If you consider yourself an entrepreneur, small biz owner or even a side hustler, you’ve probably already heard of the term “elevator pitch”. So, called, as they should be short enough to present during a brief elevator ride. It’s that quick pitch for you (if you’re job hunting) or your business (if you’re pitching). And if you’ve ever watched Dragon’s Den, you’ve seen these pitches in action.

Why are they important? 

It’s a way to share your expertise and credentials quickly with people who don’t know you. Done right, this short speech will help you to introduce yourself and your business in a compelling way. For freelancers and start-ups, it’s a great way help to build your network, land a job or connect with new colleagues.

When to use them?

If you’re job hunting, you can use your elevator pitch at job interviews or job fairs. Or simply online, in your LinkedIn bio or social media intro. Once you have done your market research and put together a business plan, you can use your elevator pitch at networking events to introduce your business idea. Sharing your idea in this way helps to pique interest in potential investors, clients or collaborators.

What to say?

Keep it brief: ideally 30-60 seconds. Your pitch should be a short recap of who you are/what your business is going to do, how you’ll do it and your expertise.

What’s the hook?  How compelling is your elevator speech? Does it draw people in? Does your pitch spark the listener’s interest? 

Focus on credibility: thinking about your skills, experience or qualifications. Try to focus on the parts of your business that add value. And this is your chance to big yourself up. 

Stay positive: think about the problems or issues your business idea would solve. This is your chance to make a great impression. Mention your goals. Where do you want to be in ‘x’ amount of years?

Share your elevator pitch: practice is the key. Get comfortable with your pitch. Start with sharing this with your family. And speak with people of different ages/generations. Speaking with people outside of your ‘target’ is important. As it will help you to focus on what is clear and understood. And review what isn’t clear. Sharing your idea with a variety of people may also reveal something different that is motivating, or appealing. Avoid jargon!

The more you practice your pitch, the easier it is to deliver.

Elevator pitch examples: 

Here are some examples as guidelines for crafting your own ‘elevator pitch’. Have a read, and then comment with your own…

–Podengo is a market research agency, we aim to connect people with the brands and services that they use every day so that they can provide feedback on how to improve. We’ve been running for 9 years and pride ourselves on helping to solve business problems and putting the people who matter (your customers) at the forefront of every business decision.

-I create illustrations for websites and brands. My passion is coming up with creative ways to express a message, and drawing illustrations that people share on social media.

-My name is Jo, I run a plumbing company. It’s a family-owned business, operating for over 20 years. We are a small business and we value every customer. We guarantee a quick response, within 4 hours and we have a 24h phone line open for any issues.