How To Write An Elevator Pitch For An Interview

How Do You Write An Elevator Pitch

How To Create The Best Elevator Pitch for Job Interviews

Writing an elevator pitch first starts with having an idea. As Woods stated, approach your pitch similar to how you would write the summary section of a resumé. Remember to keep it short and to the point and only include the most interesting and critical details.

If you still need help, check out our blog article on how to write an effective resume, which includes 5 steps from a certified UOPX career advisor. The article also includes a step-by-step downloadable guide and video covering each step and section of the resume.

When you do sit down to start writing your elevator pitch, there are three main questions you may want to consider, and they are:

Now that you know where to start, lets break down these questions!

Get It Done In A Single Line

“XYZ saves marketers time by eliminating the tedious process of gathering data and compiling reports so you can create beautiful and informational reports in less than 30 seconds.”

Why it works:

It’s concise and to the point. There’s no mistaking what your product does and how it can help. Plus, it acts as an excellent jumping-off point for additional conversation.

Sales Pitch With Emotional Appeal

Hi, Madeline. You appear to be someone who aspires to the success of their small business. Id like to give you a copy of Startup Clubs brand-new Dream Business Journal, which can keep your company on track with crucial deadlines, objectives, and milestones to help you realize your entrepreneurial dream. The journal offers space for creative exercises and brainstorming, as well as advice from industry professionals. Would you like to learn more about Startup Club?.

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For Snagging The Interview

Hi, Im and I am excited about the new position with your company! I noticed that you are looking for a candidate with ____ years in the field, but let me tell you how my experience has gone above and beyond. In the same amount of time it would take another candidate to learn the ropes at my last position, I was able to raise our success rates right away. I did this by focusing on what really matters in the industry, such as ______, ______ and ______, and I was able to maximize profits in a quick and efficient way. I knew I should make these changes immediately, since I was able to identify what was slowing down their business operations. I can do the same for you in the new position. Here is my resume. Would you be willing to meet with me next week for an official interview?

Why it works: Before you get through the door, an elevator pitch can make your caseespecially if you dont technically have the required years of experience.

Work Event Elevator Pitch Example

Pin on Career Fairs and Other Adult Job Things

Hello! Im John Doe. I think we corresponded on the phone together to schedule a meeting between our bosses. Jane, am I right?

I was an intern at the time and I recently earned a full position as an administrative assistant. Well probably be communicating again in the future so I thought Id come to say hi.

Hows work been going for you?

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How To Prepare To Give Your Elevator Pitch

In order to deliver a stellar elevator pitch, you need to do more than just write one. Here are some ways you can prepare to give your elevator pitch with confidence at a moments notice.

Practice in the mirror. This definitely sounds cheesy, but its a surprisingly good way to get used to delivering your elevator pitch. You get to hear yourself and check to make sure you arent making any weird facial expressions.
Practice with someone else. Then ask for feedback on your speed, tone, energy levels, and clarity.
Remind yourself to smile. It may sound weird, but remembering to smile before you begin speaking can help your voice and facial expressions to come across more positively.
Check your teeth. To help boost your confidence and remove any distractions, take a quick peek to make sure you dont have anything stuck in your teeth if theres a high liklihood youre going to give your elevator pitch in the immediate future.

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How To Write Your Own Elevator Pitch

Keeping things short and concise can be hard. Here’s a quick template you can use to make creating the perfect elevator pitch a bit easier.

Introduce yourself. Share 12 sentences about who you are and who you work for.
Summarize what you do. Share a brief overview about what you do and for what audience.
Tell them what you want. This might change depending on how and when you’re using your elevator pitch. It’s the ask.
Close with a call-to-action. Close your elevator pitch with a question or invitation.

How To Use An Elevator Pitch

Use an elevator pitch when you want to create a professional connection. Have your pitch ready for interviews, semi-formal chats, or career fairs. Break it out to spark interest, get across key points, and ask to stay connected.

I love using the elevator pitch when working a room say, at an industry conference, says Justin Kitagawa, Senior Director of Revenue Operations at MixMode. Youre there meeting new people, and you want to make a strong impression quickly and find out if it makes sense to continue the conversation later.

Roth suggests having your elevator pitch ready, even if you dont have a specific networking event in mind. Certainly, an elevator speech is a great tool to use at networking events, but a well-practiced pitch is also great for those unplanned encounters when you run into someone, say, on an elevator, she says. You may not have planned or expected it, but here is that person youve been reading about who has some promising connection to your product or cause, and they are a captive audience for some period of time!

Advance Your Career With A Well

How to Create the Perfect Elevator Pitch – Plus Examples | Indeed Career Tips

Having a succinct personal elevator pitch is a fantastic way to make the most of interviews and networking events, and to open you up to new career opportunities. While it may seem like a challenging exercise to hone your personal message, its a very powerful way to market yourself.

Highlighting an advanced degree within your elevator pitch can also go a long way in setting you apart from the masses in these situations. Many of todays employers seek candidates who believe in lifelong education, as this demonstrates your commitment to continual improvement. If you have already pursued advanced education, be sure to mention your degree within your personal elevator pitch in a way that doesnt feel forced, but that clearly establishes your credentials in the field. For those who have not yet completed advanced education, consider one of the 200+ degree and certificate programs at Northeastern to help set you apart from the crowd.

About Leslie Doyle

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Explain Your Value Proposition

Now that youve piqued your audiences attention, its time to seal the deal by explaining why your solution is better than anyone else’s. An example value proposition is: Asana is the only platform that connects goals with the work needed to achieve them.

The value proposition differs from the solution by focusing on why your audience should use your solution over a competitors. If you dont have that answer just yet, perform a competitive analysis to compare your offerings or look to your executive summary.

If your market is extremely niche and you dont have a clear differentiator or significant competition, look to communication and interface capabilities. Consider why your idea or solution is original enough that someone would want to use it.

State The Problem You Solve And Who You Solve It For

Frame your pitch in terms of the problem you solve and who you solve it for. This helps listeners understand who your ideal customers are, the pain points you can eliminate, and why theyd want to do business with you. Formulating phrases that include your value proposition can help guide your elevator pitch.

We help technology startups get news coverage in business and trade publications.
I specialize in helping people get their strength back after recovering from a serious illness or injury.
We give small business owners peace of mind and help them stay focused on doing what they do best by managing their finances.
I help sports franchises connect with their fans through design and animation.

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Don’t Ask For Too Much

While your ultimate goal may be to sell a product, find an investor or get a job, don’t expect a single short interaction to get you there. A 30-second elevator pitch is best used to establish a relationship and leave a good first impression. Instead of risking scaring off the audience, establish their interest and get their contact information so that you can have a more in-depth conversation at a later time.

Answer How Where And What

Consider adding a final sentence to your elevator pitch to provide additional details that convey something special about your business. Maybe youd like to share the fact that you have a unique way of working, use some proprietary technology, have a passion for your business, or simply drop in a mention of a high-profile client or two.

Here are some ideas about how to do that:

Unlike traditional big-name firms that write a ton of press releases, we focus solely on pitching executive interviews and article placements to our extensive network of media contacts.
I work with people in their homes and I also have a gym with Gyrotonic equipment, which is known for building flexibility and strength without putting strain on your joints.
As a small business owner myself, I just love helping small businesses succeed.
You know those graphics you see up on the scoreboard at the Patriots games, and that ad campaign featuring the Canucks hockey players ice skating outdoors? Thats some of my work.

Now that youve learned how to craft an elevator pitch, read more to learn different delivery tips you can implement to make your pitch stand out.

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What To Include In An Elevator Pitch

Your elevator pitch should contain four critical pieces of information: an introduction, your goals, your value, and a hook. Using these four elements, youll be able to craft a compelling and memorable elevator pitch.

Heres a brief elevator pitch outline.

Introduction: Who you are and what you do.
Goals: Your mission or goals.
Value: What sets you apart? Where do you provide value?
Hook: One fun fact, statistic, result, or valuable nugget to pique your audiences interest.

For When You Are Hoping To Make A Move Up

Im . I fell in love with technology after winning a programming contest in eighth grade. That led to a degree in computer science, and Ive now worked in IT for eight years. I recently wrapped up a contract as a senior data analyst with a big bioinformatics company, and Im now looking for opportunities with other large medical data organizations.

Why it works: Youre ready for the next big thing, and you want to ensure you communicate passion and performance to get there.

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Decide On An Objective For Your Elevator Pitch

Now, think of what you hope to accomplish with your elevator pitch. You dont necessarily need to state this explicitly in your pitch. But its important to get clear on this because everything else will center around your objective. Are you just trying to make connections? Answer common interview questions? Or impress someone who could help you get your foot in the door at your dream company?

How To Create An ‘elevator Pitch’

Elevator Pitch for Job Seekers: How to Answer “Tell Me About Yourself” In the Interview

Interviews help a company determine whether or not you are a good ‘fit’ at a company. Even with a stellar resume and great application, you can’t rely on those to outline all of your skills, experience, and talents you bring to the table. It is your job as the job applicant to point out details of your qualifications of the job during the interview!

An ‘elevator pitch’, which is a list of all of your relevant qualifications you state as if you had only 60 seconds to tell someone what you will bring to the company. Think of the pitch like an elevator ride where you only have 60 seconds to provide the most meaningful and attractive skills and experience you have.

You can create an elevator pitch by writing out a list, committing it to memory and if possible, use someone of the phrases in your list throughout the interview. The key for successful communication in business is to give the audience exactly what they need. In this case, the company wants to know what you have that the company can benefit from. Begin with a simple description of yourself including discussing your strengths.

There are three categories to a successful elevator pitch: I am I do and I will.

‘I am’ is the introductory part. State your major, your year and one or two facts about your studies. For example, “I am a second-year public policy major, with a concentration in finance, and an interest in micro-loan development.”

Example 1: Social Introduction

Now, more than ever, professionals are choosing to meet virtually rather than face-to-face. Whether youre chatting over LinkedIn or have a virtual meeting set up, its important to make your pitch personal and use clear visuals to help sell your point. Heres a great example of a social media pitch.

Thanks for connecting! I noticed that your competitors are outperforming you when it comes to year-over-year growth. I took the liberty of doing a competitive analysis and didnt find any outlying problems. Im wondering if it could be an issue with productivity. How has the transition to remote work been? If youre interested, I could run you through some productivity figures if you were to add project management tools to your current processes.

Example : Tell A Story

Use customer testimonials or your own personal story to paint a picture for the audience. This can be especially helpful if your topic is hard to explain in 30 seconds or less. Telling a story is a great way to add a relatable twist.

We have a customer that transitioned to a fully remote workforce this year and needed help making sure deadlines were met. With our help, they were able to get up to 10% of their time back in their day and focus on more important things like strategic planning.

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What Do I Do

After introductions, its time to convey what you bring to the table. Of course, you wont have time for the most detailed summary. This is the place, however, where you can get across the work experience and educational background that make you stand out. Youll have to keep it short and limited to just the experience relevant to the situation, but this is the opportunity to communicate the cold, hard facts about your experience.

Its also important here to speak about your strengths. Have you succeeded under pressure? Do you have a unique talent that distinguishes you? Including these in your elevator pitch can express the type of candidate, business partner or collaborator you are.

This is also a great opportunity to pose questions to the person youre speaking with. It helps carry the conversation along, and their answers can give you an opportunity to relate your experience back to theirs.

For example, you can ask a potential employer about where they see their company growing in the next few years. They might mention that they are looking to get more aggressive with their marketing strategy. This would be a great opportunity to relate your marketing experience and any examples of your work.

This information can help a potential employer see what youre bringing to the table as it relates to their specific needs.

Add A Greeting And Opening

How to Give an Elevator Pitch (With Examples)

Add a warm welcome at the beginning of your sales pitch as the first step toward improving it. This establishes the basis for a deep connection with your client. Remember to smile, make eye contact, and pay attention to your body language while speaking. Speak truthfully and demonstrate to the person that you are interested in the conversation and their needs. This increases the likelihood that they will listen to what you have to say in your pitch.

Discovering a shared interest to discuss with your client after doing some research on them beforehand is one way to create a powerful opening. You can find the clients social media profiles as well as recent company news from a quick online search.

How To Create Your Elevator Pitch And Get Hired

Okay, hotshot. Youve got 30 seconds to make the impression thats going to get you the job. Andgo!

What, you stopped to think about it? Bzzzzzt. The moment is gone, and you can sense your opportunity window closing while the interviewer awkwardly shifts and looks at the clock. If only youd had an elevator pitch ready to go.

What is an Elevator Pitch?

The elevator pitch is just a buzzword-y way of saying snapshot of important points, stated briefly and to the point. An elevator ride is typically short, so thats why it makes a good namesake. In a career context, it means a quick overview your best points and your goals. But in general, it can really be about anything youre trying to sell to the listener. For example, here are elevator pitches you could use to convince someone to watch a TV show:

Game of Thrones is a fantasy-sci-fi drama that follows several different political factions jockeying for power in the kingdom of Westeros. In addition to the political machinations, there are ice zombies threatening from the North. Oh, and there are dragons! It has something for everybody.

Basically, the elevator pitch is a brief, snappy couple of sentences that tell the listener what they need to knowor, more specifically, what you want them to know. The goal isnt to be a dry source of facts, but rather offer a few curated points that show the highlights.