7 Tips To Make an Engaging Elevator Pitch

Posted by Devina Tarin

If you were to find yourself bumping in with the CEO of your dream company, the first thing you can do is to give an engaging elevator pitch about yourself to introduce yourself. An elevator pitch is a short, prepared speech that would spark interest in yourself and are necessary when job hunting. The reason why it’s called an elevator pitch is because just like an elevator ride, it should not last longer than a minute, the shorter the better. The elevator pitch should be succinct, engaging, and memorable that should explain how you are unique and different from other graduates.

Creating your elevator pitch may take time to get it as compact and informative as you can without it sounding boring in a short amount of time. An elevator pitch should be compelling and engaging and it would take a few tries to get a perfect pitch that would sound natural. These are a few tips that could help in creating an engaging elevator pitch.

1. Identify Your Goal

When making your pitch, start with the objective of your pitch. Consider what you want to gain from delivering your elevator pitch, whether it is your dream job, a new skill set, or experience. Your elevator pitch would depend on its objective and would steer the conversation to your goal. Words to consider would include exposure, roles, suggestions, opportunities, or insight.

2. Explain What You Can Do

The next thing to consider is to pick out the interesting facts about yourself. This would be the base of your elevator pitch as a potential employer to explain what you can deliver to the company. This can include your professional accomplishments, your skill set, and even your major and what you have done during your studies that could be transferred as skills.

While delivering your elevator pitch, you also have to show your confidence. This is the time where you can explain your strengths. Being able to identify yourself and what you are best at can help the employer understand you more clearly.

3. Engage With a Question

To keep your elevator pitch from fading, you need to engage your audience. Have questions to ask that would require an open answer to engage the pitch into a conversation. Also make sure that you’re able to answer any questions that are thrown at you. 

After you’ve planned out your elevator pitch and edited it enough for it to sound as interesting as possible, you put it all together. In order for you to know if it’s enough or if it still needs to be modified, these are a few questions that you can consider and ask yourself.

4. Did you hook them?

Your elevator pitch should start with a hook that would capture the attention of your audience. This way you are able to deliver the rest of your pitch knowing that they are listening. A hook can start with a question or a statement which would draw out into your elevator pitch.

5. How clear were you?

Within the short amount of time you have to deliver your pitch, you have to make sure that you use simple language that is clear and concise for the audience. This is to make sure that your audience understands and you are able to make use of the words in the time limit.

6. Is it memorable?

Remind yourself that employers may have heard countless elevator pitches and so this is your opportunity to try and be different from the others and make an effort to be memorable. For a pitch to be memorable, it has to stand out from the rest.

7. Any call to action?

End your pitch with a call to action. Leave your audience wanting more and one way to encourage them is to contact you. You can prepare a business card to bring along with you to give after delivering your pitch or book a meeting if possible.

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Practice your pitch as much as you can with a timer to watch how long it takes. An elevator pitch has to be short and compelling in order to keep your audience focused on what you have to say. It is also important to make sure your elevator pitch sounds conversational to make it flow. While practicing, also be aware of your body language. The wrong kind of body language could throw your audience off so be aware as body language is just as important as your oral speech.

Creating an elevator pitch would help you through your career life, whether it be working with potential clients, customers, employers and more. With this, make sure to tailor your elevator pitch to suit your audience in the future. 


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