7 Perfect Elevator Pitch Examples

Creating an elevator pitch can help you sell yourself in an interview or inspire interest in something you have to offer. Different strategies can make sure your elevator pitch gives a good impression. Practice and customize your pitch for every audience. 

Introducing yourself at a networking event, telling another professional about your new business or selling yourself to someone you just met is often intimidating. You may not know what to say or how to say it. This is where a prepared elevator pitch can help.

An easy-to-grasp and straightforward explanation of what you do and how you do it grabs your audience’s attention–similar to a sales pitch. After all, the person you’re talking to might be who takes your business, product or service to the next level. 

What is an Elevator Pitch?

An elevator pitch is a brief way to introduce yourself, relay your point and connect with someone. It should last about as long as an average elevator ride, which is around 30 seconds.  

If you meet someone you’ve wanted to talk to but know they don’t have much time, using an elevator pitch prepared will help you make a lasting first impression. 

Any opportunity to network or make new connections in your field is the perfect chance to use an elevator pitch.

The Elements of an Elevator Pitch

The main factors to remember when crafting an elevator pitch include:

• Who are you as a professional?
• What do you want them to remember?
• What are you asking?
• What solutions do you offer?

State the Problem

Show the person why they should care about what you have to say. 

Concisely explain what you know about the problem. Don’t oversell or be too broad with your description.

Executive resume writer Jessica Hernandez said it best with the statement, “Pro tip: An elevator pitch doesn’t have to be overly complicated. It can be as simple as, ‘I’m a (position title) with expertise in (keyword, keyword, keyword). I’m exploring new opportunities in the (industry) industry as a (position title).’” This is an excellent way to sell yourself in an elevator pitch without too much sales-related language.

It is best to directly relate to your audience.  

The Solution

Present your unique solution when your audience understands you know the problem. Your product, skills, or expertise should be the main focus of the solution, but be specific. Focus on the core benefits of your solution and how it alleviates the audience’s problem. 

Use concrete terms rather than using empty adjectives or broad descriptors. Keep the focus on the specific problem you stated previously. 

Unique Selling Proposition

Make the audience understand your solution is the best option. This is where you sell yourself (and your product). 

This can be difficult in an oversaturated market. You’ll want to focus on your brand message and what customers liked about your product or service versus your competitors’ alternatives. 

Generic language will not work. Career fulfillment coach Rosie McCarthy says, “… you need to tell them something DIFFERENT – highlight what your unique selling proposition is and give them concrete evidence on the way you add value.” 

Only use a few sentences on this part of your pitch, and do not directly mention competitor names or products.

Examples of the Perfect Elevator Pitch

Creating an exceptional elevator pitch takes time and practice. 

Some notes to remember before you start writing your pitch include:

1. Always review your pitch structure and cater it to the audience or event. 
2. Don’t forget to include a request or an action that you’d like to see the audience take at the end.
3. Come up with a way to follow up online through LinkedIn or email.

Here are options that may spark inspiration after your initial introduction:

1. The Clear and Concise Pitch

“I’ve noticed that you’ve reported losses because your employees struggle to manage their heavy workloads. With my project management software, you can improve communication amongst your staff and increase productivity. This way, you won’t miss deadlines, and you can give your team an easy way to ask for support when they need it.”

2. The Data-Backed Pitch

“It might shock you to learn that workers in our industry spend 40% of their time trying to coordinate and manage work tasks. They spend only about 35% of their time doing skilled work, which means much of this time could be better managed. With my project management tools, workers can decrease how much time they spend coordinating with other employees and increase the time they spend doing their jobs. Over time, you’ll see a significant increase in your sales and profits.”

3. The Authoritative Pitch

“I am constantly working with recruiters that hate managing their candidates in a spreadsheet. It’s tedious and makes the job harder. That’s where our new software can help. Our applicant tracking system can track candidate progress in the background so that recruiters can spend their time locating more talent for your business.”

4. The Surprise Pitch

“The issue is that you want to know how long customers are taking to look at your website and decide on your products. Your current sales aren't making sense, but you don't have the right team to collect and analyze the data. Creating a report like this can take time and resources you don’t have. However, if you use my software, you could have this information in seconds.”

5. The Storyline Pitch

“One of our clients moved into a completely remote workforce for the first time this year. They weren’t sure that they would meet all of their deadlines, which caused a lot of unnecessary stress and confusion for employees. With the help of our collaborative workspace tool, the company beat deadlines and became more productive than it was before the transition.” 

6. The Fact-Based Pitch

“The problem we’re facing in our industry now is that 30% of worker mistakes are due to lack of strategy and increased workload stress. However, that number will become much lower with our remote workforce project management tools. Your business cannot afford to wait any longer to start using our software, especially given its track record so far in the field.”

7. The Emotional Pitch

“A huge part of the human experience that we all share is wanting to build connections. People want to learn and grow with a supportive group. My team collaboration and communication software helps people connect in a way that builds meaningful working relationships and fosters a strong work community. Your business will benefit by having teams that function better than ever before. They will know they are stronger together.”

The Importance of an Elevator Pitch

Writing an elevator pitch is worth your time and energy because it could lead to new opportunities. Your audience will respond when you make it specific and speak confidently. 

Keep our top four tips in mind:

1. Write down a generic pitch that you can tailor for each audience and event.
2. Deliver the message confidently and clearly. 
3. Take time to record yourself reciting your elevator pitch.
4. Practice until you can remember your pitch without any notes.

(Reporting by NPD)