Everything to Know About Elevator Pitch 2021 With Examples

How do you craft an elevator pitch?, asked Jane.

Business owners and individuals in different fields of career will always thrive to sell themselves to others in order to enhance their sales, job search and business visibility across the board.

It is one thing to meet people to sell yourself or your brand and it is another thing to know what to say when the opportunity or the need arise. That would lead us to define an elevator pitch.

Elevator pitch is a short speech that helps you introduce yourself, your brand, your business to potential clients or customers. This is basically selling yourself to people who you think will be able to patronize your product or services.

It is called an elevator pitch because it should be short enough to be presented during an elevator ride. It is like networking, just that networking might be restricted to events where people relate and talk about their brands, but an elevator pitch can be done anywhere not just to anyone but to the right audience who have the potential of being a prospective client.

An elevator pitch is not just restricted to business owners, it is opened for job seekers as well. If you are looking for jobs in Lagos and you are opportune to be in the same park or ride with someone who you think could be of help, that is the right place to present your elevator pitch.

Elevator Pitch Structure

Because of the purpose of presenting an elevator pitch, it is must be compelling enough. In order to achieve this, it must be in a particular outline and must contain certain elements to achieve its purpose. Your pitch must tell who you are, what you do etc.

An elevator pitch should contain:

An introduction: Start by introducing yourself, your name. For example, Hello, my name is Daniel, nice meeting you.

A summary of what you do: This is where you narrate what you do, share your skills and qualifications. A lot of people forget the fact that they need to sell themselves and not just focus on what they want in return. Your skills will prove if you are worthy of the job, the contract, the client or not. If you do not have any skills, then why should I act on what you are saying. Share your skills, your qualifications, and experience.

An explanation of what you do: It is one thing to say, I am media personnel, and another thing to properly explain what the role entails. The solution it provides to brands, the gap it fills for businesses and organizations. This is also a good place to share your experiences in the field.

A call of Action: You should not present an elevator pitch without closing it with a call of action. Without this, the purpose of pitching yourself will not be accomplished. You can ask for their card, if you can place a call later to better discuss, an email address for further conversations, schedule a physical meeting and so on. Make sure the pitch does not end at the pitch location, there should be a follow up for better conversation and to seal the deal. You might just land your dream job in Nigeria.

When To Have an Elevator Pitch

Professional Events: Some persons just want to relate and have great connections while some on the other hand need jobs or contracts. Purpose differs but irrespective of the purpose, professional events or gatherings are places where one can present an elevator pitch. One beautiful thing about a professional event is that the people there are of like minds and majorly in the same field. So, you are likely to pitch to the right audience.

Online profile: The world is going beyond face-to-face meetings especially with the presence of the covid-19 pandemic that has restricted physical meetings. You can put your pitch in your online bio on your social media accounts, on Twitter, Instagram, WhatsApp etc. That is a direct way to pitch yourself, let your profile speak for you.

Trade Fair: This is a place where business owners can pitch their businesses alongside sell their products and render their services. It is a busy place where people come to buy and sell so an elevator pitch would be a perfect thing to render when the need be to sell yourself.

 4 Elevator Pitch Examples

1: “Hi, my name is David, so nice to meet you. I am a Digital Marketer. I have over the years, helped companies get more engagement and visibility online with my excellent use of SEO.

I have successfully managed the online presence of about 5 companies over the years. I am currently sourcing for contracts within that filed. Can I have your card or email address so we can further discuss this?”

2: “Hello, I am Sandra, I am a business owner, I sell bags and shoes for ladies, I have an online presence as @soldout on Instagram, would you mind checking us out, we are always ready to serve you with amazing deals that would last you for an exceedingly long time.”

3: “Hello Ma’am, people call me Dee, but I prefer Daniel. I am an accountant. I have worked with both small scale and large-scale organizations. If your company at any time needs an extra hand, I am available. Here is my business card, kindly send an email or better still can I have yours to further build on this.”

4: “Excuse me, sir, have you heard of the energy goddess, well, I am the energy goddess. My name is Jasmine, I am a television presenter, an event host, a red-carpet host, a business hype man and a voice-over artist. I bring my 100% game to every event and I bring my energy that adds life to your event. I would like to host your next event or that of your friend. Can we schedule a meeting online where we can discuss this further?”

One thing is common in all the examples above, they have an action plan, do not forget that. Get a contact at the end that can help move the conversation to a place where the purpose of the pitch is achieved.