Crafting the Perfect Elevator Pitch

How to perfect your elevator pitch.

I remember the first time my boss asked me to prepare an elevator pitch. WHAT? Are you serious?

Fast forward a number of years. I’m older and wiser.

I have come to realise the importance of having your elevator pitch on hand. You never know who you are going to meet or what opportunities may cross your path.

Today, only 20% of jobs are being recruited through traditional recruitment methods. We are living in a changing world. Everything is up for disruption. So when the opportunity comes knocking, how are you going to arm yourself?

Here are my top 5 tips for creating the perfect elevator pitch.

Preparation – and then practice

To get the most out of your elevator pitch, you need to write it out. Put some thought into what you want to achieve. Pen it down, then go back through it with a fine tooth comb. Make every word count, keeping it succinct. Once you know what you want to say, practice till you know it inside and out.

Master the art of storytelling

This is your opportunity to tell your audience; who I am, what I can do and what is it I am looking for. Master the art of storytelling and bring them into your journey. Why do you do what you do?Was it a life defining moment, or was this something you knew you were going to do from an early age. This is your chance to let people into your personal brand.

Highlight your strengths and transferable skills

Make sure you tailor your pitch to your audiences needs. What do they want to hear from you? If you are looking at breaking into a new area, think about what transferable skills they may be interested in hearing about and why? This is your opportunity to highlight relevant strengths. Take it up a notch by validating it with personal testimonials.

Goals – what you want to achieve

This is really important. If you are job hunting, then use this opportunity to tell them why you want to work for the organisation. If you are networking, think about what you want to achieve from this opportunity.

I struggled with this when I was beginning my journey into Accelerate Women. I used to say “I’m open to anything” which I was, as I was just starting out in my business. However I soon realised the more specific I was in articulating what I wanted; the better my results. You need to be focused on what outcome you are trying to achieve and you need to voice it.

Short & Sweet

Whilst you may have spent hours drafting your pitch, you only want your pitch to last 30 to 60 seconds. Any more, you risk losing the attention of your audience. Leave them wanting more of you. Book in a coffee meeting or a next catch up. That is, after all what an effective elevator pitch is all about.