The Perfect Pitch — Don’t get stuck talking about the weather
You wake up ready to tackle the day! Dolly Parton’s 9 to 5 humming in your head as you slip on your heels and head off to show the world what you’ve got. And then it happens.. you find yourself heading into the office side by side with CEO.
Thanks to your name tag — they know your name. Instead of confidently shaking their hand and presenting your personal pitch, you fumble through awkward formal introductions and commentary about the unusually nice weather we are having, kicking yourself for not saying more, knowing you will soon be forgettable as you ride the elevator in silence.
Whether you are a seasoned professional or a new grad, you should always be prepared to pitch yourself.
An elevator pitch on hand is perfect for precisely these moments, it will help you present yourself in the best light to prospective employers, leads, colleagues, etc. It’s okay if you are not naturally a salesperson, practicing what you need to say, when the opportunity arises will give you just the confidence you need to present your best self!
What is an elevator pitch? An elevator pitch is a brief speech about an idea, product, service, project, or, in this case, person. The slang term ‘elevator speech’ is derived from the notion that this should be brief enough to present in an elevator ride. How do we get from “Lovely weather we are having” to “I’m the right person for the job”… “I have a great idea” …”You want to get to know me better”?
Start with your goal in mind. If you are trying to improve your ability to mingle during cocktail hour, what you will want prepared will look much different than if you have an idea to sell and are trying to land that next opportunity. Personally, I think it is wise to have more than one pitch ready. Practice them, perfect them, swap the content out as you evolve. (Which you will, because you’re awesome!)
Once you have determined which objectives you want to focus on, organize the following information:
- Resume
- Key Questions
- The Hook
- Practice
Your resume
It’s important to keep your resume up to date. Not only can you expand upon all the great work you do, you can use this as a reference for key points to pull into your pitch. Use this to pull highlights from when you want to update your pitch or when you are going to present a new idea to someone. Perhaps they already have your resume in hand, or your goal is to get it there. An elevator pitch isn’t intended to recite your career history, but you do want to be effective at highlighting your ability.
Key questions
Who are you? What do you offer? When have you offered it? How did you offer it?
An elevator pitch must be brief to be effective. Likely you won’t answer all of these questions within the initial pitch. Create notecards to help you organize potential answers. Try to come up with two to three for each of the above questions. Ideally what you do share will prompt additional questions, and your prep work will be invaluable in anticipating and crafting potential responses.
The hook
This is intended to be compelling. You want to share what you bring to the table, and inspire your listener to want to get to know you better.
Reciting your work history, or education, regardless of how impressive it might be, will not make you stand out from your competition. Learn more about various types of hooks used in essay writing below:
The hook will be the introduction of your pitch, how you pique their interest and engage them for the remaining presentation!
For example, in a more formal situation I might say; “I am a seasoned nurse, leveraging technical platforms and developing creative solutions to provide the best clinical experience”.
In a more casual setting, another might say “Everyone has a story, and I am no different. I came from humble upbringings, to graduate at the top of my class. After devoting hundreds of hours to community service, I realize my calling…”
Always begin development with the end goal in mind.
Practice!
Once you think you have this crafted exactly how you want, it’s time to take it out for a spin. Practice out loud to yourself, see if you can get through it smoothly without awkward breaks. Time it. Remember this is supposed to be brief, your target should be 30–45 seconds. Once you are comfortable, rehearse it with a friend. Be open to feedback, and remember to remain positive. The more you practice, the more comfort you will have and the more flexibility to adjust as the situation arises.
