Assignment Guidance: Preparing Your Elevator Pitch
What is an Elevator Pitch?
An elevator pitch (also known as an elevator speech) is a short, persuasive speech you use to introduce yourself, your product, or your company. It aims to explain the concept quickly and clearly to spark interest in who you are and what you do.
Elevator pitches can be used in a variety of situations, including:
- General networking
- Introducing yourself at a career fair
- Introducing yourself at the start of an interview
- Pitching your project or ideas to different stakeholders
The information that you include in your elevator pitch will differ depending on your goal. So one of the first steps when creating an elevator pitch is to determine what you want to accomplish with your pitch.
Introducing Yourself
đź“ş Watch this video for an introduction to elevator pitches.
đź“ş Watch this video to learn more about crafting your elevator pitch.
As mentioned in the video, your elevator pitch should be around 30 - 60 seconds and it should include the following information:
- Who you are
- A little background information about yourself
- Explain and provide context
- Make the connection to the listener
- What you are asking for
- A closing
Creating Your Elevator Pitch
1 - Clarify your job target So when you begin putting an elevator pitch together, nail down the best way to describe your field and the type of job you’re pursuing. Until you can clearly explain the type of position you want, nobody can help you find it or hire you to do it.
2 - Put it on paper Write down everything you would want a prospective employer to know about your skills, accomplishments, and work experiences that are relevant to your target position. Then grab a red pen and mercilessly delete everything that’s not critical to your pitch. Keep editing until you’ve got the speech down to a few key bullet points or sentences. Your goal is to interest the listener in learning more, not to tell your whole life story. So remove extraneous details that detract from your core message.
3 - Format it A good pitch should answer three questions: Who are you? What do you do? What are you looking for? That should take about 15-30 seconds. The next 15-30 seconds should add details about your unique selling proposition, special skills, and specific ways you could help a potential employer.
4 - Tailor the pitch to them, not you It’s important to remember that the employers listening to your speech will be asking, “What is in it for me?” So be sure to focus your message on their needs.
5 - Eliminate industry jargon You need to make your pitch easy for anyone to understand, so avoid using acronyms and tech-speak that the average person or job interviewer might not understand. The last thing you want to do is make your listener feel stupid or uninformed.
6 - Read your pitch out loud and then edit it again The language you write in is different than how you speak. Practice your pitch out loud and then edit your written pitch to sound more natural.
7 - Prepare a few variations You might want to say things slightly differently to a potential business employer than you would to a professor you hope to work with. Also, sometimes you’ll just have 15 seconds for a pitch (kind of a short elevator ride). Other times you may have a minute or two. Focus on mastering a few key talking points, then work up ways to customize your speech for particular situations.
Avoiding Common Elevator Pitch Mistakes
Speak naturally
Deliver your elevator pitch in a conversational tone. Write down abbreviated bullet points for reference and practice speaking from those points. This will help you remember ideas instead of memorizing a direct script and sound more organic. If you prefer to memorize your pitch, practice until it feels natural to say it aloud.
Slow it down
Speak slowly and thoughtfully to ensure the listener has time to process what you’re saying. Take relaxed, deep breaths to slow your speech if needed.
Use one pitch for most (but not all) occasions
Have one general pitch that you can use at any moment, but tailor it whenever you can. For example, if you are approaching a programming company’s booth at a career fair, include why you’re especially excited about programming. Personalized ideas show your depth of interest and respect for the listener’s time.
Make it easy to understand
Use plain language in your elevator pitch that all audiences can understand. Avoid technical jargon and industry-specific terms that only someone with your skill level would know. This can make it difficult for them to ask you follow-up questions, and it might make them less likely to continue the conversation with you. Save niche terms for a technical interview, and make your pitch easy for everyone to follow.