Nail Your Next Networking Event with These 12 Winning Elevator Pitch Examples
Stand out from the crowd, make a memorable first impression, and open doors to new opportunities with these winning elevator pitch examples for your next networking event.
MARKETING
5/10/20248 min read
In this post, we'll explore the fundamentals of elevator pitches and give you some tips on writing your own. An elevator pitch can be an incredibly powerful tool for standing out in a crowded job market. When used effectively, an elevator pitch can help you land new clients or even get hired for jobs you might otherwise not have access to.
What is an elevator pitch?
An elevator pitch is a short summary of who you are and what you do. It should be no more than a minute long; it should be interesting and engaging, memorable, concise, and delivered confidently.
The following examples can help inspire your own elevator pitch:
"I'm an actor looking for new roles in film or theater."
"I'm a freelance graphic designer with over six years' experience working on print ads, brochures, and websites."
"I'm a published author who's just finished writing his fifth novel set in the 19th century."
How long should an elevator pitch be?
1-2 minutes: If you're a salesperson and need to convey your product or service in the shortest amount of time, keep your elevator pitch under 2 minutes.
3-5 minutes: If you're trying to get an investor's attention and have the opportunity to present in person, then this length is right for you. It still keeps things short enough to hold their attention but allows enough time for some detail so that they'll be able to see the potential of what you're offering.
5-10 minutes: This length gives a salesperson enough time to do a great job at selling their product or service while still giving investors time to ask questions about it.
10-15 minutes: If an investor wants more information about what makes your company different from others on the market, this length works well because it provides more details without being too long or overwhelming them with loads of information all at once (which could potentially cause them not even remember anything).
How to Write an Elevator Pitch
Let's take a look at some examples of elevator pitches that can inspire your own.
"I'm an entrepreneur who finds the best IT solutions for companies, helping them to improve their overall productivity and profitability."
This pitch is succinct and direct. It gives the audience an idea of what you do without giving too many details away. The second sentence gives more information about the kind of work you do while also addressing your qualifications as an entrepreneur and referring back to what you'll be talking about later with "IT solutions" (which also serves as a call to action). The final statement adds another layer of detail before bringing it all together again with a clear call to action: "I'd love to talk about this further." This is an example of how one could combine several elements into one concise elevator pitch that's delivered conversationally.
"Hi! My name is Jane Smith; I'm CEO here at X Company, and we make high-quality organic coconut water products."
This example contains all four elements mentioned above: hook/brief overview (Hi!), qualifications/experience (CEO here at X Company), call-to-action ("We make..."), and memorable closing line (organic coconut water). However, while these are important parts of any elevator pitch, they're not always necessary in every case—you'll have different considerations depending upon who you're talking with or what kind will fit best given where you'll deliver it from—but knowing all four components will help keep track of where things might fall apart if need be so there's no confusion later on when discussing your business plan publicly for instance!
Elevator pitches that can help you stand out in a crowded job market
In a crowded job market, it's all too easy to get lost in the shuffle. But what if you had a tool that could help you stand out? An elevator pitch is just that—a short (no more than two minutes) description of who you are and what value you bring to a prospective employer or client. Think of your elevator pitch as an introduction: If a recruiter or hiring manager asks for one, they want to learn more about who you are and what makes you unique.
Elevator pitches are particularly useful when applying for jobs with multiple applicants since they can help differentiate you from the competition and give recruiters something memorable about which to remember your name. They can also be beneficial when networking at events where many people might be vying for attention. Even if someone doesn't have time during such an event to speak with everyone in attendance—or even read everyone's resumes—an interesting elevator pitch will stand out and may even generate additional leads down the road, providing opportunities for follow-up conversations outside of networking events
A simple elevator pitch
An elevator pitch is a very brief, persuasive speech that you can use to quickly describe what you do and why it matters. The name comes from the idea that you should be able to deliver your elevator pitch while in an elevator with someone who could be a potential client or investor.
An elevator pitch is not the same thing as a business plan or executive summary—those documents are longer, more detailed versions of your business's vision and mission statements. An elevator pitch is different because it needs to capture attention quickly, ensuring your audience knows what makes your product special before getting off their floor!
An elevator pitch for job interviews
If you're preparing for an interview, keep the following in mind.
Be prepared with your elevator pitch.
Be enthusiastic and confident that you can succeed in the role.
Be concise—you don't want to drone on and risk losing the interviewer's attention!
Be friendly and approachable, but not overly familiar or casual (keep it professional).
Be memorable by incorporating some kind of call-to-action into your elevator pitch: "I hope I can convince you that I would be a great fit for this position!"
An elevator pitch for networking events
Who is the audience?
What is the purpose of your pitch?
Why should you attend a networking event?
How do you approach networking events, and what can you expect to happen when you're there?
What is your elevator pitch? Do you have one that's specific to this type of event, or do you use the same one everywhere (which might not be as effective here)? If so, are there any adjustments that would make it more effective at this kind of event? Also, how do your answers change depending on what happens at the event—are there better times to speak with people than others?
An elevator pitch for conferences
Use your elevator pitch to introduce yourself and your business at conferences, especially when you're attending as a speaker. This is also a good time to use it as an opportunity to introduce yourself as a potential partner or investor or even just recognize that you're there to learn.
An elevator pitch for trade shows
The same basic principles that apply to elevator pitches also apply to trade show pitches. To be effective, you need to be able to sell yourself in a short period of time and speak clearly and confidently. You'll also have more time than in an elevator pitch situation, but you still need to be able to answer questions from the other person. Finally, you must listen carefully because this is a great way for them to learn about your product or service and how well they can work with you!
An elevator pitch for business owners
A business owner's elevator pitch should be short and to the point. The idea is that you are giving someone a quick overview of your business in a limited amount of time so they can remember it when they have more time.
The most important thing about this example is that it highlights the benefits of your product or service, not just what you do: "I help small businesses boost their sales by teaching them how to use social media effectively." This focus on benefits makes sure that the listener knows why they should care—and also implies that if they invest in your service, they will see results quickly.
This example's second most important part is its brevity: It's only 10 words long! To make things even more concise and memorable, we've added an image with visual cues (emojis) for each word in our elevator pitch—this way, people can remember what we're saying at first glance without having to read through everything again later on down the road; it also helps remind us how important all these points really are when we're trying whenever we feel like getting off track or losing sight of ourselves as entrepreneurs both online and offline."
An elevator pitch for startup founders
Startups are a dime a dozen, so you've got to come up with some way to stand out from the crowd.
An elevator pitch is an abbreviated version of your company's mission statement, often at most two minutes long. It succinctly explains what your business does and why it's different from other businesses in the same industry. The emphasis here should be on brevity and clarity; don't ramble on about your product or service in great detail—you'll only confuse people who haven't heard of you before! Your elevator pitch should also be formatted like an elevator pitch: it should answer all three Ws: Who? What? Why?
An elevator pitch for sellers and sales reps
You should be prepared to sell yourself, your product, your company, and your idea.
You should also be prepared to sell your service if you're working in the service industry.
For example, An elevator pitch for sellers and sales reps
If you're working at a shoe store and there are two people waiting for the elevator with you, one of them might say, "I need some new running shoes. Do you have any recommendations?" And here's how you could respond:
An elevator pitch for investors in startups and small businesses
An elevator pitch is a short, concise speech that helps you effectively communicate your idea or product to someone who may be interested in investing. It's a way to tell others about the value of your business or project in just a few minutes.
Why do I need an elevator pitch?
Suppose you're looking for funding for your startup. In that case, you'll have to write an elevator pitch (or several) during the process. An elevator pitch helps investors understand what you're doing and why they should invest their money—and as such, it's one of the most important tools in any founder's toolkit. In addition, if you're trying to attract investors from traditional sources like banks or venture capital firms with specific criteria, you may also need an elevator pitch for each type of investor that fits their requirements—for example: "We want $50 million from accredited investors only."
A video elevator pitch
A video elevator pitch is a short video that explains who you are and what you do. It can be used to promote yourself and your business on social media or as an introduction at networking events
You should keep your video elevator pitch to at most two minutes long.
A funny but informative elevator pitch
If you want to stand out from the crowd, a funny but informative elevator pitch might be just what you need. The best way to do this is by using humor and injecting personality into your elevator pitch.
You're also more likely to be remembered if you make it relevant to the job position you're applying for. And while your elevator pitch must be short and sweet, remember that being prepared for follow-up questions will help make sure your elevator speech leaves a lasting impression on whoever may be listening!
Knowing what to say in an elevator pitch can help you land the perfect new client or job.
An elevator pitch is a short and concise introduction of who you are, what you do, and why you do it. It's a way to quickly explain your value in one sentence or less.po
It can be intimidating for some people to have to put themselves out there with their elevator pitch. But if you have an idea of what it should include, you can feel more confident when the time comes to deliver yours.
Conclusion
Elevator pitches are a great way to get your name out there and make connections with people. They can also help you build your business or find a new job. If you're looking for inspiration, check out these examples. Remember that the key is to keep it short and sweet!