How to Write the Perfect Elevator Pitch (+ Best Practices)
The best conversations happen when time is limited.
Whether you have a 20 minute meeting, a five minute conversation, or the few seconds before your prospect decides to hang up the phone, you need a pitch for every occasion.< / p>
Successful salespeople combine memorable elevator pitches with valuable technology like sales engagement software to streamline the sales process and manage sales messaging and materials. This makes it easier to report on tactics and reduces administrative work for sales reps.
What is an elevator pitch?An elevator pitch is a short, catchy summary of your offer. Between 30 and 60 seconds, an elevator pitch is supposed to be roughly the length of an elevator ride.
Although elevator pitches are best known for being a sales tool, they can be used for a variety of use cases, such as during job interviews and social presentations at events networking.
Elevator pitches are powerful sales tools because they allow you to share your expertise and communicate it effectively to potential investors or clients who may not know you.
When executed correctly, an elevator pitch allows you to make a great introduction and build business relationships through persuasion. These short monologues can improve your professional network, get a new job, or even make new friends!
What to say in an elevator pitchAn elevator pitch is useful in hundreds of situations, and you might need more than one, depending on what you're selling. Whether you're showcasing a product, your company, or even yourself, the goal is always to highlight the most important information, like the first paragraph of a news article.
The idea is to convey enough information to get a full meeting invite without overwhelming the prospect with information overload. It's about presenting an idea that intrigues your prospect in a package that they love.
So, in addition to writing the perfect elevator pitch, you also need to make sure:
Speak clearly and concisely Have a friendly and respectful attitude Convey your enthusiasm with your tone and body language for a positive interaction with prospectsThen, if your prospect has time, you can expand on the details, which is how you turn an elevator pitch into a longer presentation.
Start with an openingImagine you're literally in an elevator with someone you've never met before, but who you think might be a good prospect. Nobody says anything. Your carefully memorized elevator pitch seems out of place. The key is to establish a connection with your prospect very quickly.
Consider the following conversation starters: For prospects at networking events: "How did you enjoy the speaking event? What were your main takeaways?" For prospects you know through a common connection: "XYZ told me about your recent job change. How do you like that?" For prospects who are industry thought leaders: "Loved your insights on the new search trend released by the company. Those sales stats were very interesting."As difficult as it may be, it's important to make your opening gambit as natural as possible, so your prospect doesn't immediately become defensive.
Ask them for themselves. For example, What are you doing? Have you ever visited here? How was your trip? or something similar. People are naturally inclined to reciprocate and will likely give you the opening you need to start your presentation with a question as expected.
If you know them, but they don't know you, introduce yourself. Tell them how you know them (as long as that's a good thing!) and say you were hoping to talk to them.
Check out this TEDx talk, including ideas on how to start a conversation with a prospect who is valuable to both parties.
How to write an elevator pitchWhen I think of writing an elevator pitch, it reminds me of the golden sales lesson where hiring managers ask new sales reps to sell a pen next to them. When you put in the hot seat, it can be difficult to synthesize your offer into a great sounding phrase. That's why we recommend writing your elevator pitch before you need it — and...
The best conversations happen when time is limited.
Whether you have a 20 minute meeting, a five minute conversation, or the few seconds before your prospect decides to hang up the phone, you need a pitch for every occasion.< / p>
Successful salespeople combine memorable elevator pitches with valuable technology like sales engagement software to streamline the sales process and manage sales messaging and materials. This makes it easier to report on tactics and reduces administrative work for sales reps.
What is an elevator pitch?An elevator pitch is a short, catchy summary of your offer. Between 30 and 60 seconds, an elevator pitch is supposed to be roughly the length of an elevator ride.
Although elevator pitches are best known for being a sales tool, they can be used for a variety of use cases, such as during job interviews and social presentations at events networking.
Elevator pitches are powerful sales tools because they allow you to share your expertise and communicate it effectively to potential investors or clients who may not know you.
When executed correctly, an elevator pitch allows you to make a great introduction and build business relationships through persuasion. These short monologues can improve your professional network, get a new job, or even make new friends!
What to say in an elevator pitchAn elevator pitch is useful in hundreds of situations, and you might need more than one, depending on what you're selling. Whether you're showcasing a product, your company, or even yourself, the goal is always to highlight the most important information, like the first paragraph of a news article.
The idea is to convey enough information to get a full meeting invite without overwhelming the prospect with information overload. It's about presenting an idea that intrigues your prospect in a package that they love.
So, in addition to writing the perfect elevator pitch, you also need to make sure:
Speak clearly and concisely Have a friendly and respectful attitude Convey your enthusiasm with your tone and body language for a positive interaction with prospectsThen, if your prospect has time, you can expand on the details, which is how you turn an elevator pitch into a longer presentation.
Start with an openingImagine you're literally in an elevator with someone you've never met before, but who you think might be a good prospect. Nobody says anything. Your carefully memorized elevator pitch seems out of place. The key is to establish a connection with your prospect very quickly.
Consider the following conversation starters: For prospects at networking events: "How did you enjoy the speaking event? What were your main takeaways?" For prospects you know through a common connection: "XYZ told me about your recent job change. How do you like that?" For prospects who are industry thought leaders: "Loved your insights on the new search trend released by the company. Those sales stats were very interesting."As difficult as it may be, it's important to make your opening gambit as natural as possible, so your prospect doesn't immediately become defensive.
Ask them for themselves. For example, What are you doing? Have you ever visited here? How was your trip? or something similar. People are naturally inclined to reciprocate and will likely give you the opening you need to start your presentation with a question as expected.
If you know them, but they don't know you, introduce yourself. Tell them how you know them (as long as that's a good thing!) and say you were hoping to talk to them.
Check out this TEDx talk, including ideas on how to start a conversation with a prospect who is valuable to both parties.
How to write an elevator pitchWhen I think of writing an elevator pitch, it reminds me of the golden sales lesson where hiring managers ask new sales reps to sell a pen next to them. When you put in the hot seat, it can be difficult to synthesize your offer into a great sounding phrase. That's why we recommend writing your elevator pitch before you need it — and...
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