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How to Give a Great Elevator Pitch (With Examples)

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How to Give a Great Elevator Pitch (With Examples) was originally published on Forage .

Though people are complex and so much more than just their jobs, in a new social situation you’re often asked, “So, what do you do?” or “What are you majoring in?” While you probably have a stock answer ready to go (I’m in sales; I’m majoring in English), the person asking may be able to help you achieve your career goals — but they won’t know unless you’ve got an elevator pitch ready to go.

An elevator pitch is an enticing and interesting three or four-sentence summary of you. But you do more than talk about yourself. Your elevator pitch gets the listener interested in what you’re capable of.

In this guide, you’ll learn:

What Is an Elevator Pitch?

How to write an elevator pitch, elevator pitch examples, elevator pitch bonus tips.

Mike Gardon of CareerCloud sums up elevator pitches like this: “When meeting someone for the first time, we all get asked what we do, right? Well, an elevator pitch is how you answer that question.”

At its core, an elevator pitch is a brief synopsis of who you are and what you do (or are trying to do). It’s named so because of the idea that you’re in an elevator with the one person who can make your career dreams come true. You’ve got the length of that elevator ride (approximately 30 seconds) to convince that person to keep listening to you.

Why You Need an Elevator Pitch (and When You’ll Use It)

In many respects, an elevator pitch is all about you. And though it may seem strange — uncomfortable even — to talk about yourself, a well-designed elevator pitch starts with you and ends with the listener.

Gardon explains, “The elevator pitch is designed to engage the person with whom you are communicating, and get them to take some next action. Think about it like this: if you were writing an email, the elevator pitch would be the subject line plus the next couple of lines that are shown in an inbox. The purpose is to get the recipient to open the email.”

In the case of your elevator pitch, you’re attempting to spark a longer conversation (or later meeting) with someone who could potentially help you professionally.

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Your elevator pitch comes in handy when you’re looking for a job. But you’ll also use various versions of your elevator pitch in situations like:

• Networking events
• Prospecting for new sales and clients
• When you’re interviewing and asked, “Tell me about yourself.”
• As the “about me” on LinkedIn, Twitter, or other social media page
• In the summary of qualifications on your resume

How Long Should an Elevator Pitch Be?

While elevator ride times vary, the general rule of thumb is that an elevator pitch is no longer than 30 seconds, which means your pitch needs to be concise.

So, you can’t include every accomplishment from your last three jobs, just the top most recent ones. As you’re honing your pitch, write it down and limit yourself to four sentences. This will help you focus on your top highlights.

In general, an elevator pitch includes four essential elements: who you are, what you do, what’s unique about you, and what your “ask” is. Though the “meat” of your pitch likely doesn’t change often, you should prepare multiple elevator pitches that you can tailor to your situation.

For example, if you’re a student, the pitch you use at a career fair may not be the same one you use at a networking event. Likewise, if you’re changing careers, you may need to switch up what your “ask” is depending on who you talk to.

Gardon offers an example. “I wear so many different hats and am involved in different businesses. So, if I want someone to be a guest on my podcast, I might tell them how we’ve done over 400 episodes, instead of telling them that I’m a former derivatives trader.”

Also, while the below elements are crucial, they can go in almost any order. While a good elevator pitch usually begins with your name, you may find that listing your skills before your accomplishments is better for your pitch.

Part 1: Who Are You?

Your elevator pitch starts with your name, of course, but also consider throwing in a “hook” that gives the person you’re speaking with an opening to ask you questions. Here are some examples:

“I’m [your name], a recent graduate of [university] with a degree in [your degree].”

“My name is [your name] and I’m a junior at [university] majoring in [your major].”

“I’m [your name] and while I’m currently in product development, I’ve decided I want to change gears and go into graphic design.”

Part 2: What Do You Do?

The second part of your elevator pitch explains what you do. However, you shouldn’t limit yourself to a job title. This is the place to mention one outstanding accomplishment from your job, internship, or even a class that will wow your listener.

Like all parts of your elevator speech, this needs to be brief, but it should also be detailed and help the listener get an idea of what you’re capable of:

“During my marketing internship at [name of company], I grew social media engagement by 43%, which resulted in an uptick in newsletter sign-ups year over year.”

“Our business is small, but that lets us have more personal interaction, which has helped us keep a small but loyal and profitable client base for 15 years.”

“After learning about the stock market, I wanted to test what I learned as well as my skills, so I created a mock portfolio that’s realized a 24% gain over the last year.”

Part 3: What’s Unique About You?

The next section of your elevator pitch includes something unique about you. While this can include specific skills, you can also trace your career path or accomplishments to illustrate how you use your skills.

Because you only have 30 seconds, you might be tempted to list your skills or accomplishments like a grocery list. But try to link them to an outcome or something you can do.

“I enjoy analyzing data and using the results to plan my content calendar, including social media posts.”

“I worked on my college newspaper, starting on the sports beat, eventually moving my way up to chief editor.”

The first example mentions one skill (data analysis ) and two outcomes (planning the content calendar and social media posts). The second example doesn’t mention any skills but illustrates the speaker’s career path (sports beat to chief editor), demonstrating an increase in skills and responsibilities.

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Part 4: Call to Action (or What’s Your Ask?)

The final part of your elevator pitch includes a call to action. Or, more specifically, what are you asking for?

Much like networking, you may not want to blurt out “a job!” even if that’s your desired outcome. This section is what you hope will happen, which could be a job, internship, or just a new networking connection.

“I would love to speak to you about being a potential mentor, if you have time.”

“I’d like to follow up with you about how I can get involved in and conduct summer research.”

“Can you tell me how you decided on [this] career?”

Each of these invites the listener to continue engaging with you either right now or in the future. 

Optional Part 5: Something Memorable

Finally, depending on the situation, you might want to include something memorable in your pitch. This is situation-dependent and only something you should do if you’re comfortable.

For example, the pitch on Gardon’s LinkedIn profile says, “Earned the Title ‘World Champion Funniest Person In The World (to my kids)’ 10 years running.”

Of course, not everyone can be the “Funniest Person in the World,” but your memorable moment could be your love of science fiction, who your favorite author is, or the fact that you just adopted a cat.

Here’s what all the elements look like when you put them together:

“I’m David, a rising senior at XYZ University and an education major. I spent last year student teaching at my old high school, and it was quite the experience being on the other side. I’m graduating in the spring and am looking to teach high school biology.”

“I’m Ella, and I’m currently an individual contributor at XYZ company running the social media accounts. I use Google Analytics to analyze and improve content performance, and my personal TikTok has XXX followers. I’m looking to move to a leadership role at a mid to large-size company where I can mentor others.”

“I’m Mike and I’m a sophomore at XYZ university. When I was a kid, I really wanted to communicate with animals, which is partly why I’m majoring in zoology. I’m not sure what career is best suited for me. Can you tell me how you ended up in yours?”

Once you’ve written (and rewritten) your elevator pitch, you’re almost ready to try it out. Before you do, though, ensure your delivery is memorable — for the right reasons!

• Practice. Practice makes perfect, of course. And while you don’t want to sound too rehearsed, you also don’t want to trip over your pitch or start rambling. Practice in front of a mirror, with friends or family, or record yourself to make sure you’re getting it right.
• Time yourself. Thirty seconds can feel like forever or fly right by. Time yourself to make sure your pitch isn’t too long or too short, and adjust as necessary.
• Use your “excited” voice. While you’ll want to use your “inside voice,” vary your tone. When you give a rehearsed speech, it should be polished but not robotic. Try to bring some excitement to your voice as you speak.
• Speak slowly. You may want to cram as much as possible into your 30 seconds, but that could result in you speaking too quickly to try to get it all in, making it tough for the listener to understand you. As hard as it might be, stick to one or two main points.
• Maintain eye contact. While you don’t want to stare at the listener the whole time, you don’t want to stare at the floor either. Maintain the level of eye contact that feels normal and natural to you, and break eye contact when appropriate.

Make Your Pitch

An elevator pitch is useful in all sorts of professional (and even personal!) situations. By taking stock of what you do and what you want to do, you’ll find the perfect elements to include in yours and impress the next person you pitch it to.

Want more insights into creating the perfect pitch? Check out Ashurst’s Building Your Personal Brand Virtual Experience Program .

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The post How to Give a Great Elevator Pitch (With Examples) appeared first on Forage .

How to Craft the Perfect Elevator Speech in 2024 (With Examples)

• The Speaker Lab
• May 6, 2024

Table of Contents

Have you ever gotten onto an elevator with someone important and wished you had more time to talk to them? Or maybe you’re at a networking event and only have a few short minutes to introduce yourself to someone you’ve always wanted to connect with. In life, there are many situations where you only have a few seconds to make an impression that lasts. That’s where your elevator speech comes in. Today, we’ll explore the art of crafting the perfect elevator pitch—one that’s clear, concise, and compelling. Here’s how to make every second matter so that you’re unforgettable to anyone lucky enough to cross paths with you.

What Is an Elevator Speech?

You’ve probably heard the term “elevator speech” thrown around, but what exactly does it mean? An elevator speech (or elevator pitch) is a brief, persuasive speech that you use to introduce yourself, your product, or your company. In addition, you should also try to provide a short overview of your own background and experience.

As the name suggests, your elevator speech should be short enough to present during a quick elevator ride. Practically, that means you only have about 30-60 seconds to communicate your unique skills and what you can offer to a company or organization. The goal? To share your knowledge and credentials quickly and effectively with people who don’t know you.

Importance of Having a Strong Elevator Speech

Think of an elevator speech as a personal sales pitch. Having a strong, well-crafted elevator pitch can help you stand out from the crowd, whether you’re at a networking event, job interview, or just meeting someone new. It’s a great way to make a positive first impression and leave people wanting to know more about you.

You can use your elevator pitch in a variety of situations, such as:

• Job interviews
• Career fairs
• Networking events
• Professional conferences
• Social gatherings

Basically, anytime you need to introduce yourself professionally, an elevator pitch comes in handy. It’s a valuable tool to have in your career toolkit.

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Key Elements of a Memorable Elevator Speech

So, what makes a good elevator speech? All told, there are several key elements, such as clarity, an explanation of your unique skills, a call to action, and confidence. Let’s break down these key components and look at them more closely.

Clarity and Conciseness

Firstly, your elevator pitch should be clear and concise. Avoid using industry jargon or complex language that might confuse your listener. Keep it simple and to the point.

Unique Value Proposition

What sets you apart from others in your field? Your answer to this question forms your unique value proposition (UVP). In your elevator speech, highlight your UVP—in other words, anything that makes you stand out. For instance, maybe you have a special skill, experience, or perspective. Focus on what makes you memorable and valuable.

Call to Action

End your pitch with a specific call to action. What do you want the person to do after hearing your pitch? Do you want them to visit your website, schedule a meeting, or connect on LinkedIn? Make it clear what the next steps are.

Confidence and Enthusiasm

How you say it is just as important as what you say. Accordingly, deliver your pitch with confidence and enthusiasm. Smile, make eye contact, and speak clearly. Let your passion for what you do shine through.

Crafting Your Elevator Speech

Now that you know the key elements of an elevator speech, let’s talk about how to actually craft one.

Identifying Your Target Audience

Before you start writing your pitch, think about who you’ll be delivering it to. Are you targeting potential employers, clients, or investors? Understanding your audience will help you tailor your message to their needs and interests.

Highlighting Your Skills and Experiences

Your elevator pitch should showcase your most relevant skills and experiences. Think about what makes you unique and valuable to your target audience, then use specific examples and achievements to back up your claims.

For example, instead of saying “I’m a great communicator,” you could say “I have five years of experience in public relations, and I’ve secured media placements in top publications like Forbes and The New York Times .”

Tailoring Your Pitch to the Situation

You may need to slightly adjust your pitch depending on the situation. For example, your pitch for a job interview might focus more on your work experience and career goals. In contrast, your pitch for a networking event might focus more on your personal brand and interests.

Practicing and Refining Your Pitch

Once you have a draft of your elevator pitch, practice delivering it out loud. Time yourself to make sure it’s no longer than 60 seconds. Along the way, pay attention to your pacing, tone, and body language .

Ask a friend or colleague for feedback and keep refining your pitch until it feels natural and compelling. The more you practice, the more confident you’ll feel delivering it in real-life situations.

Delivering Your Elevator Speech Effectively

Once you’ve crafted a killer elevator speech, it’s time to deliver it with impact. But how do you do that? Below we have some tips for perfecting your delivery.

Body Language and Nonverbal Communication

When giving your elevator speech, your body language can speak louder than your words. Stand up straight, make eye contact, and smile. Use hand gestures sparingly in order to add emphasis to your points. Finally, avoid crossing your arms or fidgeting, as these can make you appear nervous or closed off.

Speaking Clearly and Confidently

Speak at a moderate pace and enunciate your words clearly. Vary your tone and inflection in order to keep your listener engaged. Most importantly, project confidence even if you’re feeling nervous. Remember, you know your stuff!

Engaging Your Listener

Tailor your pitch to the person you’re speaking with. For instance, use their name, ask them questions, and try to make a personal connection. Show genuine interest in their thoughts and feedback. The more engaged they are, the more likely they’ll remember you and your message.

Being Prepared for Follow-up Questions

Your elevator speech is just the beginning of the conversation. Once you’ve shared about yourself and your work, be ready to expand on your points and answer any questions the person may have. Anticipate common questions and have thoughtful responses prepared.

If you don’t know the answer to something, don’t give in to nervousness! Instead, be honest and offer to follow up with more information later. The goal is to keep the conversation going and build a relationship beyond the initial pitch.

Examples of Effective Elevator Speeches

Crafting an elevator speech can be tricky if you’ve never done it before. To help you out, we’ve come up with a few example pitches. While they might not match your situation perfectly, they’ll definitely give you a good place to start.

For Job Seekers

“Hi, my name is Sarah and I’m a recent graduate from XYZ University with a degree in marketing. During my internship at ABC Company, I led a social media campaign that increased brand engagement by 25%. I’m passionate about digital marketing and I’m excited to apply my skills to help companies grow their online presence. I saw that your company is looking for a social media coordinator and I think I’d be a great fit. I’d love to schedule a time to discuss further how I can contribute to your team.”

For Entrepreneurs

“Hi, I’m Tom and I’m the founder of 123 App, a mobile app that helps busy professionals manage their time more effectively. Our app uses AI technology to create personalized schedules and to-do lists based on the user’s goals and habits. We launched only six months ago but have already gained over 10,000 active users. Our user engagement and retention rates are three times higher than the industry average. We’re currently seeking investment to scale our marketing efforts and expand our team. I’d be happy to share more details about our growth plans and revenue projections.”

For Professionals Seeking Career Advancement

“Hi, I’m Maria and I’m a sales manager at XYZ Corporation. I’ve been with the company for five years and have consistently exceeded my sales targets by an average of 20%. Last quarter, I led my team to close the biggest deal in the company’s history, bringing in $2 million in new revenue. I’m looking for opportunities to take on more leadership responsibilities and eventually move into a director role. I’m particularly interested in your company’s plans for international expansion and I think my experience could be an asset. I’d love to grab coffee and discuss potential opportunities.”

For Students and Recent Graduates

“Hi, I’m Alex and I’m a senior at XYZ University majoring in computer science. Last summer, I interned at ABC Tech where I worked on developing a new software feature that reduced processing time by 30%. I also served as the president of our university’s coding club, where I organized hackathons and coding workshops for over 500 students. I’m passionate about using technology to solve real-world problems so I’m excited to start a career in software development. I admire your company’s mission and the innovative products you’re creating. I would love the opportunity to learn more about your team and any entry-level positions you may have available.”

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Common Mistakes to Avoid in Your Elevator Speech

In addition to including key elements to your elevator speech, it’s just as important to avoid common mistakes. For instance, being vague, talking too fast, and failing to practice your pitch are all things you want to avoid.

Being Too Generic or Vague

Avoid using buzzwords or generic statements that could apply to anyone. Instead, focus on what makes you unique and provide specific examples to back up your claims.

Talking Too Fast or Rambling

You only have about 60 seconds to make an impression in your elevator speech. However, that doesn’t means you should try to talk fast so you can say more. Instead, speak clearly and concisely, and don’t try to cram too much information into your pitch. In addition, practice beforehand and time yourself to ensure you’re staying within the appropriate time frame.

Failing to Tailor Your Pitch to Your Audience

One size does not fit all when it comes to elevator pitches. As such, make sure you’re tailoring your message to the specific person or audience you’re speaking to. Do your research ahead of time in order to find common ground or shared interests.

Neglecting to Practice and Refine Your Pitch

Whatever you do, don’t wing it. The more you practice your elevator pitch, the more natural and confident you’ll sound. Seek feedback from friends, colleagues, or mentors and keep refining your pitch until it feels authentic and compelling.

Adapting Your Elevator Speech for Different Situations

Your elevator pitch is not a one-and-done deal. You’ll likely need to adapt it for different situations and audiences. Below, we’ve laid out some common scenarios where you might use a slightly different version of your pitch.

Networking Events and Career Fairs

At networking events and career fairs, you’ll have the opportunity to meet a lot of people in a short amount of time. Your pitch should be brief and memorable, focusing on your key skills and career goals. Be ready to follow up with a request to connect on LinkedIn or grab coffee to discuss further.

Job Interviews and Career Conversations

In a job interview or career conversation, you’ll have more time to expand on your elevator pitch. Be prepared to go into more detail about your experiences and accomplishments, and how they relate to the specific role or company you’re interested in. Use the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) in order to structure your examples.

Social Settings and Casual Encounters

Not every elevator pitch will be formal or business-related. For instance, you might find yourself chatting with someone at a social event or in line at the coffee shop. In these casual settings, focus on building rapport and finding common interests. Your pitch might be as simple as “I’m a graphic designer who loves working with startups. What about you?”

Online Platforms and Virtual Interactions

In today’s digital age, your elevator pitch might take place over email, LinkedIn, or even Twitter. When crafting an online pitch, focus on brevity and clarity. Use strong subject lines, bullet points, and clear calls-to-action. Include links to your website, portfolio, or LinkedIn profile for more information.

No matter the situation, remember that your elevator pitch is a starting point for a larger conversation. So be authentic, be memorable, and be ready to adapt on the fly. With practice and refinement, you’ll be able to craft an elevator pitch that opens doors and helps you achieve your career goals.

FAQs on Elevator Speeches

What is an example of an elevator speech.

“I’m a digital marketing expert with 5 years boosting website traffic by 70%. Let’s chat about skyrocketing your online presence.”

What are the 3 parts of an elevator speech?

The three parts: Hook them in, showcase your value, and close with a call to action.

What is a good 30 second elevator speech?

“I blend tech skills and sales insight to increase B2B software sales. I’ve helped my current team exceed targets by 40% for two years. Want to know how I can do this for you?”

What is the elevator speech approach?

This approach means selling yourself or your idea quickly and effectively during brief encounters—think making big impacts in short chats.

A strong elevator speech is a powerful tool that you can use to build strong connections and grow your career or business, but creating one is harder than it looks. If you follow these simple tips, you’ll end up with an elevator speech that will open doors, spark conversations, and leave a lasting impact. It’s time to go be great!

• Last Updated: May 6, 2024

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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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• 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? 

We’ve put together 15 creative elevator pitch examples that will help you nail your next client meeting or virtual networking event. Whether it’s your first time or you’re a seasoned professional, our examples cover any situation you might find yourself in. 

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. This includes situations where you need to "tell me about yourself" to recruiters or hiring managers. Therefore, preparing your next pitch becomes 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. 

Whether you're pitching a new product, a startup idea, or your work experience to a potential employer, 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 effective 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.

Step 1: 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. Nonverbal communication skills like body language and eye contact are  also an important part of a solid introduction. Here are a few tips to keep in mind when introducing yourself to a new prospect. 

Greet your audience in a compelling way that's appropriate for the occasion.

Use a formal greeting for a business pitch or when meeting with hiring managers.

Opt for a more casual greeting for a fun event or informal networking opportunity.

For virtual business meetings and professional networking events, get creative with your introductions over video chat.

In virtual networking events, focus on making a strong first impression, as it can be more challenging than in-person meetings.

Consider starting with a lighthearted joke to break the ice, ensuring it's relevant to your target audience. This can be particularly effective at career fairs or when giving your elevator speech to recruiters. 

Step 2: 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. 

Step 3: 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. 

Step 4: 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 you're pitching during a job search or to build your network, your value proposition should highlight your unique skills, career path, and how they align with the company's or individual's goals.

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.   

Step 5: 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. Don't forget to include a clear call to action, whether it's scheduling a follow-up meeting, exchanging business cards, or connecting on LinkedIn. Lastly, don’t forget to swap contact information, such as a business card, if you don’t already have it. 

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 the best elevator pitch 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. 

Common elevator pitch mistakes to avoid

Even with the best elevator pitch examples at your disposal, it's easy to fall into common pitfalls. Here are four mistakes to avoid when crafting your pitch:

1. Rambling and using too much jargon

One of the biggest mistakes in delivering an elevator pitch is exceeding the optimal amount of time and filling it with industry jargon. Remember, the best elevator pitch is concise and easily understood. Avoid technical terms that might confuse your audience, whether they're hiring managers, potential clients, or fellow professionals at a networking event.

2. Not communicating your value proposition in a compelling way

Your elevator speech should quickly and effectively convey your unique value. Whether you're job hunting or pitching a new business, clearly articulate what sets you apart. This is especially crucial when addressing a potential employer or investors. Your value proposition should be one of the key points that stick with your audience long after the conversation ends.

3. Not tailoring your pitch to your target audience

A one-size-fits-all approach rarely works for an elevator pitch. Tailor your message to your specific audience, whether you're at a career fair, a networking event, or even crafting cover letters. For instance, if you're pitching to a nonprofit, focus on impact and mission alignment rather than just profitability.

4. Forgetting to include a call to action

An effective elevator pitch should end with a clear next step. Whether it's exchanging business cards, setting up a follow-up meeting, or inviting them to subscribe to your newsletter, always include a call to action. This gives your audience a concrete way to continue the conversation and build your network.

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.

FAQ: Writing the perfect elevator pitch

What should an elevator pitch say? 

An effective elevator pitch should concisely communicate who you are, what you do, and your unique value proposition. It should highlight your skills, experience, or product offering in a compelling way. For those in a job search, your pitch should answer the interview question "Tell me about yourself" while focusing on career goals that resonate with your target audience.

What are the three C's for an elevator pitch? 

The three C's for an elevator pitch are Clear, Concise, and Compelling. A clear pitch uses simple language without jargon. Concise means keeping it brief, ideally 30 seconds or less. A compelling pitch is interesting and relevant, encouraging further conversation, whether you're networking or in a job search.

How can I improve my elevator pitch? 

To improve your elevator pitch, practice in front of a mirror to refine your delivery and body language. Record yourself to identify areas for improvement. Seek feedback from others and continuously refine your pitch. Tailor it for different scenarios, from job interviews to networking events. Regular practice will make your pitch more natural and effective in your job search or business endeavors.

How do I prepare for unexpected elevator pitch opportunities? 

To prepare for unexpected elevator pitch opportunities, have a basic pitch ready that you can adapt on the spot. Keep business cards handy and stay informed about your industry. Practice regularly so your pitch feels natural, even during a short elevator ride. Aim for an authentic conversation tailored to your audience, whether at a networking event or during an unexpected professional encounter. For product or service pitches, focus on quickly capturing interest to turn listeners into subscribers or leads.

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Hook Them with a Stellar Graphic Design Elevator Pitch

Stuart Crawford

You step into the elevator on your way to an important meeting, only to find yourself face-to-face with the CEO of your dream client . “What do you do?” they ask. You have 30 seconds to pique their interest before you reach the 10th floor. What do you say?

Crafting an irresistible elevator pitch is an essential skill for graphic designers . In the time it takes to ride up a few floors, you must communicate who you are, what you do, and why you're the perfect fit for that person's needs. Do it right, and you've kicked open the door to an exciting opportunity. Mess it up, and you've wasted your one shot.

So, how do you hook them with a stellar elevator pitch? This comprehensive guide will teach you how to craft a compelling graphic design elevator pitch for your services in 30 seconds or less.

What is an Elevator Pitch?

An elevator pitch, or an elevator speech, is an ultra-short summary of your business. The name comes from the idea that delivering the pitch during an elevator ride should be possible. For graphic designers, that's typically 30 seconds or less.

Here are the key elements of an impactful elevator pitch:

• Succinct:  Gets straight to the point in a few quick sentences.
• Clear:  Communicate what you do in a way anyone can understand.
• Compelling:  Makes them want to learn more about working with you.
• Customised:  Tailored to each listener based on their needs.
• Conversational:  Uses natural language in a warm, friendly tone.
• Memorable:  Sticks in the mind of listeners thanks to creativity and originality.

While you'll want to customise your pitch based on the situation, having a concise go-to spiel ready ensures you're prepared to make the most of any opportunity that comes your way.

Why Your Elevator Pitch Matters

You might be tempted to wing it when someone asks, “What do you do?” in passing. But without a polished elevator pitch, you risk missing out on potential jobs.

Here are some key reasons why taking the time to craft your pitch pays off:

• Opens doors:  Piques interest that can lead to work and referrals.
• Saves time:  Quickly communicates your value proposition .
• Builds confidence:  Lets you speak articulately about your services.
• Creates conversations:  Sparks dialogue so you can learn about their needs.
• Makes memorable first impressions:  Allows you to stand out immediately.
• Positions you as an expert:  Demonstrates your capability and credibility.

With a strong elevator pitch in your back pocket, you'll be ready to make the most of any networking opportunity that comes your way.

How to Craft Your Elevator Pitch: 10 Tips

Writing an elevator pitch that sells your services in 30 seconds or less is an art form. Follow these ten tips to craft one that hooks potential clients.

Identify Your Goal

Start by clarifying what you want your elevator pitch to accomplish. Do you want to land a meeting with a prospective client ? Have someone refer you to an organisation that needs design work? Get your foot in the door at a company you admire.

Defining your goal will shape the rest of your decisions as you craft your pitch.

Understand Your Audience

The next step is figuring out who your elevator pitch should appeal to. Will you be networking with small business owners? C-suite executives at large corporations? Busy recruiters at creative agencies? School administrators? Church program directors? Friends who might refer you to someone needing design work?

Researching your target audiences will allow you to customise your pitch to their priorities.

Communicate Your Value

At its core, your elevator pitch must communicate the value you provide. Put yourself in your audience's shoes to figure out what to highlight. What pain points or needs do they have that you can solve through your designs? How will hiring you benefit them?

Focus on crafting a value proposition centred around their priorities, not yours.

Clarify What You Do

While your elevator pitch should focus more on value than details, you must clearly explain what you do. Assume the person knows nothing about graphic design. Break down your services in a simple, easy-to-grasp way.

Prioritise clear communication over impressive vocabulary. Avoid design jargon and be ready to provide clarification if needed.

Tell Them Who You Serve

Quickly communicating the types of clients you work with is a crucial context that makes your value easy to grasp. Do you specialise in branding local startups or developing junior high school event campaigns? The more specific you can get, the better.

Highlight Signature Work

One or two quick examples of signature projects you've done for past clients provide tangible evidence of your capabilities. Choose easily understood examples related to the listener's field or needs when possible.

Just keep it brief — now isn't the time for a detailed case study.

Speak With Passion

Elevator pitches can quickly come across as dry and robotic. Set yourself apart by conveying genuine excitement as you talk about what you do. Smile, speak with energy, and let your passion for design shine through.

Enthusiasm is contagious, so don't be afraid to show how much you love the work.

Keep it Conversational

Your elevator pitch should sound different from a formal script. Use conversational language they can relate to, and be warm and friendly. Pretend you're talking to someone you click with and want to get to know better.

Sprinkle in natural phrases like “You know?” and “Here's the thing.” to connect with them.

Make it Memorable

Finding a creative way to make your pitch stand out will ensure you stick in their memory long after the elevator doors open. Use vivid imagery, playful analogies, rhyming, contrast, or humour to craft a pitch they can't forget.

Practice Tirelessly

Don't expect to nail your elevator pitch on the first try. It takes practice and refinement to deliver a seamless 30-second spiel. Time yourself repeatedly, enlist honest feedback, and keep tweaking until it feels natural.

Mastering your pitch will ensure your skills shine when opportunities arise.

Elevator Pitch Examples and Templates

Seeing examples of compelling elevator pitches is helpful as you craft your own. Here are a few samples for designers to spark ideas:

Problem-Oriented Pitch

“As a graphic designer, I help nonprofits turn confusing technical concepts into clear, engaging materials their clients want to read. No more translating bewildering jargon! I recently turned a 200-page employee training manual into a sleek, user-friendly digital resource for an organisation in town. The result? They reduced training time by 30% while improving retention. I'd love to do the same for you.”

This pitch leads by introducing a common problem they likely face. It provides a specific example of a result achieved, conveying the designer's expertise in an area the listener would find valuable.

Storytelling Pitch

Through illustrations and typography, I vividly bring brand stories to life. A health food startup came to me lost in a sea of generic logos and technical language. Together, we crafted a playful visual identity centred around a quirky mascot named Pepper that embodied their values. Soon, kids begged their parents to buy snacks with Pepper on the packaging! Let's chat about telling your brand's story.”

Using a quick before-and-after story structure shows the designer's skill in action. The result communicates value in a relatable way.

Rapport-Building Pitch

“As a branding expert who's worked extensively with tech companies, I'd love to learn more about what your organisation does and who it serves. Standing out in a saturated market is crucial but challenging. Share a bit about your goals, and I'd be happy to offer ideas for how my graphic design services could help you leap ahead of the pack with strategic visuals that captivate your audience.”

This pitch opens the door to dialogue by inviting the listener to share while positioning the designer as an expert consultant ready to help.

Use these examples as inspiration to craft a pitch tailored to your niche, skills, and ideal clients' needs.

Here are two additional templates to follow:

Problem-Solution Pitch Template

I help [target audience] who struggle with [common problem] by [key solution you provide]. For example, recently, I [brief example of successful project result]. I'd love to learn more about the [problems/goals] your organisation faces to see if I can help.

Storytelling Pitch Template

Let me tell you about [impressive client result]. [Set up a situation the client faced before working with you]. When [we/I] [action you took], [share fantastic outcome achieved]. I specialise in [critical services you offer] for [ideal target clients]. What goals are you currently focused on? I have some experience [share relevant experience] that could help us [promise an exciting result].

FAQs About Graphic Design Elevator Pitches

What are the most important things to include in a graphic design elevator pitch.

The essential elements are communicating your value, clarifying your work, highlighting impressive results, and conveying a genuine passion for design. Share just enough to hook them into wanting to learn more.

How long should a graphic design elevator pitch be?

Aim for 20-30 seconds — long enough to make an impact but short enough to deliver in a quick elevator ride or chance meeting. Time yourself and continue refining until your pitch hits that target.

How can I customise my graphic design elevator pitch based on the listener?

Research who you'll be speaking with and their company ahead of time when possible. Then, highlight past clients, results, and services most relevant to them. As part of your pitch, ask strategic questions to learn about their priorities and pain points.

What makes an elevator pitch memorable?

Creativity and originality are essential. Use vivid imagery, compelling stories, analogies, contrasting ideas, rhyming, humour, or intriguing questions to hook their interest freshly.

How can I practice my graphic design elevator pitch?

Keep rehearsing it aloud, refine it continuously, and time yourself to ensure you hit your target. Ask friends or colleagues to listen and give honest feedback. Record yourself and watch for areas of improvement. Practice it until it feels smooth and natural.

Stand Out with a Stellar Elevator Pitch

Opportunities can arise when you least expect them. Developing and practising a compelling elevator pitch prepares you to make the most of situations when you have 30 seconds or less to make an impression. Spend time crafting and refining yours, keeping the tips in this guide in mind.

Soon, you'll have a polished, memorable spiel ready to hook your next client and elevate your graphic design career. So when someone asks, “What do you do?” as you step into the elevator, you'll be ready to captivate them with your skills before the doors reopen.

Related Posts

• Graphic Design Ethics: Copycats, Clients, and Copyrights
• The 7 Different Types Of Logos & How To Use Them
• Sensory Branding: Engaging All 5 Senses
• Personalisation in Marketing: Why it Matters
• Digital PR Strategies to Boost Your Online Presence

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10 Elevator Pitch Examples to Convince Anyone in 30 Seconds

30 … 29 … 28 … 27 …  

Wait, can 30 seconds really transform your business’s future? 

Yes, by summarizing the essence of your dream or your business’s unique value in the time it takes for an elevator to reach its next stop, you can win the next conversation or a meet-up to discuss potential collaboration.

Within this brief window, you’re not just sharing information; you’re weaving a narrative, striking chords of need and solution, and sparking a connection that could turn the listener into a long-term customer or invaluable partner.

While crafting an elevator pitch depends on what your business offers to the market, taking inspiration from successful elevator pitch examples can help us prepare better. In this blog post, we have ten great elevator pitch examples with customizable templates, as well as actionable pitches, tips, and tricks from experts. 

Also, we’ll dive into the anatomy of an elevator pitch, from understanding its core components to what elevates a good pitch into a great one. 

Table of Contents

What’s an Elevator Pitch?

Say you’re in an elevator with a potential client or investor. In those 30-45 seconds, you give them an elevator pitch for your business that does three things:

• Captivates the audience’s attention : Storytelling, interesting facts, humor, or other elements that draw attention and retain it.
• Delivers the value of your product or service : Personalize the pitch to the audience by considering their priorities when choosing an approach, words to use, and features/benefits to highlight.
• Convinces them to take action: An effective elevator pitch adds a confident call to action with assertion. Although beware of coming off cocky and aggressive. 

Elevator pitches are used for various purposes: students approach colleges and institutions, job seekers approach employees, business pitch investors or clients, and professionals approach stakeholders. With an elevator pitch, you convey your value to people and get them to take action. 

What it’s not: Remember, an elevator pitch is not a sales pitch . You don’t use it to close a deal or convince someone to buy. Rather, you use it to gain another opportunity to converse with the prospect.

Psst … In content writing, an elevator pitch is like an “introduction” to my article, where I convince you to read the rest of my work. 

Favorite elevator pitch examples on Reddit

And another one …

The 1-Minute Elevator Pitch

There are different types of elevator pitches for different circumstances and purposes. In addition to businesses pitching their clients and investors, students can have an elevator pitch for internship programs, scholarships, and admissions. Job candidates also have elevator pitches for employers. 

Here are the elements of a good elevator pitch: 

Step 1: Hook the listener by stating the problem, asking a thought-provoking question, or mentioning an attention-grabbing statistic.

Step 2: Introduce yourself, your business, product, or service as a solution.

Step 3: Let them know of the features and benefits (your value proposition).

Here’s an elevator pitch example from Nate: Hey Mate, this is Nate. Have you ever landed in a new city and struggled to find a good, last-minute hotel deal? – The hook.

Check HotelFinder, the app that transforms your travel woes into wins by offering unbeatable last-minute deals – Solution.

With HotelFinder, save money, time, and stress with just a few taps – Value proposition.

Step 4: Tell them what makes you stand out.

Step 5: Conclude with a CTA.

Going back to Nate’s elevator pitch example: Unlike others, we specialize in last-minute bookings, ensuring you always have a place to stay, no matter the urgency. Recommended by top travel influencers, we’ve been the go-to app for spontaneous travelers worldwide for over five years – Self-differentiation.

Ready for hassle-free travel? Download HotelFinder now and join thousands of satisfied adventurers! – CTA.

Let’s look at the complete elevator pitch example of Nate now:  

Hey Mate, this is Nate. Have you ever landed in a new city and struggled to find a good, last-minute hotel deal? Check HotelFinder, the app that transforms your travel woes into wins by offering unbeatable last-minute deals. With HotelFinder, save money, time, and stress with just a few taps. Unlike others, we specialize in last-minute bookings, ensuring you always have a place to stay, no matter the urgency. Recommended by top travel influencers, we’ve been the go-to app for spontaneous travelers worldwide for over five years. Ready for hassle-free travel? Download HotelFinder now and join thousands of satisfied adventurers!

Easy peasy, right? 

Well, if you still find it difficult to write an elevator pitch, fret not. Below are ten elevator pitch examples with ready-to-use templates to get you started writing your pitch today. 

Read also: 6 Ways To Close The Deal With Less Persistence And More Influence

10 Elevator Pitch Examples With Templates

Looking at some winning elevator pitch examples, here are our customizable elevator pitch templates. Check which one best fits your needs.

1. Elevator pitch template for job seekers at networking events

At [Your Name], I bring [specific skills] and a [unique personal quality] to the table, making me the ideal candidate for [company or industry you’re interested in]. My previous experience at [Company Name], where I had [specific achievement], showcased my ability to [benefit to potential employer]. Let’s connect so I can share how I can contribute to [target company or team].

To me, it’s not just about finding a new job but finding a role where my unique skills and experiences are truly valued and can make a difference – and I can’t wait to prove my skills and make a difference — A final hook to leave a lasting impression.

Elevator pitch examples

Marketing professional

At John Doe, I bring innovative campaign ideas and a knack for data-driven strategies to the table, making me the ideal candidate for cutting-edge marketing teams. My previous experience at BrandX, where I increased online engagement by 40%, showcases my ability to significantly improve your digital footprint. Let’s connect so I can share how I can contribute to your team’s success.

To me, it’s not just about landing any job but finding a position where my creative solutions and strategic thinking can truly impact an organization’s brand presence – and I can’t wait to make a difference. 

Data analyst

At Sam Taylor, I bring advanced analytical capabilities and a keen eye for detail to the table, making me the ideal candidate for innovative tech companies focused on data-driven decision-making. My previous experience at DataInsight, where I optimized our data processing pipeline to improve data analysis speed by 40%, showcases my ability to enhance efficiency and accuracy in data handling. Let’s connect so I can share how I can contribute to your data analytics team.

I can’t wait to bring transformative insights to your team. 

Why it works

• Offers a brief overview of capabilities and achievements, and it ends with a call to action that encourages a potential employer to engage in a conversation.
• Captures the audience’s attention by focusing on how the person can positively impact the company rather than just listing qualifications.
• Ends with a hook to find a meaningful position that values the unique skill.

2. Elevator pitch template for startups pitching to investors

“In the [industry] sector, many startups overlook the importance of [specific pain point]. However, at [Your Startup’s Name], we’ve centered our mission around tackling this issue through [innovative solution/technology]. Our team of experts has developed [product/service] that not only addresses [pain point] but also sets a new standard for [industry impact]. With [specific achievement or metric], we’re ready to scale and revolutionize [market segment]. Interested in making a game-changing investment? Let’s discuss how we can work together for a better world.”

Elevator pitch example for an EdTech startup

“In the educational technology sector, many startups overlook the importance of personalized learning. However, at LearnSphere, we’ve centered our mission around tackling this issue through AI-driven curriculum adaptation. Our team of educators and technologists has developed a platform that not only addresses students’ unique learning needs but also sets a new standard for educational outcomes. With a 200% increase in student engagement in our pilot programs, we’re ready to scale and revolutionize the way education is delivered. Interested in making a game-changing investment? Let’s discuss how we can work together for a better world.”

• Quickly grabs the investor’s attention by highlighting a neglected pain point in the industry.
• Presents a solution that addresses this issue and promises to set new standards.
• Showcases specific achievements or metrics to build credibility.
• Demonstrates potential for growth and impact, making it a compelling opportunity for investors. 

3. Elevator pitch template for tech innovators at industry conferences

“At [Your Company], we’ve identified a critical oversight in how the [specific industry] handles [common pain point]. Unlike our competitors, we’re introducing [innovative feature or technology], a solution that not only simplifies [pain point] but also enhances [related benefit]. Our cutting-edge approach has already garnered attention for its ability to [specific achievement or impact]. Imagine a world where [pain point] is no longer a barrier to [industry goal]. Let’s explore how [Your Company] can lead this transformation.”

Elevator pitch example for a cybersecurity firm

“At SecureNet, we’ve identified a critical oversight in how the cybersecurity industry handles real-time threat detection. Unlike our competitors, we’re introducing AI-driven anomaly detection, a solution that not only simplifies threat identification but also enhances system resilience. Our cutting-edge approach has already garnered attention for its ability to reduce breach response times by 70%. Imagine a world where cybersecurity threats are no longer a barrier to safe and seamless digital operations. Let’s explore how SecureNet can lead this transformation.”

• Immediately highlights a unique solution to a well-known industry problem, positioning the company as a leader in innovation.
• Cites specific achievements building credibility and interest.
• Effectively uses the audience’s familiarity with the pain point to envision a future where this issue is resolved, compelling them to engage further.

4. Elevator pitch template for job interviews

“As a recent graduate from [Your University] with a degree in [Your Major], I specialize in [Your Skillset] with a passion for [Your Interest/Area of Expertise]. What sets me apart is not just my academic background but also my real-world experience through [internships/volunteer work/projects], where I honed my skills in [specific skill] and achieved [specific outcome]. I’m excited about the opportunity to bring my unique blend of skills and passion to [Company Name], particularly in [position or department you’re interested in]. Can we talk about how my background could be the perfect fit for your team?”

Elevator pitch example for a graphic design graduate

“As a recent graduate from the Art Institute of Chicago with a degree in Graphic Design, I specialize in digital branding and user experience design, with a passion for creating intuitive digital environments. What sets me apart is my artistic and technical skills and my real-world experience through internships at startup companies, where I honed my skills in user interface design and achieved a 30% improvement in user engagement for a client’s app. I’m excited about the opportunity to bring my unique blend of skills and passion to Pixel Creative, particularly to your design team. Can we talk about how my background could be the perfect fit for your innovative projects?”

• Immediately presents the job seeker’s educational background, area of expertise, and tangible achievements.
• Personalizes the pitch by expressing a specific interest in the company and suggesting a fit for a particular team or department, making it easier for the recruiter to see the candidate’s potential value.
• Takes advantage of the in-person networking opportunity with the request for a conversation as a direct call to action.

5. Elevator pitch template for professionals seeking to make a personal connection

“Hi, I’m [Your Name], a [Your Profession] with a deep interest in [specific interest related to profession]. What drives me is [a specific goal or value proposition] in [industry or field]. I’ve had the opportunity to [mention a significant professional accomplishment or experience], which taught me [specific lesson or skill]. I’m currently looking to [what you’re seeking, e.g., new opportunities, partnerships, learning], especially in key areas related to [specific area of interest]. I’d love to hear about your experiences in [their field or a related topic] and explore potential synergies.”

Elevator pitch example for a consultant

“Hi, I’m Jane Doe, a Renewable Energy Consultant with a deep interest in sustainable urban development. What really drives me is developing innovative solutions that integrate renewable energy into urban planning to create greener, more sustainable cities. I’ve had the opportunity to lead a project implementing solar-powered street lighting in a mid-sized city, which taught me the importance of community involvement in sustainable initiatives. I’m currently looking to collaborate on projects that aim to reduce urban carbon footprints, especially in key areas related to smart city technologies. I’d love to hear about your experiences with sustainable development and explore potential synergies.”

• Establishes a personal story by sharing the passion and professional focus in the elevator speech.
• Includes a notable achievement that illustrates their expertise and ends with an open invitation to engage in a mutual exchange of ideas, fostering a two-way conversation.

6. The fear-based elevator pitch template 

“Do you know how [common fear or worry in your field] can affect your life? At [Company/Practice Name], we address this head-on by [solution]. Our unique approach includes [specific methods or technologies], setting us apart from others. We ensure you avoid [negative outcome] and enjoy [positive outcome] instead. Schedule your appointment today to [action], and avoid [negative outcome].”

Elevator pitch example for a healthcare clinic

“Do you know how unchecked high blood pressure can affect your life with serious health complications? At Heart Health Associates, we address this head-on by providing personalized cardiovascular care. Our unique approach includes advanced monitoring technologies and tailored wellness plans, setting us apart. We ensure you avoid the risks of heart disease and instead enjoy a healthier, longer life. Book your health screening with Heart Health Associates today, and take the first step towards a healthier heart.”

• Taps into a basic emotion— fear —to create urgency and build human connection.
• Presents a solution that can prevent a feared outcome and motivates immediate action.

7. The data-focused elevator pitch template

“In the world of [industry], [pain point] is a common challenge. At [Company Name], we’ve developed [solution] backed by [specific data or research]. This not only [benefit #1] but also [benefit #2], according to [attention grabbing statistic]. Discover how [Product/Service] can [achieve goal] for you by [action].”

Elevator pitch example for a SaaS firm

“In the SaaS industry, user engagement drop-off is a major challenge. At EngageMax, we’ve developed an analytics platform that boosts user engagement by 30% on average, backed by AI-driven insights. This not only increases customer retention but also elevates overall satisfaction, according to our latest customer feedback analysis. Try EngageMax for free today, and see how data can transform your user engagement.”

• Data lends credibility and builds trust.
• The elevator speech appeals to logic by demonstrating measurable results or benefits, compelling the solution.

8. The impressive elevator pitch template

“Everyone loves [something enjoyable related to your industry], but not when it comes with [pain point]. At [Company Name], we’ve changed that to [solution]. Our [product/service] is the first to offer [unique feature], making [benefit] a reality for our customers. Experience [product/service] for yourself. Visit us at [location/website] to [action].”

Elevator pitch example for a new app

“Everyone loves shopping for clothes, but not the fitting room lines. At QuickFit, we’ve changed that by introducing virtual fitting room technology. Our app is the first to offer real-time size and style recommendations, making the perfect fit a reality for our customers without the wait. Try QuickFit on your next shopping trip. Download our app today, and say goodbye to fitting room lines.”

• Builds curiosity by highlighting a unique feature or benefit that addresses a pain point.
• Novelly solves a universal retail pain point, making the shopping experience more pleasant.

9. Branding elevator pitch template

“In the crowded [industry] market, standing out is key. [Company Name] takes a unique stance by [unique selling proposition]. We’re not just about [service/product]; we’re about creating an experience where [benefit]. Explore our [products/services] at [location/website], and join us in [achieving goal].”

Elevator pitch example for a real estate firm

“In the crowded real estate market, standing out is key. Vista Homes takes a unique stance by focusing on eco-friendly living spaces. We’re not just about selling homes; we’re about creating an experience where sustainability meets luxury. Visit Vista Homes online to explore our sustainable living spaces, and join us in making a positive environmental impact.”

• Builds a brand identity around a unique selling proposition.
• Appealing to the target audience’s values or desires.
• Taps into a growing consumer value (here, eco-friendly living).

10. Product launch elevator pitch template

“Introducing [Product Name], the game changer in [industry]. With [product feature], it’s designed to solve [pain point] like never before. Unlike anything on the market, it [unique selling point], ensuring [benefit]. Get [Product Name] today at [location/website], and start [achieving benefit].”

Elevator pitch example for an innovative product

“Introducing EcoStraw, the game changer in sustainable living. With its biodegradable material, it’s designed to solve the problem of plastic pollution like never before. Unlike anything on the market, it decomposes in just 90 days, ensuring our oceans stay cleaner for future generations. Secure your EcoStraw pack on our website now, and join us in the fight against plastic pollution.”

• Creates excitement about a new product by focusing on how it addresses a need or problem in a unique way.
• Highlights the product’s impact on a global concern, making the pitch relevant and timely.

Read also: Find The Best Time to Cold Call — Optimal Hours & Tips for Success

Experts Talk About Elevator Pitches

Here’s a series of elevator pitch examples that worked for founders in the market.

From Peter Murphy Lewis , Fractional CMO at Strategicpete:

Elevator pitch example:

Ladies and gentlemen of ACME Painting, I’m Peter Lewis, and I stand before you as an entrepreneur and storyteller deeply rooted in Kansas’s soil and seasoned by the world’s vast palette. My journey from the heartlands of Kansas to the vibrant streets of Santiago and beyond has taught me one invaluable lesson: every brushstroke tells a story, whether on a canvas or the canvas of life.

Your company, ACME Painting, doesn’t just paint homes; you color dreams and bring warmth to the community we both cherish. My proposal is simple yet transformative: Let’s blend our worlds. With my background in captivating audiences through television, podcasting, and global narratives, together, we can craft a compelling story that resonates not just in Kansas but echoes far and wide.

We’ll use digital marketing strategies that fuse traditional Kansas values with the rich tapestry of stories I’ve gathered from across the globe. By highlighting your work through a series of engaging, culturally rich narratives, we’ll paint ACME Painting as more than a service—it’ll be a beacon of creativity, quality, and community spirit.

Experience and event:

With my multifaceted career in entrepreneurship, sales, and marketing, I’ve witnessed firsthand the power of a compelling elevator pitch in one business stakeholder meeting.

Result attained: 

This well-crafted 30-second pitch to a potential investor led to a fruitful partnership that amplified our business growth.

From Dominic , the founder and CEO at MentorCruise:

Forget the struggle to stay ahead in today’s ever-changing landscape! Imagine this: you’re at a conference, feeling anxious. The latest industry trends are flying at you, and you know your skillset needs an upgrade. But finding the right mentor can be a nightmare. That’s where MentorCruise comes in. We’re like the ultimate co-pilot for your career, connecting you with a network of incredible mentors who can guide you through exactly what you need, from sharpening your expertise to navigating the newest technologies. Did you know a study by Forbes found that 76% of professionals believe mentorship is important for career growth? With MentorCruise, personalized guidance is just a click away. So, are you ready to take your career to the next level and chart a course for success?

————————————————Event and Result not disclosed due to confidentiality. 

But Dominic adds, 

Start with hooking your listeners with a relatable scenario that taps into their pain points. Add in a surprising stat for credibility, then shift the focus to the transformation your product enables. Don’t just list features, paint a picture of the positive results. Then, end with a question that sparks curiosity and leaves them wanting more. Remember, it’s about connection. Tailor your story and stats to resonate with your audience, deliver it with passion, and practice until it’s second nature.

From Gabrielle Marie Yap , Senior Editor & Culinary Entrepreneur at CarnivoreStyle :

“I’m Gabrielle Marie Yap, the founder of ‘Carnivore Style’, a food venture that’s revolutionizing the way people experience and appreciate meat. We source the highest quality, ethically raised meats from around the world and prepare them using a blend of traditional and innovative cooking techniques. Our mission is to elevate the humble meat dish into a gourmet experience, showcasing the rich flavors and textures that can be achieved with the right cut and the right preparation. We believe in the power of good food to bring people together, and we’re committed to making ‘Meat Mastery’ a household name for meat lovers everywhere.”

The experience was nerve-wracking but also exhilarating. I had practiced my elevator speech countless times, but delivering it to a potential investor added a whole new level of pressure. However, I knew my business inside out, and I believed in what I was doing, which gave me the confidence to speak passionately and convincingly about it.

Result attained:

The result was more than I could have hoped for. The investor was impressed with my pitch and my passion. He saw the potential in my business and decided to invest in it. This investment allowed me to expand my operations and reach a wider audience. It was a pivotal moment for Carnivore Style, and it all started with a well-crafted elevator speech.

From Simon Bacher, the CEO & Co-Founder of Ling :

“Feeling nervous about picking up a new language for school or work? At Ling, we think learning languages should be enjoyable and engaging. Our app turns language learning into a game, mixing different teaching methods tailored for Asian and Eastern European languages. Say goodbye to bland memorization techniques of irrelevant words or phrases! Our lesson content is organized around everyday situations, allowing you to learn language in context.”

Back in 2016, we kick-started Ling’s journey with this elevator pitch, enticing subscribers and B2B clients from globally expanding companies through licensing agreements. Repurposed across our digital platforms, including our website and social media, this pitch has been instrumental in our success. 

As a result, Ling has achieved over 10 million downloads with a monthly user base exceeding 500,000. 

From Hardik Parikh , the Founder of Zencraft:

Elevator pitch:  

“At the heart of every technological breakthrough, there’s a simple idea that solves a complex problem. My mission is to bridge the gap between these innovations and the market, transforming potential into success.”

This pitch crystallized during a chance encounter at a tech conference with potential investors. With just a minute to present my vision, I distilled my message to its essence, emphasizing the transformative impact of our solutions.

The pitch not only captured the investors’ attention but also sparked a conversation that led to a significant funding round for our latest project. It was a pivotal moment, showcasing the power of clarity and brevity in communication.

From Sergey Solonenko, the Founder and CMO at Algocentric Digital Consultancy

Imagine a scenario where a startup, Algocentric, introduces a revolutionary AI-driven marketing platform designed to predict and influence customer behaviors in real-time, thereby significantly enhancing engagement and conversion rates for SaaS brands. This platform not only leverages advanced AI for predictive analytics but also dynamically adjusts marketing strategies to maintain a competitive edge.

During a prominent tech networking event, I had the opportunity to deliver this elevator pitch in a spontaneous setting to a potential investor. The pitch’s brief yet comprehensive nature succinctly encapsulated our platform’s unique value proposition, piquing the listener’s interest.

This encounter led to a formal meeting, which culminated in the acquisition of substantial investment. The funding was instrumental in accelerating the development of our platform and expanding our reach within the market, establishing Algocentric as a leader in AI-driven marketing solutions.

I’ve also listed tips from the experts for you. Let’s go!

Read also: 6 Ways To Make Practically Every Sales Call Close

Tips to Convince Somone Within 60 Seconds

Have your notepad open to take notes:

An elevator speech should highlight the ‘why’ behind what you do to spark interest in the ‘how.’ Keep it brief and benefit-focused, and you’ll find it opens many more doors.

For example, I once spoke to a CEO who said their goal was to “leverage AI and machine learning to optimize the customer journey.” That tells me nothing about why they’re doing it or what the end customer gains. My suggested version of “We’re using advanced analytics to deliver personalized experiences that increase customer satisfaction and loyalty” would resonate much more. The technical details fade away behind the real value and purpose. — Alex Taylor, Head of Marketing at CrownTV . 

I kept it real, talking their language, focusing on their digital struggles, and how I could fix them. No fluff, just straight talk. That turned one of those chats into a major deal, putting a nice feather in our cap.

The trick? Make it short and punchy, and talk about how you can solve their problem. That’s your golden ticket to making a memorable impact in no time — Sudhir Khatwani , Director of The Money Mongers.

For those crafting their own elevator pitches, my advice is to concentrate on the transformative value your services or products offer. It’s crucial to communicate not just what you do but how you make a difference for your clients. Being able to articulate this clearly and succinctly can turn a brief encounter into a fruitful conversation, setting the stage for future success.

Additionally, having robust case studies or metrics to back up your claims can substantially bolster the effectiveness of your pitch, as concrete results speak volumes — Steve Pogson , the Founder at FirstPier. 

Read also: Sales Pitch: Everything You Want to Know (+ 9 Great Examples)

Dos and Don’ts to Perfect Your Elevator Pitch

An effective business elevator pitch involves a concise yet compelling presentation of your business idea, product, or service. Here are eight key tips from successful elevator pitch examples you need to keep in mind while perfecting your pitch.

Tip 1: Personalization holds success of your pitch

A personal connection will be crucial for capturing and maintaining your audience’s attention. Tailor your pitch to your target audience’s interests and needs, using language and examples that resonate with them. 

Tip 2: Don’t beat around the bush while pitching

Ensure your elevator pitch is clear, concise, and free of jargon. The goal is to convey your business idea compellingly in less than a minute and leave your audience interested in learning more.

Tip 3: Deliver with passion and enthusiasm

Your enthusiasm for your business can be infectious, making your pitch more memorable. Let your passion shine through while maintaining professionalism.

Tip 4: Prepare and practice pitching

A successful elevator pitch requires preparation and practice. Know your pitch well enough to deliver it confidently without sounding rehearsed. Pay attention to your body language and eye contact to effectively engage your listener.

The don’ts

Tip 5: Avoid rambling

Long-winded pitches fail to maintain the audience’s attention and often lack a clear focus, making them less effective in capturing interest or action. Rambling not only loses your audience’s attention but also dilutes the impact of your message. Focus on what’s most relevant to your listener rather than giving an exhaustive history of your career or business.

Tip 6: Say no to heavy jargon

While industry-specific terms can demonstrate your expertise, overloading your elevator pitch with jargon can alienate listeners who may not share your technical background. Keep your language accessible to ensure a broad audience understands your message

Tip 7: Don’t use personal information for personalization

Making assumptions or inserting too much of your prospect’s personal information can come off as invasive or irrelevant. Maintain professionalism and focus on how your business can solve a problem or meet a need. 

Tip 8: Do not low-ball your problem

A successful elevator pitch clearly outlines a pain point before presenting your business as the solution. Failing to emphasize the problem or treating it as a minor inconvenience can make your solution seem unnecessary or irrelevant.

Read also: How to Pitch Your SMB Sales Like a Pro

Where Else Can You Use Your Elevator Pitch?

The versatility of a well-crafted elevator pitch extends far beyond face-to-face interactions at networking events or career fairs. A concise, engaging elevator pitch can be repurposed across various written mediums, aiming to capture the attention of your audience and effectively convey your core value proposition. Here are key places to leverage your elevator pitch: 

• About Us page: Your website’s About Us page is a prime location for a refined elevator pitch that succinctly tells the story of your business, what it stands for, and why it matters. This is where a great elevator pitch can forge a strong first impression.
• Listing descriptions: Whether it’s a product listing on an eCommerce platform or a service description on a professional directory, incorporating your elevator pitch can immediately highlight the benefits and distinctive features of your offering.
• Social profiles: Social media bios are the perfect spot for a short pitch to engage readers from the start. A good elevator pitch here can pique interest and drive followers to explore your business or personal brand more.
• Ad copy: Effective ad copy often employs the principles of a successful elevator pitch, focusing on solving a pain point with a clear, compelling message that drives a call to action. Crafting your ad copy with an elevator pitch mindset can improve conversion rates.
• Landing pages : The introductory text on landing pages should quickly grab visitors’ attention and encourage them to act. Embedding your elevator pitch in this space ensures your key value proposition is front and center.
• Emails: Whether it’s an email introduction to a potential client or a cold pitch to a prospective partner, starting with a concise elevator pitch can set a strong, engaging tone for the message.
• Boilerplates: The boilerplate of your press releases should contain a distilled version of your elevator pitch, succinctly describing your organization and its mission to grab the media’s attention.
• Mission statements: Though mission statements are inherently broader, infusing the essence of your elevator pitch into your mission can make it more impactful and memorable.
• Blog post intros: Kick off your blog posts with a short pitch that outlines the problem you’re addressing and hints at the solution you’ll explore, hooking readers from the start.
• Anywhere you need to distill your business or offering : From networking skills workshops to the introduction section of your presentations and even within job interviews and cover letters, your elevator pitch can be a powerful tool to convey value and capture interest succinctly.

  Read also: 12 Sales Scripts to Reshape The Future of Your Business

In the fast-paced business world, mastering the elevator pitch is as essential as having a business card in your wallet.

The perfect elevator pitch can open doors to an open conversation, whether you’re a seasoned business owner wanting to meet investors, a fresh graduate with a bachelor’s degree navigating career fairs, or a professional enhancing your networking skills in a virtual meeting. 

It reflects your cutting-edge ideas, organizational prowess, and the ability to engage others in meaningful dialogue — whether in person, through remote work, or any other setting. 

Keep these elevator pitch examples and templates as tools to refine your pitch, turning brief encounters into opportunities for lasting professional relationships.

EngageBay is an all-in-one marketing, sales, and customer support software for small businesses, startups, and solopreneurs. You get email marketing, marketing automation , landing pages and email templates , predictive lead scoring, activity timelines, and more.

Sign up for free with EngageBay or book a demo with our experts.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. what is a good example of an elevator pitch.

Out of many elevator pitch examples, a standout one could be: “As a strategic consultant with a bachelor’s degree in marketing, I’ve harnessed cutting-edge strategies to boost brand recognition. My expertise turns business cards into door openers, blending educational background with practical outcomes. Let’s discuss how I can bring this innovation to your organization.”

2. How do you write an elevator pitch?

To write an elevator pitch, follow these steps:

• Hook the Listener: Start with a compelling statement or thought-provoking question that addresses a problem or need.
• Introduce Your Solution: Present yourself, your business, product, or service as the answer to the problem mentioned.
• Value Proposition: Explain the benefits and features that make your solution valuable.
• Differentiate: Highlight what sets you apart from the competition.
• Call to Action: Conclude with a clear action you want the listener to take.

Remember, your entire pitch should be concise, targeted, and tailored to your audience. It should convey your message compellingly in less than a minute.

3. How do you start an elevator pitch sentence?

Starting an elevator pitch sentence effectively can grab your listener’s attention immediately. You can start with:

• A thought-provoking question: “Have you ever wondered how much time we waste waiting for important health test results?”
• An attention-grabbing statistic: “Did you know that 90% of startups fail because they don’t address a real customer need?”
• A relatable problem: “Struggling to keep up with your daily to-do list isn’t just your problem; it’s a universal challenge.”
• A personal anecdote or statement: “I turned my passion for sustainable living into a business that helps households reduce their carbon footprint effortlessly.”

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Aishwarya Lakshmi

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23 Elevator Pitch Examples to Inspire Your Own [+Templates & Expert Tips]

Published: May 06, 2024

Whether you're introducing yourself at a networking event, telling new colleagues about your business, or pitching to another professional — you want to capture attention and get it fast. In situations like these, you need a short and easy-to-grasp explanation of your company and its products, like an elevator pitch.

In this post, we'll discuss what an elevator pitch is, review some helpful examples, see some elevator pitch templates you can reference, go over some elevator pitch best practices, and cover some key mistakes you need to avoid when delivering one of these speeches.

Let's dive in.

Table of Contents

What is an elevator pitch?

Elevator speech example, how to write an elevator pitch, elevator pitch templates, 30-second elevator pitch examples, elevator pitches from real sales leaders, elevator speech best practices, what not to do in an elevator pitch.

An elevator pitch — also known as an elevator speech — is a short, memorable description of what you do and/or what you sell. The goal is to earn a second conversation, not to convince the person you're talking to that they should hire you or buy your solution.

An elevator pitch is never an opportunity to close a deal. It‘s an opportunity to close more of your prospect’s attention and time. It's a quick introduction to you, your company, and how you can help your prospect.

Hi, I‘m an account manager with Vacation Locator. We help travelers across the world plan their perfect holiday based on their interests, budget, and location preferences. With travel experts assigned to each account, we find the best deals and most unique experiences for each client, so they can enjoy their vacation, instead of stressing out about planning it. On average, we’re able to save travelers up to 30% on expenses such as hotel and airfare.

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• 2 Networking Pitch Templates
• 2 Sales Pitch Templates

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When to use an elevator pitch?

You can pull your elevator pitch out at functions like networking events or conferences, over interactions like warm calls, and even in job interviews or at career fairs. Keep your elevator pitch goal-oriented — for instance, "I help companies like yours increase production by up to 30% without additional cost . " — and always end with a business card or request to connect on LinkedIn.

If you‘re curious about what an elevator pitch should look like, or simply ready to jumpstart the pitch creation process, download the templates below. We’ve compiled several types of templates — from sales pitches to funding requests.

No matter which type of pitch you‘re delivering, keeping things concise is key. You don’t want to waste your prospect‘s, investor’s, or fellow professional‘s time. With that in mind, let’s take a look at how much time should you spend on an elevator pitch?

How long should an elevator pitch be?

An effective elevator pitch is meant to be no more than 30 seconds, just like the length of time you ride in an elevator. You want to keep your words easily digestible, so avoid trying to get too deep into specifics as it can drag on the conversation — and lose your prospect's attention.

You should have an effective elevator pitch prepared before you need it since you have such a short window to deliver it. Your pitch needs purpose, flow, and a hook to reel in attention if you want to get the kind of mileage you need out of it in 30-ish seconds.

Let's take a closer look at how to put one of these pitches together.

1. Use elevator pitch templates .

Download Free E-Pitch Templates

Use these templates to help structure pitches for three key audiences: prospects, investors, and potential network connection — making the elevator pitch creation process easier, freeing you up to focus on selling, crushing quota, and living your best life.

Let's dive into the ins and outs of fleshing out an elevator pitch of your own.

2. Introduce yourself.

The value of a personal introduction in an elevator pitch is multifaceted. For one, it gives your prospect some pretty mission-critical context — you won‘t get too much mileage out of an elevator pitch if they have no idea who you are or who you’re with.

Second, it can make the whole experience a bit more approachable. You don't want things to be too rigid or imposing when you pitch — a friendly introduction helps set the stage for a more natural engagement.

Bear in mind — you need to know what your prospect needs to know . What I mean is that you have to be mindful of how much information you‘re sharing as part of your introduction. You don’t want to get lost, ramble, and share more information than your prospect needs to know. Get it?

Effective elevator pitches are delivered in a tight window — you don‘t want to waste time rattling off details like how long you’ve worked at your company, what job you had before, or how much you like working for your employer.

Stick to the essentials, be friendly, and get on with the pitch.

3. State your company's mission.

Want me to let you in on some next-level, mind-blowing insight? Ready? Here we go — you need to know what your business does if you're going to pitch it effectively. Revolutionary stuff, right?

Seriously though, you want to include some insight about your business — and a lot of the time, that means briefly speaking to its mission and goals. Including a section where you give a thoughtfully tailored reference to your company identity can give a prospect valuable context and develop a little trust on a dime.

You don‘t have to give a comprehensive rundown of every project you’re working on or fondly reminisce about the team retreat where you picked up trash on the local beach. It can be as simple as something like, “I'm a sales rep at Better Than the Rest Cable. We help hotels across the U.S. pair with the perfect cable provider and plan for their region and needs.”

That description is both succinct and sufficient. It covers the necessary bases without getting too deep into the weeds. If you were to be cut off after these two sentences, the prospect would still know exactly who you are and what your company does. You know — the stuff your prospect needs to know.

4. Explain the company value proposition.

This might be the most important base to cover. A prospect isn‘t going to be interested in a solution that they can’t see the value in, so naturally, you need to be able to articulate a compelling value proposition in your pitch.

Unless you're at the forefront of some sort of technological revolution, your product or service exists in a competitive landscape — so your prospect is bound to have some options. Why should they choose you?

You need to provide a sentence or two that covers why your product or service is worth it — why your current customers are so happy with you. Here's what that could look like:

“I'm a sales rep at Better Than the Rest Cable. We help hotels across the U.S. pair with the perfect cable provider and plan for their region and needs. With regional experts assigned to each account, we help hotels identify the most cost-effective and guest-delighting cable plan for them.”

In one sentence, you‘ve told the prospect what sets you apart and how you can bring them value. You’ve likely piqued their interest, but how can you really grab their attention? Keep reading.

5. Grab their attention with a hook.

You‘ve spent the pitch up to this point lining them up, now knock them down. Give them the bit that’s going to prompt that second conversation — hit them with the hook.

That can come in the form of an enthralling story about a customer, some exhilarating information about your company's founders, a fascinating statistic about your offering, or something else that's neat and engaging to round things out and keep them interested.

Let‘s finish up the pitch we’ve been running with with an attention-grabbing statistic.

“I‘m a sales rep at Better Than the Rest Cable. We help hotels across the U.S. pair with the perfect cable provider and plan for their region and needs. With regional experts assigned to each account, we help hotels identify the most cost-effective and guest-delighting cable plan for them. On average, we’re able to save hotels up to 25% on their annual cable bills.”

6. Make sure your pitch is more conversational and less “sales-y.”

According to Patrick Beltran , Marketing Director at Ardoz Digital , you want to "[a]void sounding too sales-y. In my experience, people often shy away from elevator pitches that feel like a typical sales pitch. Your elevator pitch should come across more like a casual chat than a sales pitch. The aim is to spark interest, making the listener curious to learn more, not to seal the deal immediately.

"To make your pitch sound conversational, use a relaxed tone and steer clear of jargon. For instance, rather than saying ‘We offer cutting-edge solutions,’ say ‘We provide innovative solutions.’

"And instead of aggressively promoting our brand, we suggest ‘We’re looking to work with companies to address some of their marketing challenges. Perhaps you’d be interested in exploring this opportunity?’ "

7. Keep it simple and focused.

Gauri Manglik , CEO and Cofounder of Instrumentl , says, "The most important tip I can offer for creating and delivering an effective elevator pitch is to keep it simple and focused. Have one clear message or key insight you want to convey and structure your pitch around that.

For example, if you have a new product, focus on articulating the core problem it solves and how it uniquely solves that problem. Say something like, ‘We’ve developed a new tool that helps sales teams reduce the time spent on administrative tasks by over 50% each week. By streamlining CRM data entry and reporting processes through an intuitive mobile interface, account managers can spend less time pushing paper and more time building key relationships.’

A simple, focused message like this, with one relevant example or proof point to bring it to life, is all you need for an initial elevator pitch. Resist the urge to cram in too many details or try to explain everything your business or product does.

You have 30 seconds; one clear message is enough to spark interest for follow-up. With practice, a simple pitch can become a compelling story that fuels a meaningful first conversation. Keep it short — make it count."

8. Read and edit the pitch.

Once you have everything written out, read it aloud to make sure it sounds natural. Overly rigid, borderline-robotic pitches are rarely compelling. If it seems too stiff and formal, go back to the drawing board — at least a little.

Ideally, this pitch will be a prelude to a professional conversation — so striking a balance between professional and conversational with your pitch is in your best interest.

Now that you know how to write an elevator pitch, download HubSpot's eight free elevator pitch templates to put your learnings into action. These templates can be used to make a sale, start networking, or jumpstart a deal for business capital.

Featured Resource: 8 Free Elevator Pitch Templates

Our templates follow established best practices for elevator pitches. Each one includes:

• A personal greeting: Start every pitch by establishing a human connection and making your prospect feel seen and heard.
• A statement of your company's mission: Your mission can be blended with your value proposition and vice versa. But this piece of information is essential to get your prospect's buy-in, quickly.
• A hook to get your audience's attention: The hook can be as simple as a probing question or a highly personalized statement that‘s been tailored to your prospect’s needs. Either way, the hook will often seal the deal.
• A real example: See the template in action by reading a filled-out example, allowing you to visualize what your pitch may look like as you refine and edit it.

Using these templates allows you to save precious time and focus on the essence of the pitch instead of minute details, such as how to start it off or how to organize it. Your prospect's time is valuable, and so is yours.

If you're looking for some inspiration, look no further. The following elevator pitch examples illustrate different ways to describe what you can offer in 30 seconds or less.

1. An Attention-Grabbing Question

And like the previous one, it speaks to a “common but specific” pain point for the prospect on the other side of the pitch, covering an issue that many (if not most) marketers deal with consistently — and the “look at how many of your peers I talk to every month” element supports that.

And finally, it ends with an accessible but vivid metaphor about how efficient the resource is. I‘ll go out on a limb and assume that most prospects have poured a cup of coffee in their lives. It’s a frame of reference that's equal parts relatable and engaging — in short, it works.

3. The Surprise Ending

You want to know how many leads from your webinar campaign became customers versus leads from your trade show booth. But only customers who bought two products — and weren't already in your database.

How long would it take you to create that report?

If you had AnswerASAP, a data and reporting tool, you'd already know. It creates reports in a matter of seconds.

Holy heck! My goodness! What a twist! Bet you didn't see that ending coming — and neither will your prospects!

Okay, that might be overkill, but still, this kind of pitch works — for a few reasons. For one, it starts with a relatable approach. It runs through a “common but specific” scenario that businesses in the prospect‘s industry likely deal with. That shows that you’re familiar with a prospect's space, giving you some instant credibility.

From there, it offers an engaging, cheeky way to plug your solution. You raise a pressing pain point and immediately position your offering as the best way to solve it. It's slick, creative, and fun — taken together, those elements give you some serious staying power.

4. An Outlandish Stat

Dan Ponomarenko , CEO of Webvizio , offered this pitch:

“At Webvizio, we streamline web project management for digital teams, making collaboration seamless. Our platform allows you to visualize changes, communicate in real time, and manage feedback efficiently — all in one place. We eliminate the clutter of back-and-forth emails, so you can focus on what you love: creating. Interested in simplifying your project processes and enhancing team productivity?”

2. "Deliver a clear tech talent solution with EchoGlobal Tech . "

Lou Reverchuk , Co-Founder and CEO of EchoGlobal Tech , offered this pitch:

“Hello, I‘m Lou, representing EchoGlobal Tech, where we bridge the gap between innovative tech projects and top remote software developers. At EchoGlobal, we understand that the right talent makes all the difference. That’s why we guarantee no AI matchmaking and no juniors pretending to be senior devs. Always quality over quantity with us. Imagine having a dedicated expert who truly understands your project‘s vision and transforms it into reality. Let’s set up a time to discuss your hiring needs.”

3. "Simplify the insurance buying experience with Dundas Life "

Gregory Rozdeba , CEO of Dundas Life , offered this pitch:

“Imagine buying life insurance the way you shop online — quick, easy, and transparent. At Dundas Life, we streamline the complex process of finding the right insurance, making it accessible at your fingertips. With us, you‘re not just a policy number; you’re in control, informed, and secure. Let’s make insurance straightforward together.”

4. "Engage with real estate investment expertise with EZ Sell Homebuyers. "

Mike Wall , CEO of EZ Sell Homebuyers , offered this pitch:

“Looking to maximize your real estate investment? With over two decades of experience and a portfolio of over 30 properties, I provide tailored advice that turns real estate into real results. Let’s discuss how I can help you achieve your property investment goals today.”

5. "Enhance your online visibility with CodeDesign . "

Bruno Gavino , Founder and CEO of CodeDesign , offered this pitch:

“Hi, I’m Bruno from CodeDesign. We often see companies struggle to gain visibility in the digital space, losing potential revenue to competitors who dominate online. Our agency specializes in leveraging advanced data analytics and custom digital strategies to enhance your online presence, driving more traffic and increasing sales. Imagine what it would be like to see your business outperform competitors by simply optimizing your digital marketing. Let’s chat about how we can make that happen for you.”

6. "Illuminate spaces with quality lighting with Festoon House . "

Matt Little , Director at Festoon House , offered this pitch:

“Imagine transforming your space with lighting that‘s not only beautiful but also built to last. At Festoon House, we’re dedicated to crafting premium lighting solutions that elevate your style, enhance your ambiance, and stand the test of time. From modern chandeliers to industrial-chic fixtures, our products are designed to inspire and impress. Join the Festoon House family and let's brighten up your world together — one light at a time!”

7. "Solve food waste with RedBat.Agency . "

Gert Kulla , CEO of RedBat.Agency , offered this pitch:

“We're tackling the issue of food waste in restaurants. Our app allows diners to buy surplus food at a discount while helping venues reduce waste and generate extra revenue. This creates a win-win for businesses and customers looking to save money and curb food waste.”

8. "Elevate travel with JetLevel Aviation . "

Fahd Khan , Director of Marketing and Technology at JetLevel Aviation , offered this pitch:

“At JetLevel Aviation, we provide top-tier private jet charter services, ensuring fast, flexible, and seamless travel for high-profile clients. Unlike traditional charter companies, our bespoke solutions and access to a wide range of luxury jets guarantee that your travel experience is not just efficient but also tailored to your specific preferences and schedules. Let us elevate your travel experience to the next level.”

1. Keep it brief.

The purpose of an elevator speech is to be as brief as possible while capturing a prospect‘s attention. Try to stay under 60 seconds — including your introduction. Even if you’re delivering your elevator speech during a formal presentation, where you have time to elaborate if needed, keep the bulk of your pitch under sixty seconds.

If you don‘t, you won’t be able to use your pitch when you're chatting with prospects in situations with tighter time constraints — such as a tradeshow or a chance meeting.

2. Practice multiple times beforehand.

You may have written the most incredible elevator speech for your product, but if you hamper the delivery by misremembering or even forgetting parts of your pitch, it won't be an effective tool. Be sure to practice by yourself, with your manager, and with your colleagues.

The goal isn't just to memorize it, but to practice your tone, pace, and overall delivery.

3. Come prepared with additional materials.

When you‘re delivering your elevator pitch, be prepared to provide your prospect with what they need to continue the conversation. Whether that’s a business card, a brochure, or a short demo, carry all that you might need with you.

The elevator speech is your opportunity to begin a deal on the right foot and speed up the nurturing process. Typically, you might take weeks emailing a prospect before they're ready to schedule a meeting with you, but an elevator pitch speeds that work. You want to have the materials you need to keep the conversation going.

4. Be positive and enthusiastic.

It‘s essential to show your personality during your elevator pitch, but whether you’re a quiet, calm introvert or a charming, excitable extrovert, you should still convey positivity and enthusiasm.

You can use your body language and expression to keep things positive, even if your tone is quiet and calm. You might highlight the amazing benefits your prospect will enjoy if they sign up, or tell a positive story from one of your previous clients.

Most importantly, you should make it obvious that you want to help your prospect more than anything — which will make you sound positive by default.

5. Vary the tone of your voice.

As you deliver your pitch, vary your tone and modulation to keep your listener engaged. This will help you emphasize the most important parts of your speech — such as the benefits — while keeping your prospect‘s attention. The pitch may be short, but you’ll be surprised at how easily people can tune out based on your tone alone. We don‘t want to risk it! Especially if it’s a prospect you've never spoken with.

1. Don't ramble.

I‘ve been a rep at Sales-R-Us for five years now. They’re the best company I‘ve ever worked for. I’ve loved my time there. I started as a BDR and have worked my way up to a senior position. I‘ve never looked back. I also love the services we sell. I can’t wait to tell you about them. Sales-R-Us help companies become more efficient with their sales through training, evaluation, and leadership management — and that‘s just to name a few. We have a unique approach that’s been honed by lots of sales experts over the years, and I‘ve seen our solution really help a lot of companies and teams. I’ve had many clients whose businesses have been saved because of our genius solution. I know we can do the same for you. Would you be interested in learning more?

This elevator pitch is not effective because:

• It's way too long.
• The rep spends way too much time talking about themself.
• It never gets specific or actionable.
• It never provides actual examples or attention-grabbing facts.

2. Don't use too much jargon.

At Stratosphere Solutions, our OS-level virtualization delivers software in containers, all of which share the system of a lone operating system kernel. These containers are isolated but can communicate with one another through well-defined channels. Ultimately, this lets you use fewer resources than traditional virtual machines.

• It's inaccessible to someone without relevant technical knowledge.
• It features too much jargon.
• It tries to condense an extremely complicated topic into 30 seconds.
• Its value proposition isn't clear-cut.

3. Don‘t insert your prospect’s personal information.

I visited your Instagram and noticed that you have a pitbull. I have a pitbull, too! I bet he sometimes distracts you when you work from home, which is the absolute pits when you‘re trying to put together a report for your boss. Your dog — what’s his name? — may be asking for your attention, but I assure you you can still create a report as easy as 1-2-3 with AnswerASAP. While petting your pupperino.

• It sacrifices the hook in favor of creating a “personal connection.”
• It's too familiar with the prospect to the point of discomfort.
• It makes assumptions about the prospect's work-from-home tendencies.
• It uses informal slang (“the absolute pits,” “pupperino”) for unnecessary humor.

4. Don‘t under-emphasize the problem you’re solving.

It's possible that you may run into issues when putting reports together for your boss. For instance, things may go awry every once in a while, such as disappearing data or disagreeing sources. With AnswerASAP, you can lay those worries to rest. We have a few features that will help you with those issues if you ever run into them.

• It treats a customer problem as a possibility and not an urgent reality.
• It‘s vague (“things may go awry”) and doesn’t emphasize how those issues can hurt the prospect.
• It doesn‘t specify the product features that will solve the prospect’s challenges.
• Because it never goes into detail, it shows little research and care.

Remember, an elevator pitch should only come at someone else‘s prompting. If you’re spontaneously reciting it to random people, you're not doing yourself any favors. But if they ask, you want to be prepared with an interesting, well-crafted pitch.

Reel in Clients with an Effective Elevator Pitch

While a short speech may seem insignificant, those first conversations can hold some weight. With a well-crafted pitch, you can turn a single conversation with a prospect into a long-lasting customer, or even into a business partner. We hope you found these examples helpful and are inspired to craft your own effective elevator pitch.

Editor's note: This post was originally published in August 2019 and has been updated for comprehensiveness.

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9 Elevator Pitch Examples to Ensure You Stand Out

You know the concept of an elevator pitch: a short, braggy speech you’re supposed to deliver in front of some big shot when you inevitably wind up in an elevator with them for 30 seconds.

Nowadays, it’s like an automated, generic LinkedIn message. It’s inflated, overly self-promotional, and incredibly outdated. This kind of approach just doesn’t resonate in today’s business landscape.

So what do you do if you need an elevator speech? You have hopes to sell yourself, land a job, get a client, or sell a product.

Well, you need to learn a better way to create and present an elevator pitch. It doesn’t require a lot of work, only a new angle.

In this article, we’ll talk about:

• What’s an elevator pitch and how to make it
• What a modern-day elevator pitch should include
• Elevator pitch examples for different situations
• The key to writing an elevator pitch that stands out

Don’t waste days compiling overused interview techniques. Get original answers to every single question you could expect.

Shifting the Perspective on Elevator Pitches

An elevator pitch or elevator speech is a 30–60-second long speech that informs listeners about you, what you do, and why it’s relevant to them — whether you’re trying to sell a product, services, or yourself as a candidate for a job.

You can use it to quickly introduce yourself in a job interview, at a job fair, during conferences, networking events, or other semiformal job-related gatherings.

But like we said, the standard elevator speech is slowly becoming outdated because people make it sound salesy and robotic.

This is why there’s a shift of perspective: the modern-day elevator pitch should be conversational, natural, and focused on human connection and authenticity. Otherwise, it might not have the power you’re expecting.

You should still introduce yourself, state what you do, what your mission is, and hint at how someone could benefit from that. But your main goal is to get the conversation started, so both parties (you and the person you’re speaking to) can exchange ideas and see if there’s space for collaboration.

How to Create an Elevator Pitch: General Template

Before we begin, we’d like to point out that this article will walk you through the basic structure of an elevator pitch. Then it’ll show you how to adjust it for different purposes (for a job interview, a networking event, and other job-related social gatherings).

We’ll also provide specific examples based on different situations.

Here’s what the general structure of such an elevator pitch looks like:

A “hook” or an attention-grabber

Finding a relevant topic, a common pain point, or an interesting question could be a casual, natural conversation starter. This makes for a perfect hook or an attention-grabber for an elevator pitch.

From there, you can gently steer the conversation in the direction of your expertise and create an inviting atmosphere for people to share their experiences with you.

For example: Imagine you’re attending a seminar/conference about Google updates and how they affect content marketing. You can start a convo by mentioning an interesting initiative you took regarding content update best practices, and how it helped you keep the traffic during turbulent times.

You can expand then, mentioning what you do and how somebody could benefit from that. Potentially, a decline in traffic is someone’s pain point, and that person would be interested in what you have to say right away.

You could start a conversation by asking: “How did you fare after the last major update?” It’s a nice way to put them first and show curiosity about their situation.

Then, you could say something like “My last client’s blog traffic took quite a hit. At first, they were reacting the same way everyone else was, just kind of freaking out. Once I came on, we identified 5 specific things that could help them with authority and their traffic shot back up.” This would grab their attention and give them something to relate to. Plus, it would present you as the solution to the problem, and they would be more than interested to hear about the 5 ways to increase traffic.

Which brings us to our next step.

A quick explanation of what you do

In this part of your elevator pitch, you can speak more about your work and how you solve different pain points.

It shouldn’t be bragging, but an honest, realistic story about your relevant experiences. If you can back them with hard data (maybe one key accomplishment, because you need to be short), even better. You can also mention some of your biggest clients, your mission and vision, or any other relevant detail.

The space for questions

Every good elevator speech will leave enough room for the person you’re speaking with to ask questions. Perhaps they’ll ask for more details about your expertise and company. That would be the perfect opportunity for you to elaborate and show how you could potentially solve their problems and contribute to their success.

Perhaps they’ll ask for recommendations, be it for software, strategy, or people. That’s a nice way to start building relationships.

Or, someone might straight up ask you if you could help them because they’re facing the same problem, and then the case is closed. You “sold” yourself during the elevator pitch purely because you were able to strike up a valuable conversation and provide value.

The questions you ask

You can ask questions in your elevator pitch! We’re moving away from sales-dudes-bragging pitches. People don’t want to listen to the monologue you learned by heart and recited to five people in the room. They want authentic conversations now.

Use the opportunity to ask relevant questions to keep the conversation going.

You can ask about how their company is dealing with the topic at hand, if they heard about a recent event in the industry, or anything else that would help you connect with and understand the person you’re speaking with.

✅ Pro tip: Elevator speeches don’t have to follow the same pattern . The more your elevator speech sounds like a natural part of the conversation, the more success you’ll have. If you can make your elevator speech a chameleon, perfectly blended with the rest of the talk, people won’t recognize that you’re “pitching” anything. What they will recognize is your expertise and authenticity, and they’d be drawn to you.

Elevator Pitch Examples for Different Scenarios

Elevator pitch examples for a job interview.

If you’re looking for a job, you’ll likely hear “Tell me about yourself” in every interview. This is the perfect opportunity to bring out your elevator pitch and start a conversation.

Here’s how to create an elevator pitch for a job interview:

A recent graduate offering fresh perspectives and motivation to learn

A career switcher who shows transferable skills and eagerness to evolve, a seasoned professional highlighting vast experience and adaptability.

Elevator pitch examples for a networking event

Notice how these elevator speech examples will be a lot more conversational and a lot less rehearsed than the ones for job interviews. You should be as natural as possible when networking — focus on creating a connection first and a collaboration second.

An industry expert pitching unique insights and records of accomplishments

An aspiring leader focusing on the vision and leadership potential, an eager student highlighting the desire to learn more and make valuable connections, elevator pitch examples for social gatherings and other semi-formal situations, a freelancer discussing flexibility, bespoke solutions, and diverse experiences, a hobbyist-turned-professional conveying passion and talking about their unique journey., an introverted specialist emphasizing deep knowledge and precision in specific areas, elevator pitch examples: popular opinion vs. expert advice.

The internet is full of all kinds of advice — terrible, alright, and some that’s actually pretty solid. Let’s see if popular opinion moved away from seeing elevator pitches as highly structured, salesy, learned-by-heart pieces of text to deliver.

Zak7062 from Reddit said:

“I’m better at writing software than I am at writing elevator pitches” is what I usually go with. Usually, it gets a laugh and is a decent icebreaker that gets me more time to talk to them.

Career expert comments:

If the occasion is not too formal, this is the perfect icebreaker that will set a positive tone right away and start the conversation in the right direction. My immediate reaction would be to inquire more about this person’s coding skills, so I guess the hardest part of their job is done. But bear in mind this is just a hook, an ice-breaker, and not a real elevator pitch. So make sure to prepare at least a few bullet points describing your skills and the value you’d bring to their company. It’s cool to have such a nice ice-breaker, but you need to follow up with something substantial.

From ConsulIncitatus :

“My job is to make us look good and I do that by measuring results and improving them. That’s also good for the company. I’m the ears and mouth for my teams and occasionally the brain. I believe in servant leadership. I clear the path for my technical staff to build our vision for our products. I focus on their growth and that in turn grows us.”

One might argue that this is a nice overview of the duties of this person. But not me. There are 6 pieces of general information here that don’t reveal anything about the person’s skills and ability to accomplish results. Everyone who has a job has to measure results and improve them.

This, if heavily edited, could be the middle part of an elevator pitch where a person briefly explains what they do and their key skills.

In that case, the person would have to narrow down their choice of information. If they want to highlight they’re result-oriented, they need to pick an example of when they improved poor performance and back it up by % or $. If they believe in servant leadership, they need to quickly elaborate the principles. And so on.

Bottom line: Pick one or two key things/values/principles/achievements and prove them. Don’t list generalizations — you’ll risk blending in with every other candidate.

From Gordon Miller on Quora:

A mentor of mine taught me “a pitch is complete not when nothing else can be added, but when nothing else can be taken away.” Another mentor told me “It is all about the ONE THING. You need to figure out what the one thing is.”

Career expert comments: 

This is a nice way to look at it. I’m not saying you should focus on only one thing in your elevator pitch, but having a differentiator, a single thing that makes you different and potentially better from the competition is a nice thing to build your pitch around. Everything else you add should complement that differentiator, prove your worth, and hint at how you can help others who have the same problem.

Tips to Make Your Elevator Pitch Stand Out

Let’s see how you can make your elevator pitch more fun and engaging.

Personalize your pitch to show your unique value

A generic elevator pitch, the one you’d learn by heart and recite to anyone you meet, would blow your chances because it wouldn’t be relevant or valuable to the person you’re speaking to.

That’s why an elevator pitch needs to be personalized.

Creating a new elevator pitch for every person you’re speaking to makes no sense. But coming up with a nice basis and then adjusting the details each time might work pretty well.

If you know in advance who you’ll be speaking to, make sure to research their company so you’re in the loop with their initiatives and potential pain points. Then, highlight your specific achievements that directly relate to the company’s needs. Identify their pain points and address how your skills and experience could be the solution.

✅ Pro tip: If you don’t know who you’ll be speaking to, try to ask questions while you speak (if the situation allows it), or personalize the pitch to the company they work for.

Here’s a story my friend told me. One of her professors, who was also a hiring manager for Mondelez, often manned booths at career fairs. He said he used to hear thousands of bland elevator pitches with students listing their accomplishments, each similar to the previous one.

The ones who actually stood out always knew something about the company. He gave an example of one guy who started a conversation about Mondelez’s sustainability efforts in hazelnut production. The guy talked about how he was passionate about that and pitched some other ideas of ways they could improve these processes.

So even though the guy didn’t know who he would be speaking to, he made his elevator speech relevant by researching the company, obtaining important info, and adding it to the speech, along with additional ideas on how to improve the processes.

Keep the pitch conversational

Nobody wants to hear about you assisting in optimizing synergistic solutions for seamless integration in the tech ecosystem. They don’t understand what it means and they don’t care.

You need to keep your pitch conversational to hold the listener’s attention. By not sounding robotic and rehearsed, you’ll be more relatable and interesting to talk to. You’ll stand out by being memorable and authentic.

Plus, you’ll create a space for you and the person you’re speaking with to build a real connection and see how you can help each other.

How to keep it conversational:

• Avoid formal language or complex and vague terms.
• Use storytelling in your pitch
• Engage the listener: ask questions and create a dynamic discussion
• Pay attention to your tone and pace of speech

Highlight the benefits of working with you

When appropriate, highlight the benefits of working with you or your company, not just your skills or what you do in general.

Having sharp skills is great, but people probably want to know how you can use those skills to help them .

Try to address the why by bringing up unique points about yourself, highlighting your strengths, and mentioning your key achievements. Make sure those achievements are somehow connected to the industry/role/pain point/challenge/goal of the person you’re speaking to.

If you can prepare in advance and do some digging on the person’s company and challenges, even better.

Summary of the Main Points

• It’s important to move away from the old-school, salesy elevator pitches that make you boring and robotic.
• Nowadays, elevator pitches need to be authentic and conversational.
• Be aware that there are differences between an elevator pitch for a job interview and an elevator pitch for seminars, conferences, meetups, and any other job-related occasions.
• Your ideal elevator pitch should have a hook or another kind of an attention-grabber.
• It also needs to explain what you do and what’s in it for them.
• It should create a dynamic conversation where both you and the person you’re speaking to can ask questions.
• Keep your elevator speech conversational, personalized, and make sure to highlight the benefits of working with you.

_____________________________

Need a hand? There’s 3 ways we can help:

• Learn how to turn job interviews into offers . (Rated 4.9/5 by 1,000,000 users)
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• Read about how to handle interview anxiety

How long should my elevator pitch be?

30–60 seconds. It should be enough for you to get your key points across and start a conversation. This makes it suitable for most networking situations.

Do I need to write my elevator speech down?

It’s not mandatory, but it might help during the initial elevator pitch brainstorming session. Writing down different elevator pitch ideas and versions will give you clarity and structure. It might also help with setting up your arguments. You could adjust, rearrange, add, or remove ideas until you get the perfect version. Plus, having a written pitch makes it easier to customize for different situations. You can adjust it based on the audience, occasion, the context of a conversation, and similar.

What is the objective of an elevator pitch?

To succinctly communicate key information about your expertise, capture attention, build a memorable impression of you, and initiate conversation, opening the door for exploration of partnerships and opportunities.

Are there any famous elevator pitch examples?

Steve Jobs’ elevator pitch to John Sculley back in 1983 when Sculley was still at Pepsi: “Do you want to spend the rest of your life selling sugared water, or do you want a chance to change the world?”

Airbnb’s early pitch was interesting too: “Book rooms with locals, rather than hotels,” hinting at their unique selling point — connecting travelers with locals who provide authentic lodging experiences. That’s Airbnb’s one thing, their differentiator.

What’s a good example of an elevator pitch for someone with no experience?

If you have little to no relevant experience, you can focus on your enthusiasm, potential, and transferable skills. Show enthusiasm about the field, industry, or company, showcase potential by bringing up a relevant accomplishment from the academic field, volunteer work, or internship, and highlight how you could use key transferable skills to contribute. Make sure you pick the transferable skills relevant to the speaker, depending on their company, industry, or the type of role you’re discussing. You can also demonstrate your enthusiasm for the role/company by researching and pitching interesting ideas (like that Mondelez example we mentioned above).

What to say in my elevator pitch if I don’t do anything unique and am just a solid employee?

If you don’t have a particular achievement or a unique role, you can still emphasize your hard work, reliability, work ethic, and ability to contribute. Being a solid employee is quite a desired skill and should be highlighted. Additionally, you can quantify your work to prove it. Using a number to back up your claims will spice your pitch up. For example, you could say, “I truly believe that hard work and reliability are the keys to success in this job. I’ve been working for ABC Auto for the past 5 years — I’ve never showed up late and always gotten my work done on time. My boss once told me: ‘Whenever I ask you to do something, I know I’ll never have to worry about following up.’ It’s my favorite compliment I ever received.”

Maja Stojanovic

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Master Your Graphic Design Elevator Pitch with These Tips & Examples

Kylie Burgener

Kylie Jackson Burgener is a mother of three and a freelance consultant, specializing in public relations, writing and content marketing. She is a cofounder of Measured Melodies, a leveled piano sheet music system for piano teachers and students. She lives in Raleigh, North Carolina with her family. Learn more »

Adam Wright

Adam Wright is the Content Manager at Millo, in addition to running his own graphic and web design business, Adam Wright Design. When he's not working on his business, you can find him watching hockey or just about any type of racing. Learn more »

What exactly is a graphic design elevator pitch?

What every graphic design elevator pitch should include, avoid making these mistakes in your graphic design elevator pitch, 3 graphic design elevator pitch examples, start crafting your pitch today.

BIG NEWS! We just released The Freelance Files , a collection of professional done-for-you email scripts, contracts, invoices, and more for smarter freelancing. The first 50 customers, save 50% with this link .

It is so important to be prepared with a graphic design elevator pitch because being a freelance graphic designer is about more than just making brands look good with your art.

It’s about how you sell yourself.

But talking about YOU – not just your services or your industry, can be a little…let’s just call it awkward.

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That’s why it is necessary to be prepared with a graphic design elevator pitch. So when those moments come up, and it is time to talk about why you do what you do, and why you are the best fit for a certain project, you know exactly what you are going to say .

The right graphic design elevator pitch tells your story in a compelling way, highlights your experience and skills, and gives you the confidence to attract new clients in any setting––whether you are in a formal pitch meeting or just met casually.

Because first impressions are everything! In this article we will walk you through the ins and outs of the perfect graphic design elevator pitch––what it is, how to create one, and even give you some examples as a jumping off point.

Ready? Let’s go!

Think of your graphic design elevator pitch this way: What would you say to your dream client if you happened to find yourself riding the same elevator with them? You only get about 30 seconds to a minute to explain who you are, what you do, and why it matters.

Using short speeches, sometimes in actual elevators, to sell ideas has been a popular practice since at least the early 1900s, when Hollywood was hitting its stride and script writers were looking for their big break. But the actual phrase, “ elevator pitch ” wasn’t widely used until the 1970s, when Phillip Crosby published an executive self-help book entitled, “The Art of Getting Your Own Sweet Way.”

No matter where it originated from, having a graphic design elevator pitch at the ready is a smart move for any freelancer.

While a graphic design elevator pitch is a must-have in a job interview, there are plenty of other times you might find yourself ready to launch into your prepared speech.

Networking events are a great place to use it, for example, or if you happen to be introduced to someone who might be in need of your skills. A written version of your elevator pitch is also useful in proposal requests , and perhaps an expanded version should absolutely be on your LinkedIn profile.

Not every meeting lends itself to a graphic design elevator pitch––use your instincts to decide if selling yourself will come across as pushy at a party or non-business event. That said, whenever someone says, “Tell me about the work that you do?” you’re perfectly prepared pitch will certainly come in handy!

Ready to create your graphic design elevator pitch? It may seem intimidating at first, but writing an elevator pitch is not that different from crafting a resume or the “about” section on your website.

Start with this basic framework, and be sure to inject plenty of your own personality to make it shine!

1. The heart of what you do

The point of a graphic design elevator pitch is to show off your skills. This is the most difficult part of putting together your pitch––explaining your work in as few words as possible.

Write out everything you want to say, and then start editing. Take out extra words or maybe skills that are a little more common or uninteresting. Drill down to the heart of what you are really interested in and what you are best at.

2. Your “why”

You certainly do not need to include your life history in a 30-second graphic design elevator pitch, but explaining your purpose is essential. Think about what led you to this point in your career, and then again, edit that down to the true why behind your work. Give a few compelling details to draw the listener in.

3. What sets you apart

Every graphic designer does some version of the same thing. So telling people that you “make great art that helps brands sell their products” is boring. What is it about you and your business that is really unique?

This might be an unusual skill you have, your perspective that gives your art personality, the niche industry you serve, high-profile clients you have worked with, results you have achieved, your education, or something totally different! If you aren’t sure what that special wow factor is for you, ask your friends, family, peers and even clients.

4. Where you see yourself in the future

Have you heard the phrase, “dress for the job you wish you had?” The same can be said about a graphic design elevator pitch––tell people what work you want to be doing.

Projecting this gives people an idea of the passion behind your work, what you will be most engaged with, and the types of clients they should introduce you to. It also helps you visualize yourself in these roles and always have a plan for growth.

Every pitch can be improved. Many people make the same mistakes when delivering their graphic design elevator pitch. Luckily for you, you can learn from others so you don’t have these same errors in your own sales speech. Here are a few of the mistakes you should avoid if you don’t want your pitch to go straight to the trash :

Don’t dwell on your own name or the name of your company.

But wait––isn’t my graphic design elevator pitch about me? Yes…and no. While you are definitely trying to sell yourself, you don’t necessarily want it to sound like you are selling yourself. Instead, focus on the problems that you solve as a professional, and how that helps your clients present themselves well.

Don’t take too long.

When we say an elevator pitch should be 30-60 seconds, err closer to that 30 second mark. It may seem like you cannot possibly squeeze all of the things mentioned in the last section into that short of a time frame. The trick is to distill all of those ideas down to what you really want to say.

Not only does this make your pitch short enough to hold someone’s attention, it helps you really think about your business and learn to communicate what you are thinking and feeling in a way that is very clear.

Don’t use jargon.

There is no faster way to lose your audience than using words they don’t understand. Obviously, dropping kerning or skeuomorphism into an initial pitch is a mistake. But think deeper. Even more mainstream terms like “palette” or “brand identity” may be confusing if they aren’t used in the right context.

Don’t always make it the same.

Obviously, a graphic design elevator pitch is a prepared speech, or sometimes sentences written out to describe who you are and what you do. You should have a set template stored away somewhere that you can call on at a moment’s notice. However. The template doesn’t have to (and shouldn’t) be a rigid thing.

Be sure to leave room for adjusting to your audience. Drop in an example from their industry, or relate your work back to the way they do business in some way whenever you can. Your audience is always wondering, “What’s in it for me?”

While your graphic design elevator pitch needs to be totally original and reflect your personality, it always helps to see successful examples to get your own ideas flowing. Here are three to get you started:

I promise the Millo team didn’t ask me to include this here, but the opener right here on Millo.co is a great example of a concise elevator pitch:

“We’re here to help you thrive at freelancing. We publish articles , podcast episodes , guides, courses , and lots more to take your freelancing to the next level. Our mission is to help you achieve the 3 Fs in your life and work: FREEDOM, FLEXIBILITY & FULFILLMENT.”

In just three sentences, they have told you their mission, given specific examples, and even included a catchy tagline.

2. Just Creative

Jacob Cass started an open thread on his website where people post their graphic design elevator pitches. You can read them all for inspiration, but here is one of my favorites:

“I’m a husband, a dad, and a Pastor. I understand and love people more than technology, and I’d love to help you reach and understand people through technology.”

He uses a unique fact about himself to get me interested, and then talks about a niche––understanding people through technology. While I think a few more specifics to clarify what that looks like would be helpful, I wanted to know more, so in that sense, the pitch worked.

3. The Interview Guys

This is a longer format pitch, more of the kind of thing you’d say out loud instead of posting online. This site also provides a helpful PDF template with questions to ask yourself to help write your pitch:

“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?”

If you don’t already have a graphic design elevator pitch, invest the time in yourself as soon as possible and create one . Firming up in your mind who you are, what you do, and what you stand for will help you set better goals, win over clients , and finally explain to your mom what your job is all about.

In all seriousness, though, you want to be ready for that big moment when it comes. Have a plan to sell yourself now, so that when the elevator doors open and that CEO you’ve dreamed of working with gets on, metaphorically or literally, you will be ready and waiting to make the most of it.

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Written by Kylie Burgener

Staff at millo.co.

Kylie Jackson Burgener is a mother of three and a freelance consultant, specializing in public relations, writing and content marketing. She is a cofounder of  Measured Melodies , a leveled piano sheet music system for piano teachers and students. She lives in Raleigh, North Carolina with her family.

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Comments from the community

A lot of typos which is unfortunate because the content is good.

We’ll take a look at it. Thanks, Celine.

Hi, I’m Michael Schlossman. I am a freelance graphic communication specialist. My unique experience in all printing methods combined with a thorough knowledge of Adobe Creative Suite for graphic design and web development position me to address today’s ever-changing marketing media formats with confidence.

Love this! I’m in marketing and I’ve always tried to refine a really clear overview of my business with a CTA but I’ve never heard it called an elevator pitch. I like it!

Hi, I’m Ashit Vora, owner of a web consulting company named Alfanso (www.alfanso.com) . We create simple and easy to use software that make people’s life better.

Hi, I’m Genie. I’m a freelance illustrator and graphic designer specialising in print. There are lots of designers that send out print work and illustration jobs. I’m not like that. Not only can I do graphic design, but I handle the illustration and technical print stuff as well. So next time you need to put together some graphics for something, whether you have something already started or need from scratch or give me a bell. Here’s my card.

If I’m correct then I’ve read two books that cover that subject (at least briefly) Frank J. Rambauskas “Never Cold Call Again” Milo O. Frank “How to Get Your Point Across in 30 Seconds or Less”

*and it goes for that post also you have made – http://www.graphicdesignblender.com/design-pitch-15-seconds

Never heard of elevator pitch before. Definately concentrates the mind.

Thank you, your tips help a lot for any business. Here’s my elevator pitch.

Hello my name is Jason Henderson and I’m a caricature artist/illustrator. There are many artists out there, but not a lot who can customize to their client’s needs in such a vast array of styles (i.e. caricature, realistic portraits). So, the next time you have trouble thinking of a gift for someone or need a caricature artist for a party., give me a call and we’ll make something happen, either for you or someone else. Here’s my card.

Mr. Lee… You have opened my eyes to “elevator Pitching” and I want to thank you for that!

I have operated a unique packaging design studio that offers each client a one stop shop, starting with the design of a package to product photography and finally the print ready production files for their printers. This in fact has landed me great jobs, since my clients do not need to go to many places to complete a project. They send me a prototype or a ready to sell product and the rest happens within my studio. So if you or any one you know is looking for some design work to be done, you are more than welcome to visit my web site at http://studiofunhouse or pick up the phone and call 718-805-8888 to discuss your needs and ideas!

All the best and again, thanks for your article! Rey H.

Hi I’m Gwen. I’m the owner of Creative Instinct. We are a small graphic design firm that helps small businesses stand out from their competition through creative logo design, branding material, and website design. Our clients can have their cake and eat it too. We give them great design and service, at a fraction of the cost of other design firms.

Check us out at http://www.creativeinstinct.biz! 🙂

Hi I’m Chinthana. I’m the owner of Cyber Circus. We are a creative solutions company that focuses on creative design solutions and online marketing. What we do is bring a WOW factor to your website and other branding material and also help place your site on the 1st page of Google.

Just off the top of my head. I know it needs more working though. Your feedback on this is extremely welcome.

Your post was a very good read. Thank you for that. 🙂

I am hooked on your articles! All so incredibly helpful! I’ve been meaning to put an elevator pitch together for quite some time now. Never had the framework in which to do it though. thanks to you, I now have my elevator pitch! Thanks so much 🙂 Keep the awesome posts coming!

Hi Preston, good post.

I agree entirely with you, regarding the importance of a good elevator pitch.

Thanks for the framework you posted. Very helpful.

I sometimes blog on similar subjects. My readers will be grateful for your resource on how to win more clients.

Many thanks, Mac.

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How to Create an Elevator Pitch (With Examples)

Examples of the Best Elevator Pitches

When and How to Use an Elevator Pitch or 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 is 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. It's called an elevator pitch because 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 (if you're simply networking).

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 to ensure your message is clear. The more you practice, the better your speech. 

If you're job searching, you can use your elevator pitch in person at job fairs or career expos, and online in your LinkedIn summary or Twitter bio. 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.

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 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 staying within the appropriate time limit and delivering 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 shouldn’t volunteer that information immediately.) 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 you're looking for "a role in accounting," "an opportunity to apply my sales skills to a new market," or "the opportunity 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. They 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, and you shouldn't 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 of the same guidelines apply to a virtual elevator pitch. You may have an opportunity to give an elevator speech at 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, which will help you appear to make eye contact with the person on the other side of the video chat. Just 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.

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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Free Elevator Pitch Templates: Business, Networking, and Personal

By Joe Weller | June 23, 2022

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We’ve collected the top elevator pitch templates for students, businesses, networking, and personal use to help you prepare for events and meetings where you have limited time to pitch yourself, business ideas, or products. 

Included on this page, you’ll find a basic elevator pitch template , an elevator pitch template for students , an elevator pitch template for networking , and an elevator pitch template for sales.

Basic Elevator Pitch Template

Download Basic Elevator Pitch Template Microsoft Word | Adobe PDF

Use this elevator pitch template to ensure that you include all pertinent information in your brief presentation. In a typical elevator pitch, you’ll have 30 seconds to introduce yourself, provide an overview of your experience, hook the audience with clear goals, and present a simple action plan. Adapt this template to meet just about any personal or business need and make sure your idea is clearly presented. 

Check out our resources on how to write a great elevator pitch for more information.

Elevator Pitch Template for Students

Download Elevator Pitch Template for Students Microsoft Word | Adobe PDF

Students seeking internships, jobs, or further study opportunities can use this template to prepare an elevator pitch for job fairs, internship applications, or chance meetings with hiring managers. Fill in the sections for personal information, the reason why your proposal matters, and a call to action. Writing a pitch ahead of time helps you appear prepared and qualified when meeting with hiring professionals. 

Check out more elevator pitch examples to meet the needs of any short presentation.

Elevator Pitch Template for Networking

Download Elevator Pitch Template for Networking Microsoft Word | Adobe PDF

Use this template to build your elevator pitch for any networking opportunities on the horizon. Customize your pitch by type of event, audience, and networking goal. Write and rehearse a simple but targeted elevator pitch by answering the questions on this template, and arrive at your next meeting with a concise pitch to help you stand apart from the crowd.

Elevator Pitch Template for Sales

Download Elevator Pitch Template for Sales Microsoft Word | Adobe PDF

When you have a new product or service to sell, an elevator pitch will help communicate your idea to potential buyers or customers. Answer questions about target customers, existing market solutions, product details and features, and next steps to develop a concise and effective elevator pitch.

Elevator Pitch Deck Template

Download Elevator Pitch Deck Template — Microsoft PowerPoint

Use this pitch deck template to highlight your product or service in a clear, concise presentation-ready format. Edit the customizable slides to present key information about your business, products, or services in a short time frame, including the problem(s) you hope to solve and how you will solve them.

Manage Your Elevator Pitches with Real-Time Work Management in Smartsheet

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When teams have clarity into the work getting done, there’s no telling how much more they can accomplish in the same amount of time.  Try Smartsheet for free, today.

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Make a memorable impression with our elevator pitch template

Whether you’re pitching a passion project, business idea, or research proposal, FigJam helps you sell your idea quickly (so you’ll still have time to enjoy the elevator music).

Elevator pitch template

Hold the door—incorporate everyone’s strongest selling points on our free interactive pitch templates.

Pitch a ride to the top

Write, refine, and share the perfect elevator pitch with your trusted collaborators before you press the button.

Put it down on paper: Deliver the most potent message possible by putting it in writing and editing relentlessly.

Practice until perfect: Memorize and practice your elevator pitch more easily when you have a written copy to reference.

Share it with the team: Create a standard elevator pitch anyone can use to align your messaging across the group.

The sales pitch, elevated

You won’t be counting the seconds until you reach your floor when the folks you trust can pitch in on the perfect message. Throw out top ideas in our shared workspaces, provide specific feedback with Lil’ Notes, and make group edits a breeze with Simple Vote. Plan together, pitch together, and win together with FigJam.

Lift off the limits

Share a compelling idea with our elevator pitch example. Then, take your idea to the next level with brainstorming and meeting templates from our Community.

Team meeting agenda

Schedule in time to practice your elevator pitch.

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Share ideas freely when you brainstorm together.

Other templates from the community

Turn your idea into a story, put it into practice, and reflect on the results​​—all with FigJam templates.

How do you write an elevator pitch?

To write an elevator pitch, start with a simple elevator speech template from FigJam, which includes all the essential categories of information you should cover and helps you distill your points to keep the talk short, sweet, and perfectly timed to an elevator ride.

That said, you might want to begin by riffing on your ideas and expanding your argument into a longer speech or set of notes. Once you have some material, gather your team and share your initial thoughts. See what’s making an impact and brainstorm ways to take that impact further.

Once you know what makes your offering or business idea unique, shorten your pitch until it’s about thirty seconds in length. Be sure that each section flows smoothly into the next so you don’t lose the attention of your audience.

Remember: the work isn’t done when the writing is finished. Practice your pitch with the group until you can deliver it confidently and consistently.

What are the 4 parts for a strong elevator pitch?

Elevator pitch templates often include the following four sections:

- Introduction – Tell your listener who you are and give a one-sentence summary of what you’ve created.

- Problem – Identify the problem and illustrate a need for your product.

- Proposed solution – Once you’ve established a gap, offer your solution. Specify what makes your product unique and fill in our pitch templates with factors differentiating you from competitors.

- Call to action – Leave your listener with concrete action steps to take in support of your project.

What is an example of an elevator pitch?

Before you fill in your pitching template, it may be helpful to glance at a few sample speeches. Here’s a quick example elevator pitch for a recent college grad reaching out to a prospective employer:

Hi there, I’m Lisa. I graduated summa cum laude from Academic University (Go Pencils!) with a double major in economics and viticulture. I noticed the book-keeping position just opened up at your vineyard, and, given my academic expertise and level-3 sommelier status, I think I’d make an excellent fit for the job. Do you have time to meet this week?

While this is a hyper-specific example, successful elevator pitch examples all tend to fall on the short-but-sweet side and include introductions, problems, solutions, and calls to action.

Other templates you might like

Product launch plan template

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Elevator Speech Template: How to Create a 30 Second Commercial for Yourself

Looking for an elevator speech template? In this post, I’m going to explain how to create a 30 second commercial (elevator pitch) for yourself. (Or for your company.) This elevator speech can be used to introduce yourself to a new contact, help you get an interview, or help you sell an idea to a decision-maker. This type of presentation is critical when you have to grab a person’s attention in a positive way and time is short. In this post, we will cover a brief history of the concept, an elevator speech template, and a few examples.

History of the Elevator Speech

In the book, Crosby encourages Quality Managers to create a “pre-prepared speech selling the benefits of their new approach to quality that they could deliver in the elevator if they find themselves unexpectedly in the company of a senior executive for a few floors.”

The Difference Between an “Elevator Speech” and an “Elevator Pitch”

The purpose of the elevator speech is to get the person hearing the speech to want to hear more. Nothing else. In fact, our elevator speech template will encourage the listener to actually want to hear more. In addition, the listener will often ask you to explain the concept in more detail. (If we deliver it well.) So, if you happen to be in sales, and you are looking for a way to get potential prospects to come to you, the template will work well for you.

The 60-Second Commercial and the 30-Second Commercial

Eventually, the concept of the “Elevator Pitch” was replaced with a “60-Second Commercial.” Since Crosby’s original concept was one-minute long, sales trainers used the same concept in networking. This concept was simple. When you are at a business card exchange, you want to be able to explain what you do quickly. So, the Elevator Speech became synonymous with a promotional introduction. They just re-named it a 60-second commercial.

I remember going to networking events in the late 1990’s and early 2000’s. At the time, we were taught to practice a great 60-second commercial. You had to get really good at it. If you did, be able to pitch a random person that you just met and make them want to buy something from you. Of course that was horse hockey. Oh yes, I’m sure, on occasion, someone use this commercial with someone who actually has a specific need. Then, later, the person bought. But, I’d wager that these situations were pretty rare if the person delivering the 60-second commercial was being pushy.

By the way, today, if it takes 60 seconds to explain what you do, you’ve likely already lost the listener. Recently, the concept has been shortened to a 30-second commercial.

Elevator Speech Template

This elevator speech template will show you how to create a 30-second commercial for yourself or company. One key to making this process work is to be both genuinely interested in the other person. Another key, though is to get the person to pull the information from you. A good analogy for this is fishing. No one ever caught a fish by dunking their head underwater and telling the fish how great they were. First, you have to offer the fish something that the fish wants. Then, you have to wait for the fish to make the next move. Finally, you have to set the hook. The 30-second commercial is very similar . (Except that the listener doesn’t end up grilled on a plate at the end. Okay, maybe I could have come up with a better analogy, but you get the point.)

• Introduction (If Necessary)

For instance, I know that most people have never heard of The Leader’s Institute ®. So, by not explaining in detail about what the company does, it leads the person to ask, “So, what does The Leader’s Institute ® do?” Also, instead of saying that I’m a teacher or trainer, I say professional speaker. It builds interest. It also makes the speaker want to know more.

By the way, the best way that I have ever found to do that is to ask questions of the other person. If I want the person to ask me something, I will often ask that same thing about them.

• Focus on the Problem that You Solve (Want to Solve) for People.

The big mistake that a lot of people make here is to pull out the salesperson fangs .

“Well, let me tell you… The Leader’s Institute ® is an international training company specializing in leadership, presentation skills, and team building events. We conduct as many as 300 public speaking classes every year. We have also trained over 100 professional speakers. In addition, we have over 30,000 people every year participate in our team building activities. Would you like me to send you some information about some of our public speaking classes or team building events?”

The person will likely be polite, but quickly try to distance himself/herself from you. Going back to the fishing example, you got a tiny nibble, and then jerked the line.

Instead, you want to tease the fish a little. Give them another taste of the bait. The best way that I have ever found to do this is to tell the person how you can solve a problem that they can relate to. For instance, in my own case, I might just say something like, “I help people eliminate public speaking fear.” Then… I shut up. I wait for the inevitable… “How exactly do you do that?” I have my second nibble. Now, it is time to set the hook.

• Tell a Quick Emotional Story

This is where the actual 30-second commercial actually starts. The best commercials are the ones that take you on a journey. They tell you a story. Your 30-second commercial should do the same. So, whatever problem that you have just said that you solve, give a 30-second example of a time you did it.

For instance, I might say something like…

Well, let me give you an example. a few weeks ago, Whole Foods had me fly into Miami to coach a team their regional managers. The leader of the team was a very charismatic and energetic speaker. So, the managers who worked under him were a little self-conscious about speaking in front of him. So, basically, I helped them have a series of mini-successes which built up their speaking skills and confidence. By the end of my training with them, they were presenting better than most professional speakers. The boss was so shocked at how well everyone did, that he recommended me to Whole Foods corporate in Austin.

Of course, if you pick an example that is closely related to the listener, that works better. So, if I’m speaking to a person in the tech industry, I might give an example of training I did for HP or Microsoft. (Yup, I actually did presentation training for the people who created PowerPoint.)

• The Subtle Take Away

The subtle take-away is the last stage of the Elevator Speech Template. In sales training, we always teach sales people to “Ask for the close.” In presentation training, we encourage speakers to create a “Call to Action.” When we are doing an elevator pitch, though, we don’t want to seem pushy. We want the “close” to be the listener’s idea. So, a subtly take-away can help.

So, instead of me closing with, “Do you or anyone you know need presentation training?” I’d be more subtle. I might say something like, “I’m guessing that working for [Listener’s Company], your team is full of highly skilled presenters. I doubt that they would need the kind of help that I offer, though, huh?”

The moment that I get the listener to disagree with me… Well, I win.

Examples Using the Elevator Pitch Template

Internal elevator pitch to get funding for a project.

Let’s say your team has found a solution to a software glitch, but you need $10,000 in capital to fund the project.

(Intro) Hey boss, it’s Doug from software R&D. (Problem) We have been working on a software glitch that is causing customer service to not be able to pull up customer records. Joe in customer service has determined that we are losing about $5,000/month from it. However, it looks like we have found an easy solution. [Pause and wait for boss to ask, “How?”] (Quick Emotional Story) Let me give you an example. Last week, we got a call from a customer wanting to cancel his service. The customer service rep was able to save the customer by scheduling a tech to come out first thing the next morning. The tech never showed. The customer was irate. Not only did he cancel, but he had a few choice curse words for the rep. We have no chance of ever getting that customer back. Our average customer stays with us three years. So, we lost about $150 this month and $4,000 lifetime by losing that single customer. Joe said that we lost $5,000 just this month. So, if just a few of the deals that we lost were like the one that I saw, we might be losing tens of thousands of dollars from this glitch. Turns out, we can purchase a newer, more up to date scheduling app for just $10,000. (Subtle Take Away) It may take a while to budget the $10,000. So, we can probably get the new scheduling app in use in about 6 months. What do you think?

30-Second Commercial for a Financial Planner

Let’s say you are a financial planner at a business card exchange, and you are looking for new clients. Instead of saying, “I’m a financial planner” focus more on the problem that you solve. Then come up with a job title that encompasses that solution. Here is an example.

(Intro) Hi, I’m Doug Staneart, and I’m a retirement specialist for Edward Jones. [Retirement specialist? What is that?] Basically, I help people retire young enough so that they can still enjoy their wealth. [Really, how do you do that?] Let me give you an example. Back in 2008, I had a family who had been investing with me for about 15 years. The couple was in their mid-forties, and they were just preparing for retirement at 65. Well, I started noticing that there was a lot of uncertainty in the market. So, I suggested that they pull out of all of the funds based on the stock market. After the crash, we reinvested. The almost tripled their nest-egg in about five years. I got a postcard from them in St. Thomas a few weeks ago. They both retired at 55, and they have been enjoying themselves for a few years now. (Subtle Take-Away) You’ve been preparing for retirement for decades, so I doubt that story is really exciting you. though.

The Point is Get Them to Come to You

Remember, focus on the problem that your listener wants to solve. Then show them how you can help them solve it. You can’t push a rope. However, if you can convince the other person to pull the rope, you will move closer to them.

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