What Is An Elevator Pitch?
An elevator pitch is a concise and persuasive introduction and explanation of your services' or products' benefits. When you craft an elevator pitch about yourself, you should sound genuine and offer specific results regarding your work. The whole point of all elevator pitch examples is that they are quick, taking no more than an elevator ride. This is roughly 30 seconds. Mastering your pitches is one of the most crucial selling skills, as it evolves your communication and promotion skills. Let's be clear, though. Don't expect to close deals immediately; this is only the beginning. You still need a solid plan for customers or investors who are interested and want to learn more.
Initially, business elevator pitches were exclusively spoken. However, in the digital world we all live in, the guide on how to close a sale has changed. So, businesses implement them into their landing pages, emails, social media ads and posts, video ads, and media. But don't focus on your product's features. Maybe you can mention something super quickly, but mainly you should try to create intrigue regarding the challenges your solution tackles. You should mention features only when they are important in helping people overcome their pain points, not as a way to brag.
Are you ready to create your next sales pitch and dazzle your audience?
The Steps To Writing An Effective Elevator Pitch
1. Introduce Yourself
To introduce yourself and your service to others, you must know exactly who you are and who the person you're talking to is. Start with a friendly greeting like, "Hi, my name is X. It's great to meet you!" Don't include too much information about yourself. No one has time to hear where you studied or your titles. The best elevator pitch examples cut straight to the point, mentioning the things targeted leads or investors would want to hear. So, don't think like a salesperson but as a client. What would you want to hear in a 30-second pitch?
2. State A Key Problem Or Solution
If you want to know how to get people to buy your product, stating what problems or challenges your product solves is pivotal. Why would anyone be interested in purchasing? You can mention a common problem in your elevator speech example or lay the groundwork so the other person can ask you. Let's say you have an LMS focused heavily on personalization. You know that one of the main issues with LMS software is the lack of personalization features. You can simply mention this pain point and let the potential buyer ask you about how your service tackles the issue.
3. Explain Your Value Proposition
Good elevator pitch examples can't exist without a value proposition because people must understand the benefits of your product and how it will help them. In the LMS example, you can say, "Our software uses interactive courses and social learning to personalize each learner's experience and boost their engagement." In one short sentence, you've provided a clear description of how your software's features provide value. This part is exceptionally important for B2B marketers to generate high-quality business leads.
4. Prepare Your CTA
This is another key thing to include in an elevator pitch. Your call to action shouldn't encourage people to buy something. You don't want to sound desperate or pressure anyone. Instead, you should propose a meeting or give a business card so they can call or email you for more information. For example, you can say, "Let's book a meeting whenever you can. I'm sure I can answer all your questions." Thank them for their time and walk away. Maybe this will only be the beginning of a flourishing business relationship.
Tips To Make Your Pitch Stand Out
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Speak Naturally
When preparing for a personal elevator pitch, most sellers or marketers write their pitches and memorize them. However, when you memorize a script, you run the danger of speaking like a robot, which isn't helpful for your customer acquisition strategy. You need to keep a conversational tone and talk like you would to a friend explaining your solution. One easy way to do that is by organizing your elevator pitch into bullet points. This way, you remember your main ideas easier, and you diminish the risk of rumbling and getting off-topic.
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Speak Slowly
Have you ever noticed that some people speak fast when they get nervous? While you have every reason to get stressed when delivering your elevator pitch, you have to pace yourself. Remind yourself that your target buyer won't understand what you're saying if you're speaking too fast. And if they miss crucial information, they'll probably end the conversation earlier. To get more customers, you have to speak clearly and slowly while emphasizing certain words without sounding pompous.
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Make It Clear And Simple
We are sure that your service is technically advanced, with cutting-edge features. However, product pitches are not the right places to mention all the technicalities. Maybe the person you're talking to has no idea about all that. Hearing things they don't understand disengages them. So, avoid all the technical jargon and focus on benefits and solutions. You'll have the opportunity to talk technicalities once your target decides to move forward with your solution. Then, you can arrange a technical interview.
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Practice, Practice, Practice
Your elevator pitch examples will never be impeccable unless you practice them on colleagues and peers. Choose people who are in the same business and understand the main terms. Based on their feedback, make improvements and changes. Additionally, you may record yourself to hear and watch your pitches, as it can be tremendously beneficial for product marketing and sales enablement.
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Masterful Elevator Pitch Examples That Can Work In Most Occasions
1. Startup Pitch
For your SaaS growth strategy to work, you have to craft a convincing and attention-grabbing elevator pitch that will attract investors. When you have a new product and company that are not recognizable, you don't only have to build awareness but also loyalty and trust. Also, no matter what software you create, there is probably a myriad of similar solutions out there. What makes your value proposition stand out, and how do you differentiate it from other businesses? Focus on the one thing that makes you unique.
For instance, in the LMS example we used earlier, you can say, "There are so many LMSs available, but do they really allow you to create hyper-personalized experiences? Our software makes it easy to create interactive courses with gamified elements that our clients already mention have boosted engagement." That's a smart way to introduce case studies and testimonials that make your sales pitch even better.
2. Seeking A Job
Sometimes you're not using the best demand generation practices for your business but for yourself. It's you you're trying to sell. Instead of focusing on your degrees, focus on your mindset, your goals, and past results. For example, if you are a Search Engine Optimization specialist, mention how you helped businesses increase their organic reach. Provide specific data and insights to prove your claims and quickly mention how you achieved everything. You might say, "Through keyword research, link building, and topic clusters, I increased this company's click rates from 5,000 to 15,000 per month." Your elevator pitch for a job interview should disclose all the things that make you unique and that you can offer to any collaborator. You can also dig into the company you're applying for and make simple suggestions about how they can improve organically.
3. Sales Pitch
Whether you've built a minimum viable product or you have full-scale software ready to hit the market, you must craft various examples of an elevator pitch. We mentioned already how important practice is. Depending on the client and their unique needs, you may create different pitches, focusing on specific features and challenges. This is especially valuable for those of you investing in account-based marketing. So, you may have two high-intent prospects with different issues: LMS automation features and learner engagement troubles. For the first one, explain how your AI tool integrates seamlessly into their existing LMS and helps them overcome their struggles. For the other company, your elevator pitch sample must describe how Virtual Reality (VR), Augmented Reality (AR), and gamification are easily applied to engage learners.
4. Seeking Investors
Finding investors is sometimes even harder than finding customers. That's why investment pros have heard the same pitches and promises a gazillion times. So, to accelerate business growth and get them to come on board, go straight to your value proposition. They don't want to hear about your company's mission and why you are so much better than your competitors. Your sales pitch example should focus on what you do and which pain points you solve. For example, if you were to pitch your new HR software, you could say, "Hi, I am the CEO of X company. We have designed an employee engagement app that leverages AI chatbots, gamified elements, and accessible content to increase retention." This pitch is simple and goes straight to the point. Plus, you allow others to ask questions if they want to find out more.
5. Nonprofit Pitch
Empathy is your unique selling point when you're trying to get funding for your nonprofit organization. With so many nonprofits today in our world, donors are expecting to hear exactly what you do, how you do it, and what your accomplishments are. You may start with the same problem you are trying to solve. Then, mention how your actions aim toward fixing this issue. A great business elevator pitch also should mention past accomplishments. For example, in 2024, eLearning Industry's workforce visited the Hellenic Society for Equine Welfare as part of our CSR initiatives. The company covered all the living expenses for 5 of the sanctuary's horses. What proved to us that this organization was legit was their continuous contributions to equines' welfare. They didn't have to make a sales pitch, though. Their social media presence and good reputation were enough proof.
6. Product Launch
In this sales pitch example, your goal isn't to promote your company but your newest product. Whether you are releasing it to your existing market or you're building a market penetration strategy, you should make it sound like your solution is the next big thing. Unfortunately, you may not have case studies, testimonials, and reviews as social proof. That's why you should lean heavily on your product's benefits, what makes it unique and different from the competition, and how it is going to help users. For instance, why is your payroll software better than other equivalents, and which existing problems can it solve?
7. The Perfect Question
Now that we've covered how long elevator pitch examples should be, it's time to discuss one unique format. Imagine if, instead of introducing yourself, you addressed someone with a single question. Let's say you are the SEO expert we mentioned earlier, and you want to promote your link-building services. With organic traffic being one of the most important things for anyone in the online space, you can ask a simple question: "Is link building still relevant to SEO, and how can you avoid low-quality backlinks?" This double question tackles two major challenges that keep websites from ranking right in Google searches. This sales pitch idea is guaranteed to grab anyone's attention in your niche.
8. Oh What An Ending!
In this elevator pitch idea, your goal is to ask a relevant question addressing a common pain point without appearing salesy at all. Therefore, you get a genuine answer from others, thinking they are just having an interesting conversation. It's toward the end when you do your sales pitch and talk a little bit about your product. For example, you may have a new reporting tool that is very quick in creating reports. Create a hypothetical yet realistic scenario. "What if you had to create a report including the leads you gathered from webinar signups and trade show booths? How long would that take?" After the other person makes a rough estimate, it's time for you to reveal how much quicker your tool is.
9. Customer Success Story
Business growth strategies require a lot of effort and different tactics to achieve your goals. One of the best elevator pitch examples to win over your customers' trust is users' success stories. For instance, if you want to pitch an app idea about eLearning courses, you can lean on successful learner examples. You can narrate the story of a person who had trouble finding courses in a very niche category. That person searched on some of the most famous websites but found just what they needed on your app. To make this sales pitch idea succeed, you should be certain that the professional you're talking to works in that same niche.
10. Emotional Story
Examples of sales pitch presentations that focus on building emotion show that this is a great tactic to foster relatability. While it is hard to achieve, it is worth the effort. You just have to know exactly who you are talking to and whether the pain point you're pitching is relevant to their professional journey. Let's say you have created an AI content tool that fixes and proofreads text. You may want to target someone doing all the content creation and SaaS copywriting for a marketing firm. Start by saying how it would usually take you hours every week to check your texts and proofread them. Luckily, the process was cut in half when you started using this groundbreaking AI tool.
Key Takeaway
Elevator pitch examples should not sound like an autobiography detailing all aspects of your company and the growth hacking strategies you implemented to create your amazing product. If you didn't know what to say in an elevator pitch, now you have a pretty good idea. It should be short, simple, concise, and straight to the point. Your value proposition should state how you plan on fixing common challenges and the benefits users should expect. Along with your convincing tone and clear speaking, you should take people by storm. Whether you are creating a startup, nonprofit, or product release elevator pitch, the same rules apply. However, some pitches require a more professional and "dry" approach, while others leave space for creativity and emotion.
