How to Write an Effective Elevator Pitch

An elevator pitch can help you effectiviely communicate your product or skills.

An "elevator pitch" is a well planned and practiced description of your particular company, product or individual skills. It should be no more than 200 words and should take about 60 seconds to recite, roughly equivalent to the time it takes to ride up an elevator. An effective elevator pitch has several key ingredients. It should always open with an attention getting "hook" and end with a request.

Instructions

1. Briefly describe your company, product or your individual skills. For instance, you can give an interesting tidbit about your company's history or share a statistic about your product's market success.

2. Explain the market to which you are selling. Try to use two sentences or less and highlight who the group is, what industry, and what percentage of the market it represents. If you are selling your own skills, briefly discuss the market you have targeted in the past or would like to target in the future.

3. Detail who or what is your competition. Even if you think your particular product or company has no competition, think again and do some research. Knowing your competition will help prepare you to defend your product, company or skills.

4. Describe your competitive advantage. What is it that sets you, your company or your product apart from all the rest?

5. End with a request. Would you like a business card, a phone number or an appointment for a future discussion? Be sure to make your request and set your follow-up.

Tips & Warnings

• Remember, people are attracted to passion, so be passionate when you speak.

References

• Steps to Writing an Elevator Pitch
• 60 Second Elevator Pitch