Introducing yourself and setting a professional stage whether with a colleague at a networking event or at an interview is very important. The only thing that makes your introduction easy and effective is the elevator pitch.
Elevator pitch or also known simplistically as an elevator speech is basically a synopsis you deliver or show about your background. And the reason it is called an elevator pitch is that it should be short enough to deliver even on an elevator.
Hence it is a must that you keep your elevator pitch short and on-point. This article will cover all the to deliver an excellent elevator speech, including;
- What is an elevator pitch?
- Why is it important?
- How to write an elevator pitch?
- Example.
To make it easy for you to understand.
What is an elevator pitch?
A personal elevator pitch is nothing but summarising yourself.
As we ride on an elevator from the bottom to the top of a building, it takes us about 40 to 60 seconds. Similarly, Elevator pitches are something similar to actual elevators, we get about 40 to 60 seconds to elevate ourselves.
If you want to sell yourself professionally then an elevator pitch is the way to go.
Example: I recently graduated from college with a degree in literature. I worked on college magazines as a writer, and eventually, as the editor of the arts section. I’m looking for a job that will put my skills as a writer to work.
The above-mentioned example will help you as a reference to customize your elevator pitch.
Why is it important?
Some of the benefits of an elevator pitch are:-
1. An elevator pitch works as an ice breaker in a conversation. Whether we are in an interview or event one question always arises, “how should I start the conversation?” and the answer is, through, elevator pitch.
2. During an in-person interview, you will always be asked to introduce yourself and what your background is, and what you learned from your career. The elevator pitch can be helpful to answer. And it can also be helpful for you to write a cover letter.
3. One more benefit of a personal elevator pitch is that it helps you introduce yourself in every opportunity that comes in front of you in daily life.
4. Whether you are at a store, at a party, or a networking event, even if you are in the middle of a road, your personal pitch will easily attract people to connect with you or to consider you at every opportunity that arises.
5. An advantage of an elevator pitch is that it will never let you wait, you can always take the lead. Instead of waiting for the other person to take the lead, you can explain through your pitch what you have to offer.
6. In some interacting positions, like a job interview or mentoring, an elevator pitch can be a relief to people. It will show your smartness and knowledge about your needs and how to present them in front of people smartly.
How to write an elevator pitch?
Keep these points in mind while writing your elevator pitch;
1. Introduction:
Whenever you approach someone to pitch to, no matter where you are, at an event, or an interview, or wherever, always start by introducing yourself.
Smile, tell your full name, make a warm handshake and politely say “nice to meet you!”.
2. Summarize what you do:
Now is the time when you will summarize your background. You have to start with your educational background and then your career history, including your work experience, or you can also mention any key specialties you have that may seem appropriate according to the situation.
If you are unsure of what you should include then write your thoughts on a piece of rough paper. Once done proofread it and eliminate the points you feel unfit or hard to explain in a short period of time. Highlight all the important points and then try to portray it like a story.
How you should deliver it?
Now that you have written an elevator pitch for yourself, you have completed half the task, but half is yet left, that is practicing how to deliver it.
Giving a loud read to your pitch will help you mark any errors you made while writing. You can also think of substitute lines to make it better to listen. You can even ask your friend or family to give you feedback on your pitch so that you can polish it. Keep it understandable and make sure you do not shift from the main track.
Example:
Let us look at an example to understand what is an elevator pitch;
Hi, my name is Sumit. Glad to get your time today. After graduating with my bachelor’s degree in literature honors, I have spent my last three years building a professional experience as a ‘Content Writer’. I have Successfully managed writing and publishing blogs for my company’s website and generated a strong positive work environment for my colleagues. I was excited after I learned about this opportunity in the conference hall. This culture of reading has always brought people together and I would passionately love the opportunity to bring my writing and creative abilities to this position.
Conclusion:
Starting a conversation from nowhere with an unfamiliar person always feels embarrassing and awkward, but an elevator pitch helps us break the ice and grab the attention of people without making the conversation awkward.
But it is important to remember that an elevator pitch only works when you have prepared it with all your sincerity and have presented it in front of the people in a way, they feel comfortable and impressed with.
