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How to Give an Elevator Pitch
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If you've got 60 seconds, you've got enough time to make an elevator pitch. The objective of an elevator pitch is to entice the listener to learn more--to ask to see your resume if you're talking to them about a job, your business plan if you're a start-up looking for financing or set an appointment if you're a salesperson. The pitch should be pithy, punchy and to the point. In this case, the focus is on finding investors.
Step 1
Boil down your business plan to the three most salient and important points. What is the market need? How does your product fill that need? What benefits make your product stand out among its competitors? Another way of looking at this is to state the problem your potential customers have and how your product solves that problem better, faster or cheaper than the competitors.
Step 2
Write down the three points. Most people talk at 160 words per minute. That gives you about 50 words per point plus the close. Your first sentence is the most important. Think of it as a tagline for a movie, a hook for a novel or the headline in a newspaper. A question engages the listener, so consider starting the pitch with a question.
Step 3
Read the pitch out loud. Use a webcam to record you as you pitch and then play it back. Your first attempt may be awkward, but you will improve. Revise it to take out superfluous words. Be a merciless editor. Get rid of buzz words and industry jargon. You don't want to waste time explaining such terms.
Step 4
Ask friends to listen to the pitch. Have them repeat back to you in their words what they think they heard you say. You'll know if you've hit the mark or not. Revise the pitch for clarity if necessary. Record the final pitch again.
Step 5
Memorize the pitch, suggests Chris O'Leary, the author of "Elevator Pitch Essentials." Practice the pitch until it comes naturally and you don't have to think about what to say next.
Step 6
Prepare a follow-up statement, so if your listener says, "This sounds interesting; tell me more," you've got more to tell. The statement could be anywhere from two to five minutes.
Step 7
Take a deep but not obvious breath, introduce yourself and your company, then make your pitch. Close with the call to action sentence.
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