key tips for any situation you may find yourself in. 

Example 10: Networking event

A networking event is probably the most common scenario you’ll run into. And with the new virtual-first culture, it may be even more challenging to make meaningful connections over video chat. That’s why it’s so important to prepare an elevator pitch that’s compelling no matter where you’re pitching it from. While most salespeople pitch casually in this environment, you may get the opportunity to meet an important executive. In which case, you’ll want to be prepared with a versatile pitch template. 

Great to meet you, I’m Kelly with Apollo Enterprises. We’ve been able to improve productivity and collaboration for teams all over the world. If you ever need help with project management, just reach out. I think we could make a huge impact on your company. I’ll make sure to keep your contact information handy as well. 

Example 11: Job interview

Looking for a new job or have career fairs coming up? Most interviews—whether with human resources, a recruiter, or a hiring manager—start with some form of the phrase, “Tell me about yourself.” This is an opportunity for job seekers to briefly explain themselves and their professional experience using industry buzzwords and key skills. Having an elevator pitch ready can ensure that you’re prepared when the opportunity presents itself. 

I’m Kelly, a specialist at Apollo Enterprises. I chose a career in project management because I had a passion for it, and now I can proudly say that I’ve been able to make a real difference in people’s lives. That’s why I’m looking to continue my career with an employer who shares those same values. I know my unique skills can make a big impact at your company because I’ve proven my results with a few key projects. 

Example 12: Formal meeting

You’ve landed the meeting, congratulations! Now is the time to create a formal elevator pitch to really get them interested. When presenting a formal pitch, a presentation can be a great addition to traditional elevator speech examples. But whether or not you choose to create a presentation, this meeting is about selling your product in the most professional way possible. So dress the part and don’t forget your unique selling proposition. 

I took a look at your current productivity figures and noticed an opportunity for improvement. With our project management software, you could get back up to 10% more of your workday. Not only would that mean more work getting done, but it would also have a positive impact on the overall success of your business. Not to mention, our tool is the only one in the industry that has goal capabilities to ensure teams stay on track. 

Example 13: Sales pitch 

Professionals often pitch traditional sales jargon, but the real key is creating a human connection while lightly sprinkling in what you’re selling. Start with a personal story or light-hearted introduction instead of the typical sales presentation. You can also prepare by creating sales team goal templates to ensure your team is on the same page. 

Our team really struggled to transition to a remote workforce. Communication wasn’t organized and people struggled to find the correct information to complete projects. But, thankfully, we found a solution to our problem. Implementing project management tools not only improved productivity but also improved overall teamwork. Every company prefers different tools, but I can say without a doubt that our software was the best at connecting goals with the work needed to achieve them. 

Example 14: Social introduction

Now, more than ever, professionals are choosing to meet virtually rather than face-to-face. Whether you’re chatting over LinkedIn or have a virtual meeting set up, it’s important to make your pitch personal and use clear visuals to help sell your point. Here’s a great example of a social media pitch. 

Thanks for connecting! I noticed that your competitors are outperforming you when it comes to year-over-year growth. I took the liberty of doing a competitive analysis and didn’t find any outlying problems. I’m wondering if it could be an issue with productivity. How has the transition to remote work been? If you’re interested, I could run you through some productivity figures if you were to add project management tools to your current processes. 

Example 15: Entrepreneurs and business owners

Pitching to a business owner is much different than pitching to an executive. They can be harder to sell because they are often hesitant about new investments. The most important tip is to use examples as they pertain to the business when explaining a problem and solution.  

I love your products at Apollo Enterprises. I’m a huge proponent of your mission. I did realize that there may be some opportunities to improve productivity and collaboration internally. Have you ever considered project management software? I think it could have a big impact on business growth now or even down the road. 

4 tips to perfect your elevator pitch

In addition to creating the perfect elevator pitch, you should also work on sprucing up your delivery. There’s nothing worse than sitting through a boring speech, so make sure yours is anything but. From posture to tone, there’s a lot you can practice to make sure you look professional and knowledgeable. Consider these four tips when trying to nail a successful elevator pitch. 

1. Stick to your outline

To prevent getting off-topic, it’s important to stick to your outline at least to some extent. While you don’t need to recite it word for word, it’s best to memorize the majority of your pitch. That way you won’t need to worry about checking your notes. 

2. Speak slowly and clearly

Many professionals tend to talk quickly when they’re nervous—hey, we’re only human. But it’s important to enunciate and speak slowly so the audience can understand you. This is especially important when presenting over video chat. But try not to slow yourself down too much or you’ll go over your allotted time. 

3. Record your pitch

Record yourself reciting the pitch to work on any areas that need improvement. Practice your pitch a handful of times by playing the recording back and working out any pain points. A couple of key areas to focus on are speed and tone. It’s better to sound overly energized rather than monotone. 

4. Practice, practice, practice!

There’s nothing more effective than practicing your pitch until you’re able to recite it in your sleep. If possible, practice in front of friends and family to get constructive feedback on how you can make your pitch even better. Even if you have years of experience, you can never go wrong with being overly prepared. 

Elevate your first impression with an elevator pitch

An elevator pitch is a chance to show off your strengths and pitch your solutions. While it may sound nerve-wracking, using the 15 elevator pitch examples above will help you develop your own method using personal tidbits that tie into your innovative solutions.

While your pitch is an important part of leveling up your business, there are many avenues you can take to achieve growth. One of those ways is by determining whether project management vs. work management tools are right for your team. Not only will they help connect your team members, but the right tools and software can also help your organization set strategic goals. That means more time spent on bigger projects to help your business reach next-level growth. 

Related resources

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How to create a perfect elevator pitch (examples included).

“Tell me about yourself”

“What do you do?

“So, what’s your story?”

These are common questions asked during networking events and interviews. They’re difficult to answer because you can respond with almost anything.

How should you start and end your response? What’s an appropriate response length? What should I include in my response?

Luckily, there is a foolproof way to answer these questions: by using your elevator pitch.

This guide will explain the importance of your elevator pitch. It will also help you craft an incredible pitch that you can use for interviews, networking events, and other social gatherings.

Let’s get started!

Click above to watch a video on Elevator Pitches.

What is an Elevator Pitch? When Should I Use It?

An elevator pitch, otherwise known as an elevator speech, is a short but powerful response you give to someone who asks about your background.

There are three kinds of elevator pitches:

• Two-minute pitch

Use the two-minute pitch for interviews. This is the perfect response to the “Tell me about yourself” question.

• 45-second pitch

Use the 45-second pitch for formal networking events. Your response will establish your background and qualifications.

• 15-second pitch

Use the 15-second pitch for informal gatherings. This is an excellent response for when you meet someone on a train or at dinner.

Why is an Elevator Pitch Important?

It is said that 93% of human communication is nonverbal, while only 7% is verbal.

• This means that “how” you say something is more important than what you actually say.

An elevator pitch helps you explain your background and qualifications with confidence. When you know what you’re going to say, you’ll state it with passion and clarity.

The elevator pitch also demonstrates that you’ve done your due diligence.

• Specifically, people who can convey their background with clarity inspire confidence in others.

It also demonstrates strong soft skills, which all CEOs and other high-performing professionals possess.

Well, How Do I Create a Great Elevator Pitch?

Your elevator pitch is just one part of networking with skill . Therefore, you need to supplement it with the following.

Confident Body Language

• Firm handshake
• Shoulders back
• Neck straight
• Eye contact
• Fluidity of speech

Make sure to practice your pitch in front of a mirror. If that’s too hard, you can stand up in the middle an empty room and pretend to speak with someone.

• You can also practice your pitch while cooking, brushing your teeth, or running errands. All you need to do is know what you want to say and state it slowly.

In my opinion, the best way to practice is with a trusted friend. In a no-judgment zone, state your elevator pitch. Do this until you get it right 10 times in a row. It’ll be hard at first, but this experience will greatly improve your confidence.

Don’t rush through your elevator pitch. After stating one or two lines, take a deep breath and collect yourself.

Not only will this calm you down, but it’ll also help you think of your next lines.

Start Your Elevator Pitch From Scratch

Get a blank piece of paper, Word or Google Doc, flash cards, or pull up a notepad app on your phone.

This is where you’ll record the first draft of your elevator pitch.

What Should I Include In My Elevator Pitch?

Generally, there are three critical aspects of a two-minute elevator pitch. It’s best to first create the two-minute pitch and then cut it down for the shorter versions.

You’re going to include these four elements:

• Top-line introduction
• What I’ve Done
• What I’m Doing
• Where I Want to Go

You can order these parts in your elevator pitch any way you like. I recommend prioritizing the things you want people to remember.

You might get interrupted during your elevator pitch, so order it according to importance.

What does each part mean?

Part 1: The Introduction

This section is straightforward. In one or two sentences, what are you best known for? What do you want people to know you as?

This can include:

• Your professional role

For example: Computer engineer , developer, political assistant, manager of operations, chief executive officer, head accountant, founder

• Informal title

For example: Entrepreneur, writer, mentor, journalist

Then, put your introduction together:

I’m Jason Patel, the founder of Transizion, a college and career prep company with a 100% client satisfaction rate. We help students get into the top schools in the country.

Hey, I’m Sean McVay. I serve as a head developer at GSOT IT Systems. I’m also a mentor to 11 young men who aspire to become business leaders .

Get personalized advice!

Part 2: what i’ve done.

This is where you’ll mention pertinent qualifications from your academic or work history.

Hint: If you’re several years out of school, there’s no need to mention academic history.

Before beginning this section, think about whether you need to custom-tailor your elevator pitch for a specific industry. This is important if you’re:

• Applying for an internship or job
• Meeting professionals at an industry event
• Networking with investors who want to know more about your background

Otherwise, you can mention top-line or sweeping aspects of your background.

In this section, you can include:

• Past job duties
• Career-defining moments
• Accomplishments or projects you’re proud of
• Numbers, figures, and percentages that highlight your successes
• Results you’ve procured
• Companies you’ve worked for and with
• Certifications and/or degrees earned
• What drives and motivates you
• A personal story that represents you well

Now, let’s combine this part with the intro (Part 1). The bolded parts are what we added:

For example:

Hi, my name is Jason Patel, and I’m the founder of Transizion, a college and career prep company that features a 100% client-satisfaction rate. We also donate a portion of profits to veterans and young professionals in need of college and career help. I am a graduate of the George Washington University with a degree in political communication. I have served as a college coach for several years. My work has taken me to cities across the world, where I’ve helped students and professionals with college applications, writing, professional branding, and job searching.

Here’s another example:

Hey, I’m Sean McVay. I serve as a head developer at GSOT IT Systems. I’m also a mentor to 11 young men who aspire to become business leaders. I’ve worked on building AI systems for creative purposes, such as musical instruction and autonomous learning. In the past, I’ve also built highly responsive websites for major e-commerce platforms in the apparel and electronics industries.

Part 3: What I’m Doing

In this section, you’ll mention what you’re working on right now. This can include work, major projects, dissertations, or earning a degree or certification.

It’s best to communicate qualifications that relate to the industry you’re pursuing.

In other words, don’t talk about your interpersonal qualifications when you’re seeking a position as a financial analyst. Instead, mention your ability to work with numbers, balance tasks, and provide recommendations to clients.

Hint: If you’re looking for a job, try to avoid the generic-sounding “Currently seeking a position.” Instead, discuss how you’re sharpening your skills while looking for work.

If you’re a professional, you can discuss the following:

• Current job duties
• Projects you’re working on
• Clients or industries you serve
• Skills you’re sharpening
• Initiatives keeping you busy

If you’re a student, discuss the classes, major, or projects you’re working on.

Let’s combine this section with the two previous sections – the Intro (Part 1) and What I’ve Done (Part 2). Again, the bolded parts are what we added:

Hi, my name is Jason Patel, and I’m the founder of Transizion, a college and career prep company that features a 100% client-satisfaction rate. We also donate a portion of profits to veterans and young professionals in need of college and career help. I am a graduate of the George Washington University with a degree in political communication. I have served as a college coach for several years. My work has taken me to cities across the world, where I’ve helped students and professionals with college applications, writing, professional branding, and job searching. Our customers love us, and our instruction and tutoring work. We’re a growing brand that has sent students to the best schools in the country, including Stanford, NYU, UC Berkeley, and Carnegie Mellon. I work with my team to design college mentorship, college application, and career success boot camps that help our students succeed. We pay strong attention to customer service and make sure that our families have the resources and access to thrive during the stressful college process. I make sure each student partners with an awesome college mentor who will him or her with college planning, essays, and narrative building. We also serve college students and professionals who need help with finding internships and jobs. We’re the best at resume critiques, building interview skills, and professional brand building. It’s my job to make sure our product is the best in industry. I’m always building my management and marketing skills. I want students and families to know that we want to solve their problems, so I’m improving my SEO skills to ensure website visitors know they can reach out to us if they have questions. Although I’m a leader, I know I’m a work in progress.

Hey, I’m Sean McVay. I serve as a head developer at GSOT IT Systems. I’m also a mentor to 11 young men who aspire to become business leaders. I’ve worked on building AI systems for creative purposes, such as musical instruction and autonomous learning. In the past, I’ve also built highly responsive websites for major e-commerce platforms in the apparel and electronics industries. Currently, I’m building customer portals to bring retail, brick-and-mortar businesses online. It’s a challenging project, but I’m thankful for it. I get a chance to learn more about transferring memberships from a point-of-sale system to the online gateway system. We’re working to integrate Stripe, a payment platform, to our website so our customers can purchase their products online. So far, we’ve grown 14% from last year and are looking to grow 50% over the entire year. Better yet, I’m also working to integrate the payment system to the logistics gateway. You know what that means? We’re working on delivery! During the summer and holiday seasons, our customers across the state will be able to purchase products and have them delivered within a specific window. No more waiting in lines. That’s what I love doing. Growing businesses and helping them acquire customers.

Part 3: Where I Want to Go

In this final section, you’ll discuss your goals. You can elaborate on your goals in the following windows. This will help you simplify your goal setting.

1. Short-term goals (within 3 years) can include:

• Switching fields
• Getting your first job
• Starting business
• Graduating from college
• Finishing a book

2. Intermediate-term goals (within 5-7 years) can include:

• Finding your place within an industry
• Starting and publishing a study
• Climbing the managerial ladder
• Starting a family
• Growing a business
• Raising venture capital
• Training to join a new industry
• Going back to college

3. Long-term goals (7+ years)

• Joining the C-suite
• Getting your business acquired
• Raising your kids
• Writing an autobiography

If you’re planning on creating your elevator pitch for professional networking events in an industry you want to stay in, choose goals that relate to the industry.

Picking irrelevant goals runs the risk of coming off as uninterested or unmotivated.

Let’s combine this section with the three previous sections – the Intro (Part 1) and What I’ve Done (Part 2), and What I’m Doing (Part 3). As usual, the bolded parts are what we added:

Hi, my name is Jason Patel, and I’m the founder of Transizion, a college and career prep company that features a 100% client-satisfaction rate. We also donate a portion of profits to veterans and young professionals in need of college and career help. I am a graduate of the George Washington University with a degree in political communication. I have served as a college coach for several years. My work has taken me to cities across the world, where I’ve helped students and professionals with college applications, writing, professional branding, and job searching. Our customers love us, and our instruction and tutoring work. We’re a growing brand that has sent students to the best schools in the country, including Stanford, NYU, UC Berkeley, and Carnegie Mellon. I work with my team to design college mentorship, college application, and career success boot camps that help our students succeed. We pay strong attention to customer service and make sure that our families have the resources and access to thrive during the stressful college process. I make sure each student partners with an awesome college mentor who will them him or her with college planning, essays, and narrative building. We also serve college students and professionals who need help with finding internships and jobs. We’re the best at resume critiques, building interview skills , and professional brand building. It’s my job to make sure our product is the best in industry. I’m always building my management and marketing skills. I want students and families to know that we want to solve their problems, so I’m improving my SEO skills to ensure website visitors know they can reach out to us if they have questions. Although I’m a leader, I know I’m a work in progress. Eventually, I want to grow Transizion into the foremost college and career prep company in the world. We’re going to be a force in closing the Opportunity Divide in America. The robots are coming. Automation is coming. It’s my job as an entrepreneur to prepare my customers and the greater public for the challenges ahead. An additional goal is to increase our product offering and expand the network of college and career mentors that we hire. Our brand should precede us – people should know that our name stands for excellent customer service and outstanding mentorship. Previous generations fought wars, totalitarianism, and fascism. Our generation’s job is to fight the Opportunity Divide. I want to become a leader that changes people’s attitudes toward the class divide in America. Only we can save the country. Only we can save each other.

Hey, I’m Sean McVay. I serve as a head developer at GSOT IT Systems. I’m also a mentor to 11 young men who aspire to become business leaders. I’ve worked on building AI systems for creative purposes, such as musical instruction and autonomous learning. In the past, I’ve also built highly responsive websites for major e-commerce platforms in the apparel and electronics industries. Currently, I’m building customer portals to bring retail, brick-and-mortar businesses online. It’s a challenging project, but I’m thankful for it. I get a chance to learn more about transferring memberships from a point-of-sale system to the online gateway system. We’re working to integrate Stripe, a payment platform, to our website so our customers can purchase their products online. So far, we’ve grown 14% from last year and are looking to grow 50% over the entire year. Better yet, I’m also working to integrate the payment system to the logistics gateway. You know what that means? We’re working on delivery! During the summer and holiday seasons, our customers across the state will be able to purchase products and have them delivered within a specific window. No more waiting in lines. That’s what I love doing. Growing businesses and helping them acquire customers. In that vector, I do want to start my own marketing company in the next 3-5 years. The company would focus on bringing complete marketing solutions to small and large businesses. Solutions would include email marketing, website building, social media branding, and all forms of inbound and outbound marketing. Assembling a brand around our products is the dream. Hey, maybe we can create plug-ins and software to compete in the SaaS space. To be honest with you, another goal of mine is to travel. I’ve been working so hard over the years that I think a few months of exploring new cultures and perspectives would be healthy for my professional growth. I’ve been thriving in this bubble, but it’s important to expand my reach. This will help me further develop my vision.

More Elevator Pitch Examples

A young professional in Washington, DC:

My name is Mandy. I’m a legislative aide at the United States Capitol. I spend much of my time corresponding with constituents and aides from other offices on a wide range of issues. I graduated from the George Washington University with a political science degree. I’m planning on attending part-time graduate school to pursue a master’s in health administration. Eventually, I want to work as a lobbyist for healthcare issues. I want to help expand Medicaid and lower the cost of prescription drugs.

From an MBA at Carnegie Mellon:

I’m Ben, and I attend Carnegie Mellon, where I’m pursuing a master’s in business administration. Two summers ago, I interned at AT&T. This past summer, I interned at Verizon, where I learned about operations management, human resources, and project management. I want to stay in the communications technology sector because I know I can build a wide range of operations-related skills here. Right now, I am also studying for my PMP, so that’s taking up a lot of my time. My hope is to leverage it for opportunities in the tech sector – I want to lead teams to success.

This one’s from an analyst:

Hey there, I’m Dom. I work as a financial analyst for Goldman Sachs. Since my goal is to become an investment banker, I’m putting in long hours helping my wing with investment decisions. Right now, I’m getting a lot of practice with analyzing data in the energy sector. This job is demanding, and so are my colleagues. The opportunity has given me the chance to improve my communication and self-management skills. I want to stay in the financial sector because I love numbers. Down the road, I’d like to work in venture capital or start my own investment-banking firm. I’m setting up the foundation for my dream by networking with established investors who can give me access to their connections.

From a mother entering the full-time workforce after raising children and working on side projects:

Hello, I’m Cynthia. For the past 10 years, I’ve worked with over 40 clients – from small businesses to law firms – helping them with their graphic design needs. I’m a skilled designer who can create infographics, brochures, booklets, covers, magazines, and branding assets from scratch. I have the self-discipline to work remotely and address client needs in a timely manner. I always beat deadlines – it’s a part of my personal creed. Whether clients need help with Photoshop or InDesign, I’m your girl. I know how to create design assets that work for customers.

An artist who wants to develop his skills:

My name is Nick. As the founder of Nick’s Art & Graphics Studios, I bring over 5 years of experience in all kinds of photography. I’ve worked weddings, galas, diplomatic occasions, and sporting events. To be a skilled photographer, you need to know lighting, lens, and direction. But the most important thing is patience. Getting the right shot is never easy, but I have the experience to give you photos you’ll love. I want to develop my expertise in multimedia so I can improve my product offering to customers. That’s why I’m learning Adobe After Effects to learn more about motion graphics. I’ve also hired two assistants and an intern to help me create beautiful media for my clients. I want to help them convey their brands to the world. Eventually, I’d like to become the dominant media company in my city. I want to become the go-to resource for anyone, from students to professionals, who needs help with creating beautiful media. We’re expanding right now, so I’m doing all I can to better my skills.

From a student:

Hi, I’m Megan. Right now, I’m pursuing a degree in psychology from Ohio State. My coursework includes child and criminal psychology. To supplement my studies, I’m interning as a child-care specialist with Hope for Kiddos, where we work with students individually by talking about their problems at home and bettering their interpersonal skills with team activities. I want to become a child psychologist because I love children and want to cultivate their young minds healthily. Hopefully, after putting in all my training hours, I can open up my own office. Down the road, I’d love to write a book on best practices for childcare psychologists and parents.

Advice from Professionals and Experts

We’ve taken the liberty to cite successful professionals and industry experts.

These opinions offer a first-person perspective on what makes a great elevator pitch.

Darshan Somashekar, founder of Minesweeper Challenge :

In the small time you have, make sure you tell a story. It’s important to capture someone’s attention and emotionally connect. Talk about the problem you’re hoping to solve, or the background on what motivates you. Ask if your audience can relate. If you can hook them to your story, you’re setting yourself up to succeed

Melissa Richards, vice president for communications and enrollment management at Sweet Briar College:

An elevator pitch is called that for a reason. If someone in an elevator asked you about your organization, what would you say in the 20-30 seconds before you reached your floor? Your reply needs to be branded, use plain speech and flow like dialogue. Content basics include what your organization does, how it does it differently than others, for whom and where. The listener must understand all those things without asking for clarification. Avoid complex and run-on sentences, jargon and acronyms. Emphasize your organization’s brand pillars, brand personality and competitive advantages. Practice reading it out loud dozens of times to internalize it but use your own speaking pace, intonation and natural breaks and breaths. It should not sound memorized.

Brian Lim, CEO of iHeartRaves , who appeared on Shark Tank and received deals from Mark Cuban and Daymond John:

If possible, get proof of concept before pitching. We focused on building our business without any outside funding for many years before pitching on Shark Tank and the numbers we presented validated our business better than anything I could say. Know all key metrics around your business and be ready to answer all the basic questions. Shark Tank had a standard pitch format. Two minutes to pitch the Sharks and to be as entertaining as possible and then it jumps into Q&A for hours. We did excellent on the pitch and Q&A by preparing and doing mock pitches and Q&A’s. We presented our success and showcased that we were ready to scale. I had to imagine myself as an investor and check off boxes that I would want to see if I were going to invest money into a company.

Zach Bellas, an American musician, producer, writer, and founder of SMB Records :

Make it relatable – This is a particular problem for musicians. They want to throw out a hundred genres and artist they have the slightest resemblance to and end up confusing everyone they pitch with an endless barrage of information. Make it fun. – People respond to good energy, so it’s not just what you say but how you say it. Put yourself in a good mood, make strong eye contact and speak genuinely from the heart. At the end of the day that is what people buy into.

Laura Prestwich, client coordinator and lead copywriter at Fuze Branding :

Crafting an elevator pitch can be tricky. I think people often want to fall into the trap of using industry buzzwords, and those don’t always translate well outside of industry insiders. Use plain language. What problem are you solving or what barrier are you smashing? How are you doing that in a unique and personal way?

In order to answer those questions, you have to know your target really well. Don’t be afraid to craft multiple elevator pitches based on a specific target or goal. Just like your resume should be specific to the company and position you’re targeting, your pitch should be personal too.

Joy Altimare, chief engagement and brand officer at EHE :

Capture their attention from the first sentence. Studies show that most people remember what you say at the beginning and the end of the conversation. So, you want to start strong and immediately answer the question: “Who are you” and “what makes you different” than others in your field or with your background. You want to establish a relationship with the other person while delivering a firm understanding that you’re the best option for the opportunity/role.

Creatively establish your qualifications by leveraging the art of storytelling. For me, it’s not interesting when someone just list their background and previous roles; I love it when someone can demonstrate the connective tissue between the experiences and can express a common theme that sums up their experiences. So, when you walk away, you leave the person with a very positive – and memorable – expression.

End with a focus on them – the listener. You’ve told them about you, now tell them how you can help them. This demonstrates that you’ve either 1) done a little homework or 2) you understand their category and can quickly access their key issues and provide tangible action items to help them succeed. This will round out the conversation and lean towards a great partnership.

Dr. Kara Fasone, co-founder and Chief Wellness Officer at  Wise & Well Academy :

Your elevator pitch will not stay the same! In fact, you should adapt it based on the situation. So, an elevator pitch I use at an internal networking event will be slightly different from the one I use at an industry-specific conference which will also be different from the one I use at a leadership retreat.

Spend 3 minutes reviewing and updating your elevator speech each time you sign-up for a new event that requires use of your pitch. This allows you to ensure your spiel is relevant while providing an opportunity to practice, practice, practice.

The key is to get to a point where your pitch sounds conversational and unrehearsed. You don’t want to come off as scripted and disingenuous as you’re meeting new people.

Rich Franklin, president of KBC Staffing :

Unless you are certain of your audience and their precise level of comprehension, don’t throw too much new information at them. Too much industry-specific, technical jargon or less-than-universal acronyms can cause mental saturation. Having industry expertise is great but make sure to demonstrate it without sacrificing clear communication.

Make sure your value proposition, customer segments, monetization strategy, and differentiators are easily understood – Clearly describe a) what you do, b) who you do it for, c) how you make money doing it and d) what makes you special or prevents someone else from doing the same thing.

Depending on your audience and the situation, you may not bring up all these areas in your short elevator pitch but you should know how to clearly explain them all. If you explain it to your grandmother and she doesn’t “get it,” your pitch might need some work. If you pitch it to twenty potential cofounders and none of them “get it,” your pitch definitely needs work.

Gennady Litvin, attorney at Moshes Law :

There’s a tendency to ramble and rush when giving an elevator pitch because the time allotted is so short but don’t. Instead, take your time and make sure you’re speaking clear enough so they can understand what is being said. You’ll find that rushing through it does more harm than good.

What’s the point of pitching them if they can’t even follow what you’re saying? Be concise with your message, this is easy if you understand what you sell, who you’re selling to, and how it benefits them as I stated before. And be conversational, even though this is a pitch find a way to include them and turn this pitch into a conversation. Pitches only last for about 30 seconds but a conversation can go on for hours.

Marina Shumaieva, co-founder and CTO of CruiseBe :

The main thing in this short pitch is practice. You should work on speed, intonation, readiness to respond to questions and interruptions. As for the proper construction of sentences describing your company, I’d like to recommend you a good game practice. Write down 5-10 large companies that were founded as startups. Try to write one-sentence pitches that could be the basis of their elevator pitches. Then try to find examples of pitches and compare the results.

Conclusion: How to Craft an Amazing Elevator Pitch

The elevator pitch, also known as the elevator speeech, is one component of successful networking . It will help you network confidently. When giving your elevator pitch, stand up straight, give a firm handshake, and look your partner in the eye.

Keys to crafting an excellent elevator pitch include practice, organization, and discipline. Take your time, take it slow, and start from scratch.

Last, be sure to include pertinent information in your elevator pitch. Stick to the important facts and elements of your story.

Good luck! Let us know if you have any questions.

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Top 7 Killer Elevator Pitch Examples

Make short, sharp, and on-the-spot presentations by modeling your presentations after these elevator pitch examples.

I’ve scoured the business management internet space to bring you the best, most-impressive elevator pitches. In the following paragraphs, I’ll show you how to model your communications on these winning archetypes. (Spoiler alert: some of these examples show what not to do, so read closely.)

What is an elevator pitch?

Think of your elevator pitch (or elevator speech) as a Twitter version of your business plan/proposal. You may use more than 140 characters to communicate your ideas during a 30-second elevator ride; however, don’t share more than three tweets’ worth of information in “ first contact ” situations.

Because the average English word has 4.5 characters (5.5 with spaces), a 140 character tweet equals roughly 25 words.

Most people speak 120-200 words per minute ; use a comprehensible 75 words (slightly slower than the average speaking speed) in your 30-second elevator pitch.

Speaking slowly (while still showing your passion for the subject) demonstrates confidence and competence.

Don’t just wing it and stumble your way through a rambling, improvised elevator speech the next time you get a chance to speak with an industry influencer.

Create and practice your elevator pitches right away–you never know when you’ll run into that next big opportunity.

Business networking means always having a business card in your hand and a smile on your face.

Give the same care and attention to the way you describe yourself (and your company) as you do to your professional attire, branding, and product design.

However, don’t spend too much time on this effort; track your time to ensure you spend an appropriate amount on this project without obsessing.

You can use an elevator pitch for everything from getting a job/promotion to landing a new client or investor. You’ll find these short, refined introduction speeches in all areas of business communication.

Staying ahead of the competition and managing industry rivalry means always presenting yourself in the best possible light. Later in this article, I’ll provide elevator speech examples for each of the popular variants. However, let’s use a basic elevator pitch template to get started.

Use a simple elevator speech template

You can find many outline variants and elevator pitch examples online; I’ll describe my favorites in this article. However, to keep things simple, I’ll start with a simple method used by the Harvard-MIT Division of Health Sciences and Technology:

• State the Problem
• Present Your Solution
• Explain Why People Should Trust You
• Describe Your Value Proposition
• Offer a CTA (Call to Action)

In the following fill-in-the-blank template, I use one sentence per point to clarify the structure of this system. Feel free to break this rule and create a natural-sounding elevator pitch. As you practice your speech out loud, keep tweaking your phrasing to sound personable and precise. Just remember to maintain a maximum of 75 words!

A simple Harvard-MIT elevator pitch template

• Problem: “[Customer Type] are often frustrated by the effort it takes to [Action].”
• Solution: “[Your New Solution] eliminates the need to [Customer’s Old Solution].”
• Why You: “For [Duration], [Customer Type] have trusted [Your Company] to provide the best solutions in [Customer’s Industry].”
• Value: “With [Your New Solution], you can [spend less/make more] [time/money] [Action].”
• CTA: “I’ll give you a call to learn more about your situation (Get Contact Info). Thanks for your time.”

Elevator pitch example #1: Nice and simple

“Ranchers are often frustrated by the effort it takes to hand-shear their angora alpacas. DroneClip eliminates the need to chase, restrain, and trim these beautiful beasts. For over 5 years, alpaca farmers have trusted DroneClip to provide the best solutions in alpaca ranching. With our safe and reliable drone aircraft, you can spend less time shearing and manage a larger herd. I’ll give you a call to learn more about your situation. Thanks for your time.”

Use a comprehensive speech outline template

When making an elevator pitch (or any other presentation, for that matter) you may want to follow a programmatic speech format like this one from UC Davis :

• Smile and make a “hooking” statement to capture your audience’s attention.
• Introduce yourself (and your company).
• Explain what you do and why you love it.
• Describe the contributions you’ve made, including the problems you’ve solved.
• Give a short, striking example of your value.
• Explain your interest in your listener(s).
• Describe your product/service/solution.
• List the ways people benefit from working with you (instead of your competitors).
• Provide a brief story about a satisfied customer.
• Ask for an appropriate response to this interaction (contact info, a referral, an appointment, etc.)

Even when working with this model, remember to keep it brief. A 75-word elevator pitch only includes 5-6 sentences. In fact, this detailed outline contains over 100 words.

Take a look at this example and learn how to sharpen your sentences into quick, powerful points. Some people like to use a lot of words to get your ideas out of their heads and onto paper.

If you’re one of these types, write a verbose first draft of your elevator speech just to get your thoughts in order.

Then, review the document a few times and find ways to make each sentence do its job with slightly fewer words than before.

To make this outline work, you’ll need to include many points per sentence, as I have below:

Elevator pitch example #2: Follow a comprehensive outline template

“Do you hate shearing stubborn alpacas by hand? I’m Joe Neely from DroneClip. I enjoy connecting animal lovers to technologies like our DroneScoop waste solution. I’m here at the Alpaca Festival to learn from you, the experts. Our hands-free DroneClip shearing system outperforms hand-shears so you can limit your employee hours. We saved one rancher, Bob Mikabob, over 40 weekly work-hours. When can I visit your farm, demonstrate our product, and meet your neighbors?”

Construct an elevator pitch for any purpose: example of custom writing

A simple format like Monroe’s Motivate Sequence may help you create the best elevator pitch for your purposes. This flexible structure can be adapted for everything from job interviews to investor meetings–and beyond:

• Get Attention
• Establish a Need
• Satisfy This Need
• Visualize Consequences
• Present a CTA

Say you want a promotion from Assistant Alpaca Wrangler to Chief Wool-Gatherer. Tailor Monroe’s Motivate Sequence to your needs and make a quick, 30-second presentation (to anyone who will listen). Let your colleagues, supervisors, and managers know why you deserve this lofty position.

Elevator pitch example #3: Adapt this format to your needs

“Yuck–I can’t believe how much loose alpaca hair floats around in our barn. I just got some in my mouth! Wouldn’t it be great if someone kept this place hair-free? I’d be glad to go around and scoop it all up. If we added a Chief Wool-Gatherer position, it would surely pay for itself by reducing waste and increasing profits. Tell the boss you want me to start, right away!”

No matter your desired outcome, it always pays to present your plans in a coherent, logical fashion. Make your speeches short and to the point, only mentioning the most relevant facts and opportunities.

The elevator pitch writing process

Sometimes it helps to see the process itself. You can adjust your speechwriting efforts according to the following brief, step-by-step elevator pitch example. To keep this section readable, I’ll create a short 30-word blurb, not an entire 75-word elevator pitch.

Elevator pitch example #4: Working with words

1) Write down all your ideas, regardless of word count.

“I’m Joe Neely and I want alpaca lovers to buy my T-shirts. I want people to feel proud of their animals and spread the word about our brand. Our brand is called DroneClip. We offer hands-free alpaca shearing solutions like FAA-approved UAV/UAS quad-copters for ranchers who want to save time and money and have more resources to invest in other aspects of their operations.”

2) Get rid of unnecessary details. The 64-word paragraph I created in Step 1 is a good start, but I can do better. First, I can cut the redundancies in my extremely-long final sentence:

“I’m Joe Neely and I want alpaca lovers to buy my T-shirts. I want people to feel proud of their animals and spread the word about our brand. Our brand is called DroneClip. We offer hands-free alpaca shearing solutions like FAA-approved UAV/UAS quad-copters for ranchers who want to save time and money.”

3) Remove any confusing or unfamiliar industry jargon. Now I’m down to 53 words. I must remove the drone-specific language in the last sentence to avoid confusing listeners. (I can always provide educational materials defining these terms in later interactions with my customers.)

“I’m Joe Neely and I want alpaca lovers to buy my T-shirts. I want people to feel proud of their animals and spread the word about our brand. Our brand is called DroneClip. We offer hands-free alpaca shearing solutions for ranchers who want to save time and money.”

4) Shorten and connect your sentences. You can communicate your entire unique selling proposition quickly if you limit your use of “ stop words .” These little connectors help sentences flow, but you don’t need as many if you combine 2-3 statements.

“I’m Joe Neely–Alpaca lovers buy my T-shirts to share their love of Alpacas and DroneClip. We offer hands-free alpaca shearing solutions for ranchers who want to save time and money.”

5) Review and ask, “What’s in it for the listener?” I’ve pared down my key points to a reasonable length (31 words). Before I polish up my final product, I need to make sure I’ve addressed the benefits customers can expect from my product. Sure, I’ve told people what the product does, but I’m selling T-shirts, not drones, in this example.

“I’m Joe Neely from DroneClip. Get our T-shirts to share your love of Alpacas and impress people by promoting the latest technology. We offer hands-free alpaca shearing solutions for ranchers who want to save time and money.”

6) Polish your speech and hit your target word count. This little blurb says everything I need it to say. I present both my T-shirt enticement product (which would also work well as a freebie) and my big sell (DroneClip drone systems).

Now, I just need to combine my introduction with my final sentence and add a few tweaks (for example, “time and money” became “resources” and then simply “frugal”).

“I’m DroneClip’s Joe Neely. We offer hands-free shears for frugal ranchers. Buy a T-shirt, show you love Alpacas, and impress people with this fun new technology.”

I’ve narrowed down my word count, added an idea, and refined my language. With similar efforts on your longer, 75-word elevator speech, you can maximize your potency. Make the most of your limited time and say the most you can in fewer words!

Sample elevator pitches you do not want to emulate

Elevator pitch example #5: avoid truisms, buzzwords, and hyperbole.

“Hi, I’m Joe Neely–I’m here to tell you all about the best drones ever constructed. The U.S. military has nothing on our sUAS and UAV options. With DroneClip, the world’s greatest corporation, you’ll be flying over the sky in your own battle robot–which also clips alpaca hair! If you’re flying, you’re flying with DroneClip–and winning the battle against hand-shears!”

In this elevator pitch example , I didn’t hold back and spoke as I would to a drone enthusiast. Not only are many of the claims in this blurb highly-exaggerated (hyperbole), I’ve also used unfamiliar buzzwords/industry terms.

Instead of providing clear and concise content , I’ve fluffed-up this elevator pitch so much with useless and obvious statements (truisms) that I didn’t have room for a CTA.

Elevator pitch example #6: Weed out fillers and annoyances

“Do you hate alpaca hair? Do wish you’d bought yaks instead? No? Do you love alpacas and say, ‘leave the yaks to the hacks?’ Well, I’m Joe Neely–come one, come all to the DroneClip side of the street. You can’t go wrong with this system –it’s the best in the business. Do you want the finest alpaca hair machine money can buy? Well, step right up and buy one today!”

If you include too many fillers like leading questions and side tangents, you’ll only annoy your customers. Don’t come off like a carnival barker ; you want people to view you as a professional who knows when not to come on too strong.

Don’t insult your audience’s attention by filling their ears with unfounded claims. Be sure to describe a valid consumer need–and how your product/service meets it.

Elevator pitch example #7: Don’t change the subject and ask too much of people

“Hi–I’m Joe Neely and I want you to–I mean, if you want to, you can… Buy the DroneClip right now, my friend. You don’t need to see how it works – trust me when I say it solves all your problems, champ. I hope you like this product, sweetie, because I don’t know if… I meant to say DroneClip is the best alpaca hair solution and you’ll save a lot with it. Just ask your neighbors–in fact, my man, buy one for each of them!”

Let’s face it. No one will buy a major piece of farm equipment unseen and untested. They certainly won’t buy one for their neighbors/competitors. Ask your customers for too much too soon, and you’ll look silly. Also, changing the tone from indecisive to enthusiastic makes people uncomfortable. Calling people by inappropriate and unprofessional nicknames and trailing off mid-sentence makes you sound completely insincere–as if it were your first day on the job (or the planet).

The bottom line

Stick with the elevator pitch examples and outlines I’ve offered earlier in this article, and you’ll present yourself with class and style. Take the necessary time to sculpt, polish, and practice your speech.

An award-winning elevator pitch can’t sell by itself; you must devote time and effort to making it sound natural in your best speaking voice.

Once you have a good speech prepared, you need to try it out in real-life situations. Whether you sell big or flop the first time, you’ll gain the experience you need to keep improving.

You’ll keep improving your sales skills throughout your career; just get out there and start talking to people–today!

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It’s called an “elevator pitch” or “speech,” but it could also be referred to as the “water cooler speech,” the “cocktail party speech,” or the standard blurb you use at your family get-togethers. When time is limiting (e.g., an elevator ride), it helps to have a 30-60 second summary of exactly what it is that you do and how you, as an individual, are contributing to your respective field. Ideally, once this micro-speech has been delivered, the impression that you leave should be memorable and long-lasting, especially if it is passionate and effortlessly delivered. Most importantly though, your listener(s) should recall your speech whenever they hear of that topic again, and, when relevant, your unique twist on it.

Elevator speeches can also be a great tool for career development and have the potential to connect you with future employers, collaborators, or funding agencies. Kate Bradford, the winner of the 2013 ASCB Elevator Speech contest, said that “competing in the Elevator Speech contest gave me the confidence to pursue other opportunities that involved public speaking: outreach, Capitol Hill visits, and teaching. I’ve learned that not only do I love talking about science, I love teaching science communication as well, which I do in my current position at JHU!” In her job search, Kate included the YouTube link of her award-winning talk in her application materials, and noted that “it was brought up positively in every interview,” and helped her land her current position as the Assistant Director of Career Services in the Professional Development and Career Office at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.

The ASCB Elevator Speech Contest was conceived by the Public Information Committee (PIC) to recognize the power of elevator speeches and to encourage researchers to be prepared to explain their work to anyone. Each year, we solicit 90-second video submissions and offer exciting prizes to winners of the contest at the ASCB/EMBO Meeting. We encourage applicants to inject their own personal style into the videos and to use easy-to-understand language (avoid jargon) so that the video is accessible to a broad audience. Most importantly, we want the participants to have fun sharing their work and explaining why you consider your research important for funding and the greater good of society.

For more information about the contest and how to submit an entry, follow this link. https://www.ascb.org/elevator-speech-contest/ And if you are going to the meeting in San Diego, consider attending the Advocacy Toolbox session sponsored by the Public Policy Committee and co-sponsored by the PIC to learn more about strategies to communicate with general audiences in a variety of contexts.

To learn more about how to submit to the ASCB Elevator Speech Contest during the annual meeting, go to:  https://www.ascb.org/elevator-speech-contest /

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24 elevator pitch examples to get your networking groove on

• 13 Jul 2021

Have you ever been at a networking event, a neighborhood barbecue, or even in an actual elevator and found yourself struggling to answer the question “What do you do?” If so, you need an elevator pitch.

A good elevator pitch is a go-to business tool for sales professionals. But, as you’ll see in the elevator pitch examples a little further down, you can benefit from having a solid elevator pitch up your sleeve no matter what industry you work in.

Additionally, your pitch can go beyond face-to-face conversations. It’s great for online interactions, too.

A strong elevator pitch makes a great introduction snippet for LinkedIn connections and online job boards. You can use it on job applications. A good pitch even works in cold emails.

This article clarifies what an elevator pitch is, when to use it, and how to craft your own winning pitch. And it all wraps up with a mega list of elevator pitch examples to get you started.

What is an elevator pitch

We’ve all heard the term. But what exactly is an elevator pitch? And why is it such a must-have?

An elevator pitch is a short explanation of what you do professionally, the value you provide, and how you deliver that value. The most effective pitches are brief — usually less than 30 seconds, or roughly the time it takes to ride an elevator. Hence the name.

Your elevator pitch is a powerful tool because it gives you a way to quickly explain what you do and why it matters, without inconveniencing anyone or giving the impression you talk about yourself too much.

It’s like small talk on steroids. Fits easily into casual conversation but packs a mighty punch.

And, as we mentioned, a well-crafted elevator pitch works in almost any context — professional or casual. Once you’ve committed yours to memory, you’ll never have to mumble awkwardly through questions about what you do for work.

Which is good. Because you never know when a casual acquaintance might turn into your next employer, or client, or business partner.

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What makes a good elevator pitch?

It might seem excessive to sit down and actually write out an elevator pitch. But your pitch has to do a lot of work, quickly. It must tell people what you do, show your expertise, and demonstrate the value of your work. And you must make this information relatable to someone who has no experience in your industry.

If you nail these ingredients, your elevator pitch will inspire people to continue the conversation or reach out to you for a second one, depending on the situation. If that happens, you know you’ve got a winner of a pitch.

But all of this is easier said than done. So your elevator pitch must be tightly constructed and well-thought-out.

Most people can’t produce a strong elevator pitch off the cuff. That’s why it’s a good idea to take some time to develop yours with five key attributes in mind.

A good elevator pitch gets attention

In some contexts, this is the hard part. But it’s slightly easier in your elevator pitch because somebody has asked you about what you do. You already have some degree of attention.

However, you should still frame your pitch in a way that’s relatable, interesting, and easy to understand. If you launch into an oral essay about the nitty-gritty details of your job, you’ll likely lose whatever interest you had.

Keep things simple. And feel free to think up fun, creative ways to explain what you do.

It clearly explains what you do

By now, this part is probably obvious. But this one is worth repeating because it often gets lost in trying to keep the elevator pitch short. It’s challenging to think up a concise way to explain what you do. People frequently end up with something that is short enough, but not very clear. Or they end up rambling on too long. Or they fill their elevator pitch with industry jargon.

Clearly and quickly explaining what you do might be harder than you expect. And it’s a good idea to run your elevator pitch by someone who isn’t in your industry, to make sure it completely and clearly explains what you do in language that anyone can understand.

It highlights your value proposition

Above and beyond explaining what you do, your pitch should also show what value your work delivers. It’s tough, but incredibly important. People will be much more interested in continuing the conversation if they understand why your work matters — what problems it solves and what solutions it offers. In other words: what’s in it for them?

In crafting your elevator pitch, keep this question in mind: “How does my work help the people I serve?”

It demonstrates your expertise

Just saying that you do something won’t persuade many people to follow up with you. You also have to show that you’re good at what you do. There are several ways to do this. You’ll see them in the examples below. But, as you find ways to demonstrate the value of what you do, you’ll often discover ways to demonstrate your expertise.

Just double-check that you’ve worked your expertise into your elevator pitch. It’s easy to leave this part out, even though you have the data to prove your skills.

And it does it all fast

Lastly, your elevator pitch has to be quick. Thirty seconds is the gold standard. If you can make your pitch shorter than 30 seconds, great. But you should definitely avoid talking for longer. Say what you need to say, then hand the mic to the other person.

Elevator pitch mistakes

Even if your elevator pitch seems to meet all the technical criteria, there are a handful of mistakes that can creep in undetected, if you don’t know to watch out for them. Here’s what to avoid when you write yours.

Making it too long

It’s easy to write an elevator pitch that looks short on paper but takes much longer to say out loud. According to radio experts (who know all about keeping it short), a pitch that comes in at  under 80 words  should take less than 30 seconds to say.

But practice speaking your own elevator pitch at a conversational pace to ensure that it is indeed less than 30 seconds.

Talking about yourself too much

This one is rather counterintuitive. Isn’t the whole point of an elevator pitch to answer questions about yourself?

Not quite. Your pitch is actually answering questions about your work and what you do. Yes, you’re part of that equation. But it’s not all about you.

If you find that your elevator pitch has a lot of first-person pronouns (I, me), rewrite it to shift the focus to your work instead. The best way to do that is to simply rephrase your sentence so that it describes your work, its value, or what it’s like to do your job.

If you find it impossible to write a sentence without a first-person pronoun, that’s okay. You’re talking about what you do, after all. Sometimes a first-person pronoun is necessary, but try to keep it to one or two. That way you won’t end up with a repetitive string of sentences that start with “I.”

Getting too technical

Not everyone knows the jargon you use in your work. In fact, most people probably don’t. Even seemingly common industry terms are often unknown to most people.

The bottom line is that you should avoid using industry-specific jargon. Replace it with more widely-used synonyms, even if those words might be slightly less precise. It’s more important to be understood than to be technically correct.

If you find there’s a technical term that you simply can’t avoid using, take the time to come up with a fast, simple definition for that term. This way, you can rattle it off quickly if someone asks what it means.

But believe it or not, even the most proprietary jargon usually has a simple synonym. You’ll be able to swap out a technical term for a simpler one almost every time.

Pitching at the wrong time

Even though an elevator pitch is a versatile tool, it’s not the right tool for every moment. If you deliver your pitch at the wrong time, it will fall flat no matter how good it is.

Your elevator pitch isn’t something to copy a paste into cold emails or recite as soon as someone picks up the phone. The basic rule of thumb is that you only deliver your pitch once somebody asks what you do for a living.

Otherwise, you’ll sound like an overzealous salesperson. And that sends people running for the door.

However, you can always  make a video elevator pitch for your LinkedIn profile , your website, job boards, or anywhere else where it makes sense to deliver a quick snippet telling people what you do.

Having both a written and a video pitch gives you the ability to effectively deploy yours in any situation, be it face-to-face or online. Before you know it you’ll be an elevator pitch pro, ready to pull out just the right pitch for any occasion.

The ultimate list of elevator pitch examples

Now that you know what to do, here’s our mega-list of elevator pitch examples to show you exactly how to write a good one.

There are two versions of each elevator pitch example: one for those of you who are professionally interested in selling products or services, and one for professionals who do not work in sales.

There really is an elevator pitch for everyone.

To better illustrate each type of elevator pitch on our list, we rounded up examples from our very own Biteable crew (then sent in our team of writers to make those examples top-notch, of course).

But regardless of who you are or what you’re pitching, we guarantee there is an example on this list to fit your personal style.

Off we go, then.

Quick pitch

This is the classic elevator pitch. Say your piece, then drop the mic.

The sales pitch

“The founder of Biteable is a marketer by trade. And he found that one of the most difficult parts of marketing was creating videos. It took a ton of special skills and expensive, complicated software to create quality marketing videos. So he created Biteable. It’s a browser-based video editor that anyone can use to make amazing videos in less time than it takes to download a traditional video maker.”

Pitch for other professionals

“I’m a user experience designer who makes software easy to use. The company I work for, Biteable, provides simple video making software. My work simplifies the part of the software that you, the user, sees. That way you get all the power of high-end video making software, without the complexity that makes traditional software difficult to learn and use.”

Just a question

This style of elevator pitch uses a question to get people engaged, then delivers the payload once you’ve drawn them in.

“Have you ever put off making a quick video because you know that making a video is never quick, or because you didn’t want to pay for expensive software? Biteable was created to solve exactly that problem. It’s a browser-based video maker that anyone can learn to use in literally minutes, but that’s powerful enough to create videos that look like they were made by a professional.”

“Have you ever tried to make a video but didn’t have enough video clips to do it? I create animated video clips for a video making software called Biteable. Using Biteable, anyone can edit the clips I make and put them together to create their own content, even if they have no experience making videos from scratch.”

Leverage your credibility

Your work experience is one of the most valuable things you can include in your elevator pitch. But you have to put your experience in tangible terms, so people easily understand the value of that experience.

“In my days working as a marketing consultant, I talked to hundreds — maybe thousands — of marketers. Easily 95% of them wanted to use video in their marketing, but didn’t have the resources to do it well. The Biteable video maker solves that problem by making it easy for marketers to create videos, even if they don’t have a camera or video production studio.”

“I’m a web developer for a video maker called Biteable. Biteable works in your browser. My responsibility is to write all the code that makes it work so seamlessly online. I’ve written millions of lines of code in my time at the company, and the payoff is that Biteable users are able to create videos in half the time it takes to make them with traditional software.”

Throw a curveball

This one is the elevator pitch equivalent of telling a story with a big twist at the end. It works because it draws people in with the promise of a punchline.

“A lot of businesses want to use video in their marketing campaigns. But they don’t have any video production resources — a studio, cameras, all that — and they don’t have much video making expertise on their marketing teams. Seems like video marketing is out of reach, right? Not if they use Biteable. Biteable is a video maker that gives everyone the power to create amazing videos, without professional video production experience.”

“For decades, making digital videos required expensive software that took a long time to learn. Biteable, the company I work for, makes an online video maker that’s affordable and incredibly easy to use. My responsibility as part of the customer service team is to take care of users when they have any questions about Biteable. I make sure people have a smooth experience every time they create a video.”

Presenting data is a great way to build credibility. If you have some numbers that support your value proposition, that makes your claim much stronger, especially if the data is surprising. The other benefit of using data is that it’s often quick and easy to present, if you frame it right.

“If you ask a video production company how long it takes to make a video, you’ll probably get an answer like six to eight weeks. That’s a long time. We ran some tests with the Biteable video maker, and we were able to create videos — complete with animations, text, and music — in less than 30 minutes. That’s a lot of time saved. But for businesses, that’s also money saved.”

“I’m a user data analyst for Biteable. Biteable is an online video maker. My job is to analyze data and help the development team make changes so the software is easier to use. We’ve actually gotten to the point where people can create complete videos in less than 30 minutes using the Biteable video maker.”

Let your clients help

Check out any good sales page and you’ll find customer testimonials. Testimonials are a proven direct marketing tactic. If you can fit a customer story or testimonial into your elevator pitch, it’ll make your pitch that much more effective.

“The Biteable video maker is specifically designed to help anyone — marketers, HR professionals, and anyone else — make incredible videos without any special skills or software. One of our customers, a teacher named Dorthea, used Biteable to go from making one video for her class each semester to making an educational video for her students every week. That says more about Biteable than I ever could.”

“I’m the head of customer experience for a company called Biteable. Biteable is an online video maker. One of our customers, a teacher, was able to go from making a single educational video each semester to making an educational video every week. And she really enjoyed using the Biteable video maker. My job is to make sure every Biteable customer has that experience.”

Break the ice with something lighthearted

Joking or taking a lighthearted approach can be a great way to lead into your elevator pitch, especially if you’re in a sales position and you need to get into the pitch as quickly as possible.

Just be careful with delivering actual jokes. Not everyone is a comedian. If your joke falls flat, it can make things even more awkward than just giving a straight sales pitch.

If you’re not a comedian, no problem. Your lighthearted opening doesn’t have to be a side-splitter. Just start with a quick tidbit to lift the mood before you hop into your pitch.

“How long does it take a marketing writer to make a marketing video? Less time than it takes them to write a sales pitch, if they use Biteable. The Biteable video maker is so simple that anyone, from the marketing writers to the customer support team, can make a marketing video in less than 30 minutes.”

“I’m the head of content for a company called Biteable. I don’t actually make any content, though. My team is amazing and does all the work. My job is just to put dates on the calendar and make sure everyone has something to do.”

Appeal to emotion

People like to believe they’re rational. But the reality is that humans use emotion to make the vast majority of their decisions. Therefore, appealing to emotion makes for a remarkably effective elevator pitch.

“Believe it or not, I used to be an engineer. I thought my job was to add value to the world by creating new and better solutions. But I found that my engineering team was spending huge swaths of time creating presentations, rather than engineering new things. So I joined the Biteable marketing team to give as many busy professionals as possible the ability to make video presentations, without sacrificing valuable time spent on their core responsibilities.”

“I was an engineer at one time. But I discovered that engineering teams were sacrificing huge blocks of time to create project presentations. So now I work as part of the Biteable marketing team. Biteable is a video maker that enables anyone to create amazing video presentations in minutes. My goal is to get the Biteable video maker into as many hands as possible, so people like engineers can spend more time on their core responsibilities.”

Draw on a mutual connection

This one only works if you and the other person actually have a mutual connection. If you use this style of elevator pitch, it’s wise to have a backup plan. That way you aren’t left improvising if you have no mutual connections to reference.

But a mutual connection elevator pitch can be a handy tool for networking events or conferences where many of the attendees know the same people.

“You know James MacGregor, right? He’s actually a client of ours. He used Biteable to cut video production time in half at his ad agency. Not only is making advertising videos with Biteable faster, but more of James’s team can also help with video editing and production because Biteable is so easy to use. You’d likely see similar results if you adopted Biteable in your agency.”

“I work as a backend engineer for a company called Biteable. You’re a friend of James MacGregor, right? He’s a customer of ours. He uses Biteable at his ad agency to produce advertising videos much faster and more affordably than he could with traditional video editing software. My job is to make sure the Biteable video maker works every time one of James’s team needs it.”

Give (a little) advice

Giving some advice can go a long way toward getting that coveted second conversation. Offering advice demonstrates your expertise and implicitly shows why you can help. If your quick advice is useful to someone, they’ll likely wonder how much more you could help them.

“You actually don’t need that much video marketing to get meaningful results. We’ve found that when small businesses produce just 10 percent more marketing videos, they pull in up to 30 percent more leads. That’s a great return on investment. Biteable can help you produce 10 percent more marketing videos using the same marketing budget and time that you’re already spending.”

“If you own a small business, and you create just 10 percent more marketing videos, you’ll get up to 30 percent more leads. A little video goes a long way. I do performance analysis for a company called Biteable. Biteable is a video maker that helps businesses produce 10 percent more marketing videos without any additional budget or employees. My job is to make sure Biteable helps companies get the results we know they can.”

A one-liner that works

One-liners are usually not a good idea. But a one-line elevator pitch can be effective because limiting yourself to a single line forces you to get to the point, without any fluff.

“Biteable is a video maker that gives everyone the power to create beautiful videos in minutes, using nothing more than their internet browser.”

“I’m an infrastructure engineer for an online video maker called Biteable, whose job it is to make sure that the Biteable video maker works every time a customer opens it in their browser.”

Highlight the problem you solve

Every job exists to solve a problem. Every product exists to solve a problem. And solving that problem is the foundation of the value you provide. So highlighting it is a great way to demonstrate the value you deliver.

“The main problem with video is that it’s been historically difficult and expensive to create. Most people and businesses rely on text and images simply because they don’t have the resources for video production. Biteable makes video production fast and affordable. Anyone can use it to create videos, right in their browser, without a single piece of video production equipment.”

“I’m in charge of performance optimization at Biteable. Biteable is a simple video maker that removes the time and money barriers of video production, so anyone can make great videos. My job is to measure and make sure that our video making software is doing its job: making video creation far easier, faster, and more affordable.”

Take your elevator pitch to the elevator (and everywhere else)

These elevator pitches cover just about the entire spectrum. But your pitch doesn’t have to be one of these. Feel free to get creative mixing and matching our examples to create an elevator pitch that’s completely your own.

But the most important thing to remember is that you should only deliver your elevator pitch when someone asks about what you do. Simply slinging it at the slightest sound of interest is worse than not slinging it at all. Your pitch is a powerful tool, but only when it’s the right tool for the job.

Once you’ve perfected your elevator pitch in person, use a  pitch template  and the Biteable video maker to create an elevator pitch video in minutes, and you’ll be ready to make your pitch to the digital world.

Make stunning videos with ease.

Take the struggle out of team communication.

Try Biteable now.

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