The elevator pitch is the perfect example of a good sales strategy 😉 It comes straight from the United States. The concept has been generalized in order to develop, in just a few minutes, a strategy able to convince your interlocutor to discover a little more about you or your project.
In a world where everything is moving faster and faster, you have to adapt. 30-page PowerPoint presentations don’t sell anymore and potential clients don’t have that much time to offer you. A concept that interests them must be summarized in a clear and persuasive argument in just a few minutes. Here, we show you how 😉
Elevator pitch: what is it?
Elevator pitch is an English expression. It refers to a short presentation of a project to a financier or a superior, in order to get his attention and approval. The important point of this concept is that the speech must be concise. It should not exceed the time needed for an elevator ride.
What is the Elevator Pitch method?
It is a simple but effective sales method to convince a prospect of your solution. Its structure is quite easy to remember, then you just have to practice to make a good presentation pitch.
You can be a salesperson or just somebody that really needs to convince people to believe in your projects (recruiters, bosses, team..), that sales speech is for you.
1st Example : Le Best Classic Elevator Pitch method
(1) “For you […]” = the company or person you are pitching to 🎯
(2) “Who have […]” = reminder of the problem or need. 😱
(3) “I/we/our […]” = if you are in the case of a company that offers its services, “our” are the products you offer which are these service software and they will answer the problem from the start in a unique way, and this is where you will present your value proposition 😎 = (4) “Are […]” + “that will […]” (Benefits).
Complete your next by continuing to argue with (5) “Unlike […]” what you would have over such competitors’ offerings. 😈
So you will reinforce the previous value proposition = (6) “who could not […]”. By emphasizing the benefit that the competitor will not provide, (7) “that’s actually what we did” at such and such a customer, can I tell you more 😉
What are the strong points of the commercial pitch?
Its very short format
A human’s ability to concentrate is not very high. Although it is far superior to that of a goldfish despite the false information circulating on the internet. 😅
It varies depending on the individual While the inventor of Ted states that the concentration time of an audience is 18 minutes, there is no study to date that gives us an exact figure, ranging from 3 to 30 minutes for the most optimistic. However, we all know that the best way to put an audience to sleep is to explain a project for a long time. The elevator pitch allows you to be concise.
The message is clear
Fewer words also means more elaborate words. If you know you have to prepare a convincing 2-minute elevator pitch, every word you say must be measured and calculated. You must keep your sentences short and simple to understand. The pitch exercise forces you to simplify, no matter how complex your subject is, so that all Btob actors can understand you.
The tone is convincing
What is also very important in the pitch is the tone – perfect to highlight your confidence. If you watch an online pitch video, you will see that despite the time, there are moments of pauses, others faster and others slower. It is indeed essential to have a catchy rhythm for a pitch.
What are the weak points of the sales pitch?
Stress can make you lose your nerve
Stress is the first enemy of a successful pitch. The moment you lose focus in your speech to ask yourself whether or not the person is listening to you, you have already lost track of your persuasion. This can be a very stressful situation, as you are often talking to professionals who can change your life: recruiters, investors, and important clients.
Moments are rare
The opportunity to unpack your sales pitch is rare. There’s a real sense of “now or never” when you launch into this type of pitch. So make sure you’re prepared and don’t rush through it. The best solution is to know it inside and out.
The History of the Elevator Pitch
Prerequisites for a successful elevator pitch
We are going to talk about a subject that is particularly close to my heart: how to make a good presentation and succeed in convincing investors, recruiters, and managers… Of the relevance of your project. 🤗
The elevator method has become absolutely essential today if you want to build sales pitches that make a lasting impression on people, whether for you or your company. In order to create your own speech elevator, here are some tips: know well what you want to put forward, and find the right method from the top 5 just below. 😁 We’ll then focus on the “know what you want to sell” part.
- Identify the strengths that make you stand out, exactly: what have you done before? What are your skills? What are your goals?
💡 Even if you’re not going to use these answers directly in your pitch, you need to eliminate from your brain, any impostor syndrome that might cause you to lose your nerve.
- Don’t hesitate to come back to the important questions: who am I? Your personality, your added value. What do I know? How do I know it? Why do I do these jobs?
- Remember: you have less than 3 minutes to talk to someone!
How do you make a personal pitch or speech elevator presentation?
Writing on a PowerPoint, hiding behind a camera or an article is very simple. Speaking face-to-face is much more complicated. Remember:
- Give the catchy information first to capture the attention of your interviewer.
- It is very useful to rehearse your presentation with a neutral and objective person who will be able to detect blocking points, unclear expressions, and/or poorly articulated passages in your speech until it is fluid and understandable.
- Record yourself and check your eloquence
- Don’t forget: don’t exceed 3 minutes!
Additional Resources 💫 Here are two short YouTube videos that can help you get started.
- How to be a good speaker.
- How to improve confidence.
🎁 Follow one of the 5 “elevator pitch” examples right here. 👇
Elevator pitch example #2: How to make a job interview pitch?
I’m going to present you with a structure composed of seven key points for a successful job-search.
As we all know, the first impression is a real thing. You need to make it your strength – Mostly when you’re looking for a new job.
1) Briefly introduce yourself
The first point consists of a short introduction that answers the question who “are you” in this introduction you explain your job and also what are your characteristics. ✨ That is, what makes you specific in your business: it can be a sector a geographical scope a specialty.
2) Know how to sell your professional experiences
The second point is to present your chronology quickly, that is to say, your professional experience related to the job description. 🕓 I really emphasize the “quickly”. In no more than three sentences.
3) Prove your expertise
The third point is about your expertise for the job. 🤓 Here you make explicit how you are different from others: what is your specialty, what are your areas of expertise, and what industry are you in.
4) Your successes
Now you’ll tell a pro achievement that is relevant to the target position. It’s your dream job, so it’s time to pitch yourself!🗻
5) The big picture
Describe your current job-market situation 👔; Why do you want to get the job?
6) Show your values
What about you in all this? What is your personal side? 🤪 In a very last sentence, you’ll express a side of you that’s a little more personal, with the goal of, for example, getting across another area of your skills or a soft skill.
It’s called “personal branding” which means having a strong personal identity, it really helps the interviewers to remember you!
7) The sales closing
Give the floor back 🤫: At this point, it’s important to give your interviewer the floor and listen to their questions. Key info. 🔑
➡ Once the pitch is over, you’ve pulled out all your cards. Your best weapon now and show your interest in the company. If your interviewer wants to talk more with you, use this time to show them that you know the issues and needs of the company you are applying for, and ask questions to better understand them.
Elevator pitch example #3: Finding an investor
When it comes to finding an investor, it’s not you that you have to put forward in terms of competence from the beginning, it will be a matter of convincing them of your project. To do this you will talk about the project of this startup from the beginning.
The first three points will be there to present your project during the interview or the conversation. The following points will be based on your internal competencies able to realize the project. So let’s see together the 7 key steps to sell your start-up to an investor.
Step 1: Pitch your company
What is your business, idea, or startup for? 🤔 The benefits of your services, the technological evolution, the improvement of a factor: technical, well-being, health…
Step 2: What is your added value?
What do you bring? ✨ This is slightly different from the first question. It is here to answer the question “with what do you bring satisfaction in your interlocutors, prospects, and customers.” That is, the products and services you will offer.
Step 3: The sales target
Who are you selling to? 🎯
That is, who is your market? Who is your audience? Who are your customers?
It’s up to you to present the elements in a powerful way, with key numbers. Like: the number of potential customers, and the number of contacts initiated. As we said, it’s not you selling here, it’s your project. It is this project that must be included in the first 3 questions. Then, we move on to the internal organization of the company.
Step 4: Who are you?
Now you need to pitch your “value”, your function. It is very unfortunate to observe that 9 out of 10 start-ups forget about that part, which is not really what interests your interviewer. On the other hand, when they know what you bring to the table, they want to know who you are, since you are supposed to be their main contact: salesperson, CEO, partner, etc.
Step 5: How are your teams organized?
Now you have to present your teams. Highlight all the key skills and history of your company: it’s time for storytelling. Then the development of technical teams, engineers, digital marketing, and all the functions that constitute the strength of your company. This part is crucial and yet strangely is often mistreated or just touched upon. The investor needs to see that you are organized.
Step 6: What is your business process?
In France, there is a certain modesty about anything to do with money, whereas the sales steps and the sales funnel process in place are excellent indicators of the structure of your business model. Say what you do to attract new customers. If you know how to sell, the investor will be reassured.
Step 7 of the elevator pitch: What will you put in place?
Prove your credibility What are the prospects for the company? What do you think will happen when the company has the means to grow? In this case, don’t use phrases like “when we have an investor”, but rather “during the development of the structure we plan to develop this, to structure this, to open a market. In short, project yourself, and help him to project with you.
Elevator pitch example n°4 : The search for partnerships
All the elevator pitch methods aim at making a good presentation to convince your interlocutor.
So no matter if you are looking to sell a product, find a job, an investor, or in this case a partner, you will go through the same steps of persuasion. In this case, it will be a matter of repeating the first four steps of the pitch elevator for the search for an investor and adding 2 additional steps, quite distinct to the search for a partnership.
Learn more about sales strategies and their results. This time we start by presenting ourselves orally.
Put forward development arguments: increase in turnover, number of customers, visibility. And any other argument that can convince your future partner that the proposal can bring him benefits. Always finish by finalizing the contact, and take the contact details of your interlocutor. It is better that you have his contact than the opposite.
💡 This is what will allow you to contact him again through other means later.
🅰 Leaving him your contact information is also the chance for him to get back to you, but you have a little less control over what happens next. To recap, it’s 👇
Elevator pitch example #5: Getting a new position or a raise
It’s time for some good career development advice!
Asking for a raise isn’t always easy.
Often, it’s taboo to even talk about money within the company. One could imagine being frowned upon and judged. So, in order to convince the human resources department or your management that you deserve this raise or this change of position, you will have to create a pitch that proves your legitimacy to make this request today. To do this, we will follow the following steps:
Step 1 of this elevator pitch: Thank the employer.
Thank the employer for their time, and also your integration into the company, not “too much”, you have the right to be here, and you deserve it. Now let’s so how to pitch it!
Step 2: Show your skills to convince
Present your work, and sell yourself. Highlight your accomplishments within the company. 🅰 Don’t talk about your motivation here, but about what you have implemented and contributed to, so far.
Step 3: Project yourself into the future
Talk about your career goals and project yourself into the evolution of the company. 💡 Show that you believe in the future of the company and that your career path will help you to boost that success.
Step 4: Talk about evolution, not promotion
Find in this future, a possibility of evolution and argue on your skills to achieve it. 🅰 It should not come out of nowhere, you must show the link between your change in position and the evolution of the company.
Step 5: Know how to argue
Answer to any objections and questions. 💡
Prepare in advance all possible objections and find solutions: financial, organizational, strategic… Make your request explicit: type of position, new responsibilities. 🅰 Don’t talk about the salary yet, wait until you pass all the other barriers. You will have to answer new objections or questions.
💡 Clarify as much as possible the position, the missions and the benefits. The idea is to defend your project with conviction. You have the right skill-set and work experience, so you deserve this job.
Step 6: Talk price
Ask for the salary increase that goes with the position. 🅰 Don’t be afraid to ask for what you think is fair, even if the salary is much higher. For that, look at your seniority, and your accomplishments… They should tip the scales, not the market salary.
Step 7: Close
Take time off for reflection. 💡 Except if it’s a straight yes, your employer will definitely negotiate or have to think about it, no matter what they offer, if it’s not exactly what you wanted, don’t answer right away: take time off to think.
Conclusion: How to create your elevator pitch?
Here are the 11 small steps to make your pitch!
- Write the entire pitch on a draft.
- Reread it and eliminate a maximum of 20% of the text,
- Remove all unnecessary linking words and reduce long sentences.
- Reread the keywords and make sure they are in the right place in the text.
- Read it to your collaborators and get feedback. For feedback to be constructive, your colleagues must understand what you are trying to sell.
- Make sure you keep it simple and accessible.
- Re-read, and practice as much as you can.
- Work on intonations, poses, and the rhythm of the presentation.
- Only when you feel you are ready, go for it 😉
- 🅰 Always have a business card or prepared the way you will get the contact of your interlocutor.
- Remember that the tone of your voice is crucial, you have to be convinced to be convincing: articulate well!
Now you just need one thing: perfecting your speeches by training with people (a family member, a colleague, or even mentors..).
FAQ: How to present an elevator pitch to a company?
You have seen in this article, the 5 best methods to build your sales speech. Now, it’s up to you. 🚀
How to make a good elevator pitch to introduce yourself? How do you make a 2-minute pitch?
An oral presentation can be difficult to prepare for. If you are face-to-face we advise you to have a classic speech rate. Some people speak faster or slower but don’t try to count the number of words per minute. You won’t sound as comfortable or natural if you calculate the speed to the nearest millimeter.
Instead, make sure you pause at the right time and avoid speaking too fast to say too much. Also, it is important that the flow is not always the same so as not to be monotonous. Emphasize the important points!
🅰 Pauses should not be too long so that your interlocutor does not cut you off and you lose the thread of your explanation. 😱
What is the best elevator pitch structure?
There is no best structure for an elevator speech, it will depend on your objective. However, in this article, we talked about the top 5 best structures depending on your needs: entrepreneur, sales techniques, looking for a job, looking for an investor, or looking for partnership…
Refer to these examples. Find the perfect example of the elevator pitch you need and tailor it to your need and your business. 🚀
