Whether you’re introducing yourself in a job interview or presenting a product to a room full of investors, you need to connect with your audience. And in most cases, you need to do so quickly.
Organize your thoughts and confidently deliver your message with an elevator pitch. An elevator pitch, or elevator speech, is a brief blurb that describes you, your business, or your project to inspire interest and encourage a second conversation. It’s a helpful tool in professional settings when you only have a short amount of time to grab a listener’s attention and persuade them to take action.
Your pitch should be concise and memorable, highlighting the most important details of your subject. Done correctly, it’s your best asset at a networking event, and it can even be the difference between letting a new connection fizzle out and finding your dream job.
Here’s when to present a speech, how to craft one, and elevator pitch examples to guide you through the process.
When to give an elevator pitch
Career fairs, job interviews, and networking events are great places to pitch yourself as a potential candidate. And if you’re presenting a product or service, industry events and client meetings are ideal for introducing your idea. In all of these spaces, people are ready, and maybe even eager, to hear from people like you.
But you never know when you could run into the right person who could offer a new connection or career opportunity. Prepare talking points and have a pitch ready, even if you don’t have an upcoming event. You might bump into someone unexpectedly.
Use your elevator pitch in the following four scenarios to command an audience’s attention:
1. Career fairs
Career fairs bring you face-to-face with top employers. If you’ve done your research before attending, which you should, you might even have a few companies in mind you’d like to get in touch with.
Investigate each business you want to connect with before crafting your elevator pitch. Note what you appreciate about the company, its latest developments, and active job postings. This information lets you determine which positions you’d like to apply for and convey why you’d make a great fit. Remember to highlight your attributes that match the roles and responsibilities and have targeted resumes to give to recruiters.
2. Job interviews
Preparing for interviews is intimidating, even if you’re well-versed in situational and behavioral interview questions. Creating an elevator pitch to answer the common “Tell me about yourself” question is a great place to start. You can show recruiters why you’re the right fit for the role and leave a memorable first impression, walking them through key elements of your CV and touching on your professional development goals.
Having an elevator pitch ready helps settle job interview nerves by making you feel more prepared, and it gives you the chance to focus on the most relevant details of your work history. Presenting the hiring manager with key moments of your career right away sparks interest, inspires further questions, and helps them remember you.
3. Networking events
Networking events are an opportunity to make connections within your industry. All attendees are there to build a network, so you can use your professional pitch with anyone you meet. And practicing with other attendees is a wonderful way to improve your communication skills.
Your pitch should highlight your professional experience, what you have to offer, and what you’re looking for in your career. This opens the door to professional connections that could lead to new opportunities, whether you’re looking for a job or want to pitch a product.
First impressions count. And you never know what connection will lead to future success. An effective elevator pitch at a networking event could be what you need to land a new role or put you in the path of potential clients or investors.
4. Sales meetings
A product or service-specific sales pitch should be ready for any occasion, whether that’s for an organized meeting or an impromptu encounter with a potential client. Tailor your pitch to address your audience’s needs, and pose your product as the solution. Include a thought-provoking hook, a clear explanation of what you have to offer, and a final statement that inspires further conversation.
An elevator pitch is useful for kicking off a sales meeting and setting the tone of the discussion. It’ll most likely lead to follow-up questions about your product or service, so prepare for any that could come your way.
How long should an elevator pitch be?
Whether you’re presenting yourself to a potential employer or a project to an investor, an elevator pitch should last 20–60 seconds. Around 30 seconds is the general consensus. This is the perfect amount of time to touch on key points while engaging the audience.
Research shows that the average person’s attention span is only eight seconds, so you need to grab their interest fast. Start strong so their focus and concentration don’t wane. Create a list of important points, and put vital ones first. Every pitch you create should start with introducing yourself and follow with key points and a clear call to action.
Ensure your pitch is within 20–60 seconds by timing yourself reading it out loud. Speak in a conversational tone, and try not to rush or cram in additional information as you go. The 30-second average is longer than it seems and should be plenty of time to get your point across while keeping attention spans in mind.
9 elevator pitch examples to help you succeed
An elevator pitch should reflect your personality and professional goals, and it can be whatever you want it to be. But with so much freedom, it’s hard to write.
Here are nine elevator pitch ideas with examples and tips to nail your next important meeting.
For sales pitches
Speaking to investors and potential collaborators is all about highlighting your product’s strengths. With that in mind, there are dozens of ways to approach an elevator pitch. Find one that suits your brand identity, sales skills, and target audience. You have time to experiment.
1. Ask an engaging question
This approach works best as a sales pitch. Ask a short rhetorical question that addresses your target audience’s problem and suggests that you’ll be the one to answer it. Use this method in planned meetings or cold calls to grab someone’s attention and entice them to keep listening. It should empathize with their needs and show them you’ve done your research and understand their pain points.
Your question-centered pitch should follow this order: ask a relevant question, empathize, and explain your value proposition. Here’s an example:
Are you tired of looking at a full inbox? Maybe you’ve missed a few deadlines because you didn’t open the correct correspondence in time. My partner and I constantly dealt with this issue while working as sales managers. That’s why we created LetterFix, a software tool that quickly scans your emails for upcoming dates and brings them to your attention.
2. Use a statistic
According to a study from the journal Communication Research, statistical evidence is more convincing than just a story. Starting a sales pitch with a surprising statistic will show your client that not only is their problem significant, but you understand it and its impact. Just make sure it’s relevant and directly correlates to the thing you’re trying to sell. It should also be accurate.
Here’s an example of using a stat to introduce a product or service:
Workers spend, on average, 2.6 hours per day answering emails. That’s nearly three hours that takes away from their day-to-day tasks — slowing down projects and progress. Our tool SpeedyQuill automates email responses and allows you to press send within seconds of reading an email. We’ve saved workers approximately two hours per day they can use towards more important tasks.
3. Try a comedic approach
With the right audience, comedy can be a great way to break the ice during a sales pitch. It shows your audience that you’re solution-oriented yet fun to work with. Keep in mind that this approach doesn’t work for every audience or every business, so use it with caution. If it matches your brand identity, humor is a great tool, but it might not fit into a corporate setting.
Here’s an example of a funny elevator pitch to inspire you:
Did you hear about the salesman that’s stuck answering emails all day? He was too busy to attend this meeting because his inbox was full. But that could change. Each salesperson that uses our tool SpeedyQuill saves approximately two hours daily from answering emails, and that’s two hours they can spend acquiring new clients and increasing your revenue.
4. Create an emotional connection
Appealing to your audience’s emotions and feelings gives your audience the chance to connect with your idea. The goal is to interest them in your cause, tugging at the heartstrings and offering a compelling case for your product or service.
Remember that emotions alone aren’t always enough to sell your product or service. You’ll need hard evidence of its benefits to persuade someone to do business with you. Here’s a pitch that explains the emotions behind a business idea:
When I started my therapy practice, I thought I could help more people, but scheduling conflicts at my in-person office made it difficult to serve every patient. I spent time outside my working hours to help as many as possible but wished there was an easier way. That’s why I created Head Start Hope, a 24/7 online therapy platform that connects therapists and patients around the US. Now patients can receive therapy at any time with licensed therapists without worrying about scheduling an in-person appointment or commuting somewhere. We’ve helped hundreds of people get the help they need.
5. Utilize storytelling
Similar to creating an emotional connection, storytelling relies on real-life examples to engage your audience. It uses your or a customer’s testimonial to appeal to your audience rationally and provide a specific example of how your product or service can succeed. And if what you’re offering is hard to understand, telling a story about it can put the concept into perspective and clarify what it means. Here’s an example:
We have a customer that was struggling to get their sales team motivated when it came time to sell a new product. With the help of our workplace coaching service, the sales team was able to increase motivation and improve their sales by 50% in the first four months. And they aren’t the only customers we’ve helped achieve those numbers.
6. Try a memorable one-liner
The first and final parts of any speech are the most memorable, while the information you present in the middle sticks the least. Using this logic, you can implement a clever one-liner at the beginning of your pitch or at the end to leave a lasting impression on your audience.
Your one-liner should be authentic, unique, and related to your product or service. This way, if your audience has heard countless introductions throughout an event, they’ll remember you more easily. Here’s an example of a pitch that ends with a one-liner:
Most children wait months for specialty dental surgery in Texas. But with the proper training and resources, this time could be much lower. Our company, Little Lion Dental, developed a program that connects new dentists with offices that need them, faster. So the question is, do you want to invest in the smiles of tomorrow?
For personal pitches
It can be hard to sell yourself to a potential employer or client, especially if you’re anxious about the conversation. Preparing a pitch beforehand removes that uncertainty and helps you remember exactly what you want to say. Here are a few examples of personal pitches to inspire you:
7. Short and sweet
It’s best to keep things short and sweet when introducing yourself at networking events or job fairs — that’s the goal of an elevator pitch, after all. A short blurb lets the other person contribute to the conversation faster and remember the important details afterward. Use eye contact when communicating and read your listener’s body language to adapt the conversation and grab their interest.
Start by introducing yourself, touching on your relevant work experience, and explaining what you’re looking for in your career. Remember to end your interaction by leaving your contact information with a resume or business card. Here’s an example:
Hi, my name is Fatima. I have 10 years of experience as a freelance photographer, helping large food and beverage companies truly capture their products. If your business is interested in my work, here’s my card, but you can find some examples of my best work on my portfolio website.
8. Relay industry knowledge
Starting your pitch with the latest developments in your industry shows your audience you’re well-informed. This works well at career fairs where recruiters are looking for top talent who keep up with current trends and are invested in the industry.
Mentioning one of your industry’s latest developments, and involving the recruiter in the discussion, is an excellent way to grab their interest. To do this effectively, quickly introduce yourself, explain how you’ve been implementing new knowledge in your career, and end with your future goals. Here’s an example of a personal pitch that does this:
Hi, I’m Melissa, a consultant for tech and software businesses. I’ve assisted software clients for over 10 years, and I’m interested in using AI tech like ChatGPT to find optimized pathways for businesses that want to scale quickly. I’ve already implemented my system with a few different organizations with a 100% success rate, which is extremely exciting, and I’m looking for a firm that can support my research. Can I offer you my resume?
9. Inquire about a job referral or internship
When you meet someone who works at a company you’d like to work at or in an industry you want to work in, you can pitch yourself on the spot. Don’t be shy about your interest. You’re pitching for a reason, so be confident.
Try this method by introducing yourself, explaining your interest in their company, and inquiring whether the person knows of open positions or could get you in touch with someone who does. Here’s an example of a personal pitch that directly asks about jobs:
Hi, I’m Raji. I’m a big fan of what Corkboard Marketing is doing in the industry, especially when it comes to client relations. I’ve been working as a marketing associate for five years, and have experience in both client management and campaign development. I actually improved client relations at my previous job based on your company’s methods. I’m very interested in any open positions you know of. Would you happen to know if Corkboard Marketing is hiring or who to talk to about joining the team?
Put your best foot forward
Whether you’re making an elevator pitch about yourself or a product you’re passionate about, take the time to prepare and write one that works. Just a few sentences could set your professional trajectory higher than before.
If you’re feeling stuck, use elevator pitch examples and templates for inspiration. They might spark your next great idea.
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