You have 30 seconds to make your pitch, but what if you're just starting and don't even know where to start?
It's vital to capture your audience's attention and get them interested in what you have to offer. This can have a massive impact on how well you do throughout your career as someone who sells things in a short time.
Elevator pitches are perfect when talking with strangers at networking events because it is easy to get lost in conversations about work.
During these situations where everyone feels pressure from social norms, which means that unless you initiate an introduction, people will often assume you already know each other. So if the question "What do You Do?" comes up, then whip out this handy dandy little response!
What is an Elevator Pitch?
An Elevator Pitch is an informal and quick presentation to sell your product, idea, or service. The shortest form might be simply a one-sentence description of the product or service being sold followed by three to five benefits that would appeal to prospective customers.
The origin story starts from Hollywood back in the day, when a screenwriter would try to catch a producer's attention before being ushered into their office for them to ask "What's your idea?" The pitch one typically gives at this point is called an "elevator pitch."
The goal of a pitch is not to get over people with science but rather tempt prospects with the benefits they will enjoy when purchasing from you.
How do you measure success? The customer will either say "yes, I want it" or "no thanks!" - there's no middle ground.
It may take as little as 10 seconds for potential customers to decide whether they'll enjoy your pitch enough at any moment, so try pitching a great one with your unique selling proposition.
The average person speaks at about 120-200 words per minute, which is too fast for most listeners. To have a successful elevator pitch, you need to slow it down and use 75 words (slightly slower than the average speaking speed) in your 30 second time limit.
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Dinesh Akuthota
Elevator Pitch Outline
Use this elevator pitch outline to quickly and efficiently start piecing together your speech.
- Introduction
- Problem
- Solution
- Value proposition
- CTA
7 Killer Elevator Pitch Examples
1. The Problem And The Solution Elevator Pitch
You can give this pitch at a short elevator ride when the person next to you is curious about what you are doing for work.
Are you tired of your employees wasting time in meetings that don't get anything accomplished?
With [product], a tool designed to give managers insights into how their people are feeling and what they spend most of their day doing (with regards to work).
Managers can step in and fix productivity issues before they boil over. Want to see how it works?
2. Elevator Pitch To A Person Sitting Next to You In An Airport
Person: So, what do you do for a living?
You: I help clients with HR needs from hiring to training. With a team of experts, we've saved the company an average of $5 per employee by addressing their specific requirements.
Person: Wow, sounds interesting. How do you do that?
You: Recently, we have created groundbreaking technology that would revolutionize how companies assess their employees' performance levels. Let's take an example, what is your team strength?
Person: 20
You: If you assume most of your employees are developers, you can save up to $5 million a year with our training programs. What type of employee training do you currently offer?
Person: (Explains enthusiastically)
You: I am happy to speak with you and see if we can get the best way that will work for both of us! Let's get started by scheduling a meeting.
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Abhishek Ekbote
3. If You Met At a Technical Conference
A professional from a product company wants to know your role in tech and sales. This is how you go - either get the contact information of the person or give your business card at the end. This conversation is best if the prospect has stated the problem clearly in the discussion.
I am the IT Procurement Consultant who negotiates major deals to lower costs for my clients. I have an eye for cutting through the red tape and negotiating with vendors on behalf of both buyers and sellers so that you can enjoy a better buying experience without having to pay more than necessary.
For example, if your average spend is 1 million a year, we could probably save you $100000 a year if you partner with us. We need to chat more! What's the best way for me to get on your calendar?
4. Telling a Story
Use a customer success story whenever you come across a potential customer in an elevator. Giving a sales pitch this way might be hard in 30 seconds, but it never hurts to be prepared.
We have a customer in the automotive industry that transitioned to a fully remote workforce this year. With deadlines looming and team members scattered across the world, our experts helped them get up to 10% of their time back so they could focus on more important things like planning a huge merger.
5. A Question Pitch
It's time to give a twist with a question. But, again, this engages the audience rather than just presenting them with a talk and helps you get important information.
How long does your sales team spend closing a deal with cold email? Do you think it's more or less than 2 days to 2 weeks?
How long will it take you to convince the buyer? If you had VideoForm, you'd be able to close more deals in less time and increase open email rates. Would you like to see how?
6. Emotionally Driven
A more complex but effective way to make an elevator speech is by making it emotional. This type of approach will resonate better with your audience because you speak from the heart and connect emotionally.
The majority of deadlines are missed every week because of a lack of clarity. But with the right sales management calendar, there could be many fewer missed deadlines in your business, and you can live without these lost opportunities for growth. I would love to talk more about this; when is the best time to connect with you?
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Abhishek Ekbote
7. Networking Event
Networking events or job fairs can be tough to survive if you're not prepared. However, don't let the virtual-first culture and lack of face time get in your way when it comes to making meaningful connections with others.
This is why it's essential for an SDR like you to prepare an elevator pitch and practice before walking through those doors.
Great meeting you today! I'm Steve from VideoForm. We work hard to provide sales teams worldwide with a better way of connecting and engaging their prospects so that you can close more deals sooner than ever before. I hope we have an opportunity to do business together in the future!
What Not to Say and Do During Your Elevator Speech?
We all know those elevator speeches are supposed to be concise and brief, but there is such a thing as being too short. So keep this in mind with what you say--don't give up any potentially useful information to finish in a hurry.
There are many rules for making a successful elevator speech. Here is a few:
- Do your research about the person
- Establish small talk
- Tell an entertaining story instead of going into details
- Provide value without asking for anything in return
The last point often overlooked by many is to provide value without asking for anything in return. Common mistake salespeople make when giving their elevator speech is asking the individual if they want to be added to a mailing list or receive a coupon and then try to get them on the spot as soon as they step off the escalator.
Here are a few things not to include in your speech so you can sound more professional:
- Thank god I have an elevator pitch.
- I'll find my way around later; right now, I want to talk about myself...
- No one objects when I put the speaker on full blast at night...
- Here’s a coupon…..
When To Use An Elevator Pitch?
If you have less than 30 seconds to deliver your elevator pitch, it may be more effective to simply greet people and tell them what you are trying to promote without the details. Anything more complex than a greeting may require a closer evaluation of tone, communication skills, and delivery.
The short answer is that when you want to get someone's attention, their attention is specific and efficiently conveys a targeted message.
There are many occasions when it's beneficial to share your expertise or products in a concise, cohesive way, for instance, at trade shows, expos, networking events, and conferences.
Depending on the audience you're trying to reach, it may also require tailoring your message by addressing any common objections they may have toward new ideas or innovations.
When travel is hardly an option anymore, getting face-to-face with people at networking events seems almost impossible. However, VideoForms offer the opportunity for you to connect virtually with prospects in a "face like" way using video emails! If you're interested sign up for a FREE 7 day trial and start connecting today!
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