Being able to deliver an effective elevator pitch is a basic skill that will prove helpful not only for getting a job but breaking the ice with strangers at networking events and social outings. An elevator pitch is a 45-60 “promo ad” that lets people know who you are and what you are about. It will often be the answer to the often received request of, “tell me about yourself.” It needs to be confident and concise.
An elevator pitch is very similar to a cover letter, and if you didn’t read the article on cover letters, check it out here:
Elevator Pitch Structure
This pitch should have 3 parts. An introduction to who and where you are professionally right now. The second part of where you come from, your experience, skills, and interests. The last part of what are you wanting to do, or why do you think you are a good connection for the person you are talking with.
Opening:
With the first part of who you are and what you do/did, this can be very tough when you are fresh out of school or fresh out of the military as you may not possess large amounts of relevant experience (to the person you are talking with) that you’re going to impress someone with, but find something. You want to let your audience know why you are looking for a new role in about 10-15 seconds.
“My name is John Doe, and I just received a degree in basket weaving from XYZ School with a 4.0 GPA.”
Or
“My name is Jane Doe, and I just graduated from XYZ School with a degree in business. While there I was a full-time student and worked part-time at a local soup kitchen, where I learned I have a great passion for helping people.”
There is always something you can say that will help break the ice when you are networking and attempting to impress a person you don’t know very well. By having your opening 90% down this will help you start your pitch confidently, and be sure to let the person you are speaking with understand a little more about why you are looking for a new role.
Middle:
This part of your pitch is usually the longest. Probably 30-40 seconds in length. This is the section that you might tailor a small amount based on the person you are talking with. Meaning, if I’m talking with a manager of a Target, I’m going to discuss my experience working in a grocery store and Toys R Us. If I am talking with a recruiter from an oil and gas company, I am going to talk about my experience in that environment.
Knowing your audience is key to any type of public speaking, but it is extremely important when you are marketing yourself. You want to make sure you maximize your ability to excite those around you. If you have the same pitch you are not going to impress everyone, because not everyone is looking for the same thing.
Closing:
Your closing is usually about 10-15 seconds. It will let the person you are speaking with understand why you are interested in the opportunity they have available. This will be different based on who you are talking with obviously, because everyone has a different position, but the overall tone is the same.
“I am really excited to possibly be working for your company as a latex salesman, ever since I saw the Seinfeld episode where George Costanza was pretending to interview for a job in this field, I was hooked.”
Or
“I am really excited to be considered for an HR Business partner, because I have a passion for people and making a system that values them better.”
Obviously, the first statement is meant to make the audience laugh, but it tells your interviewer that you are excited about their role, and have a sense of humor. I may not actually use that one, by the way, but again you should not have the same closing for everyone. You need to be able to adlib a little and make sure the person you are speaking with knows you are talking to just them.
Final Thoughts
Like I‘ve said many times before, practice, practice, practice. Practice in the shower, practice in the car. Get used to giving your elevator pitch out loud to no one. Remember practicing it in your head is not very effective. When you practice and get good at your pitch, you will be surprised by how much easier interviewing and selling your brand becomes. It will help you immensely to not stumble over your words when you get asked tough questions, because you will feel pretty confident that you started the conversation off from a position of strength and credibility.
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