The perfect elevator pitch doesn’t exist.
You heard it here.
You see articles all over the internet on how to build your “perfect pitch.” What these articles won’t mention— and truthfully, won’t admit — is the dreaded answer that no one likes to hear, and that’s this: it depends.
Now, I’m not saying that these articles aren’t useful. For example, I am a firm believer in templates and scripts for these kinds of succinct presentations. However, the most important skill you need to learn in order to “perfect” (ha) an elevator pitch, is to learn how to be adaptable depending on the situation.
“ An elevator pitch is like a cover letter; no one cover letter should be the same. ”
I’m quite proud of this quote/metaphor.
And it’s true! No matter how much you prepare (memorize?) for an elevator pitch, there will be some form of improvising that is required. Otherwise, you will sound like a robot; and I don’t think humanity is ready for robotic-humanoid coworkers, yet.
“Well then, how do I get better at improvising?”
I’m glad you asked. Here are some tips that you can utilize to improve your improv, and in turn, elevate your… elevator pitch. I had to.
1. Memorize, but don’t repeat.
Memorize your pitch; embed the script into your mind. However, when practicing aloud, deliver the speech in different ways. Don’t go word for word, even though you can. More on this in the coming tips, but there will be times when your elevator pitch might need to be cut short, delayed, or interrupted. Practicing different “versions” of your pitch can lead to a more flexible approach if and when the time comes.
2. Test your pitch on peers.
I cannot stress this tip more. There’s no better way to prepare for something like an elevator pitch, than to have outside perspective. Admittedly, it’s one of the more difficult tips to apply; especially for my fellow introverts out there. However, you should see this as a stepping stone to the real deal. If you can’t ask a fellow colleague, coworker, or mentor to help test your elevator pitch, how can you expect to be able to strike up a conversation with an executive with whom you’ve never even met before? The more ears you can get to listen to your elevator pitch, the more valuable feedback you can receive and in turn, utilize to better polish your pitch.
Going back to the previous tip, you will find that the more people you practice your pitch to, the more variations of your original pitch you’ll end up saying; it might not be intentional — and that’s okay — but it’s a good opportunity to make mental (or physical) notes of the variations that you or the receiver particularly like, and be aware of those “favorites” for future purposes.
3. Put yourself in their shoes.
The one thing we’re really emphasizing in this article is to be more adaptable in your overall approach. So it makes sense to think about the perspective of who you’re about to pitch to. This one won’t always be possible, if at all. But if you do find yourself in a position where you know some background information on who you’re about to pitch to, and have some time beforehand, take a minute to think about their perspective and try to come up with what exactly would entice them most about you and your pitch. Prioritize/rearrange your speech based on that. If it’s someone who leads the same department of the position you want to apply for, take a second to look online at the specific position on their site and see what skills they are looking for that you possess; lead with that.
4. Assess the environment.
Similarly to the previous tip, this might not always be feasible given the timing or the situation; you might find yourself giving your elevator pitch out of nowhere, standing in a Starbucks line waiting to order your venti whatever. But if you’re in, say, a professional meetup event, and you've already locked in on your target, take a minute not only to apply tip #3, but to also assess the environment around them. Are they busy with their colleagues/coworkers hovering around them? Do they look like they are in a hurry to leave? Are they busy reading something they brought? All these factors come into play when deciding on how you want to adapt your pitch. If you get the vibe that they are in somewhat of a rush or are busy, condense your pitch. Skip some parts that might be unnecessary given a tight window of time, and adapt.
All in all…
At the end of the day, you can never be fully prepared for every elevator pitch scenario, but the main takeaway here is to never rely solely on your ability to memorize your speech. If you memorize, you end up shutting your mind off to unexpected external stimuli and are not able to create a more dynamic mental environment that would allow yourself to freely alter your pitch as needed. That being said, having a general idea of what you want to say, and making sure that you touch on relevant, key topics you want them to know, is the basis of preparing your pitch; but definitely not the end.
Have any additional tips you’d like to add? Leave a comment below~
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As always, thank you for your time in reading my articles. If anything resonated with you, feel free to check out some of my other articles related to this topic through my profile. Have a wonderful day.
