Tips for creating an elevator pitch
- 1. PLAN TIPS FOR CREATING AN ELEVATOR PITCH giulia.conti@uniurb.it
- 3. PLAN
- 4. FOCUS ON YOUR AIM Before writing your speech, you should ask to yourself: what do I want to get out of this presentation? What results am I trying to achieve? Will it be clear to my addressee? Start from the conclusion: what is the aim of your speech? What do you want to present in these 90 secs?
- 5. KISS: KEEP IT SHORT AND SWEET! It's called an elevator pitch for a reason: you have a limited time to make a good first impression. An elevator pitch that takes 90 secs (and no one more!) to deliver at a good pace and includes roughly 150-250 words.
- 6. SELECT WHAT IS (MOST) RELEVANT Elevator pitches are meant to be short, so don't try to pack in too much. Divide you topic identifying 4/5 micro- aspects to touch (like paragraphs) and work in a logic way in order to build on, step after step, your target aim. Prefer direct sentences (S+V+O).
- 7. WRITE AND WRITE AGAIN The best way to prepare it is to write down the sentences and work to refine the effectiveness of any line and any word. Include numbers and concrete details.
- 8. CONNECT THE START WITH THE END Try to connect the incipit with the conclusion; the first sentence with the last one (as in a cognitive circle); an element, a word, an image is enough.
- 9. GET AUDIENCE’S ATTENTION If you can, get the attention of your audience with a rhetoric question (e.g. YES/NO question) or with a short funny joke. And don’t forget about the importance of the tone of voice.
- 10. SKIP SPECIALIST JARGON AND ACRONYMS Assume your audience has no understanding of your work. You want to be able to use your elevator pitch in front of anyone and know that they will understand what you do by the time you're finished, even if they have never even heard of your work before.
- 11. INCLUDE A CALL TO ACTION Include a call to action at the end of your elevator pitch. Outline what you want to happen next, whether it's giving the other person a chance to ask you questions, introducing you to a colleague, or scheduling a time to talk in more detail
- 12. SHARE YOUR PITCH You can choose to share your 90 secs with someone else. In case, divide the speech in a meaningful way and use the chance of the speaker as a plus to reinforce your audience’s attention and be more compelling.
- 13. AVOID PPT PRESENTATION You can help yourself (or your audience) with a support (a video, a flipchart, one slide) just if it doesn’t represent an obstacle in keeping the pitch concise and conversational.
- 14. RUN
- 15. REHEARSE, REHEARSE, REHEARSE An elevator pitch on paper is very different from one said out loud. Read your elevator pitch in your head, read it out loud, then recite it in a mirror to make sure it flows and sounds conversational. It's usually a good idea to run it by a colleague, friend or family member, too, to get a fresh perspective.
- 16. LEARN IT BY HEART You won't have the benefit of a cheat sheet when you're in a live situation, so memorizing your elevator speech is vital. The challenge is learning it by heart but still being able to deliver it naturally and not robotically. The more you practice delivering your elevator pitch, the easier it will be to sound conversational and relaxed.
- 17. SHOW YOUR PASSION The best elevator pitches are those that are unique, engaging and lead to further conversation. One of the best ways to accomplish this is by showing the passion you have in what you do. Show your fire and the passion can be contagious.
- 18. PASS THE MIC! You've put a lot of time into your elevator pitch, so it will be a big relief once you've delivered it successfully. But don't forget about the person on the receiving end. The best way to transition from a successful elevator pitch to a successful conversation is giving the other person a chance to wow you with his or her own elevator pitch.
- 19. SHORT RECAP 1. Choose a very precise topic (you have just 90 secs!) 2. Divide it in 4/5 steps 3. Write down around 150/250 words 4. The incipit should include all the essential parts 5. Refine any sentence, any word 6. Memorize it and practise 7. Practise. Practise louder. Practise in front of a colleague 8. Try to be engaging. Use your tone of voice, jokes, rhetorical questions 9. Include a call to action (eg. encouraging questions)