What Is an Elevator Pitch Funny

The Ultimate Guide to Writing an Unforgettable Elevator Speech

by Kurian M. Tharakan

Author's Notation: I am astounded that this page receives thousands of readers each month. That number tells me that there are a lot of people looking for solid advice on how to craft a uncomplicated, compelling, and persuasive pitch. Nearly of the pitches I have seen have not been very good. It wasn't because the production or the team were poor, but rather the pitch structure and story weren't very well thought out. But with merely a little planning and strategy, this can exist corrected. If you are looking for the best ways to structure, present, and amplify your elevator speech communication, this article is for you. I wrote this based on my experiences in coaching hundreds of companies to present, with the highlight being to prep four companies to star in a Dragon's Den pitch (the American equivalent is Shark Tank).

Want to download a pdf of this article? Click here: The Best Elevator Pitch Examples, Templates, and Tactics PDF.

The first matter, the absolute first thing, that anyone "buys" from you is your big idea embedded in story form. If people don't "purchase" into the big thought and story, they won't buy annihilation else. [Read that again.]

Do y'all believe my statement higher up? If and then, keen! Even an article similar the 1 you are about to read on elevator pitches needs an elevator pitch!! Your big idea and story are the beginning of your elevator pitch.

By definition, an elevator pitch is a quick persuasive speech that is used to create involvement in a project, a concept, or people. It distills your ideas into the simplest, clearest points of value, what makes y'all unlike, and instills plenty curiosity to make the prospect desire to hear more. Theoretically, information technology should be no longer than the time it takes to ride an lift to the top floor in a building. (due east.g. between xxx seconds to 2 minutes.)

… luck happens when opportunity meets with preparedness …

Equally is often the case, most opportunities to come across with influential people happen spontaneously and unpredictably: the rising screenwriter who collides with a Hollywood producer while waiting in line for a taxi, or the hopeful new employee who finds himself in the elevator with the company CEO. The aphorism luck happens when opportunity meets with preparedness is very true.

There are many dissimilar types of pitches, which serve different purposes. While elevator pitches are meant to instill enough intrigue to get the prospect to ask you to tell them more, they do not accept the persuasive horsepower of a total-fledged sales or investor pitch. Because these purposes are dissimilar, they require unlike lengths of fourth dimension and stages of delivery.

Pitching is a skill, and simply like all skills, there are ways to perfect it. Once yous understand the principles of a pitch construction, your lift pitch, sales pitch, boardroom presentation, or investor pitch will improve dramatically.

I recently partnered with the NABI business organization accelerator's Managing Managing director, Dar Schwanbeck, to run i of their clients through a crash course for a pitch on the nationally televised show Dragon'south Den (the American equivalent is Shark Tank.) In fact, this was the 4th customer that I have worked with to make an investment pitch in the den, and I take compiled the following takeaways on the construction and psychology of enticing the Dragons to invest. (Non pitching an investor anytime shortly? Non to worry! These techniques will likewise help you go what you want from bosses, spouses, customers, and minor children.)

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Elevator Pitch Nuts

Let'southward start with two elevator spoken communication templates, an all-purpose generic template, and a sales pitch template. For these examples, nosotros volition utilise the fictional company Hydrolyzier, a manufacturer of commercial-course water purification systems.

Generic Lift Pitch Example

The following is a standard pitch format that tin exist applied to well-nigh whatever situation.

My proper noun is <<Proper noun>>, the CEO of <<Visitor>>. Our visitor manufactures <<Product>> for <<TARGET Client>> that allows them to <<YOUR VALUE Suggestion>>.
Different <<OUR COMPETITION>>, we <<Main COMPETITIVE POINTS OF DIFFERENCE>>.
<<Call to ACTION>>

Using this format, hither is a Hydrolyzier elevator pitch example:

Hi, my proper name is Bob Smith, and I am the CEO of Hydrolyzier Water Company. We industry the Hydrolyzier MaxLite, a commercial-form water purification system that uses a tri-plane osmotic process that dramatically reduces the content of impurities in drinking water. Unlike competing systems, our patented osmotic process uses one-3rd of the ability of a traditional water purifier while reducing the installation infinite to half. Our modular construction takes less than 36 hours to install, and all-time of all its toll is less than 60% of similar systems. If you go to our YouTube channel, you can watch a video showing the Hydrolyzier in operation in a remote hamlet in Ghana, Due west Africa

A Sales Pitch Example

If you are pitching in a sales situation, here is a format yous could utilise:

Take y'all ever <<THE State of affairs THAT THE PROSPECT FACES>>?
<<COMPANY Proper name>> manufactures <<Production LINE>> for <<TARGET Market>> so that y'all can <<PRIMARY VALUE Suggestion / BENEFIT>>.
Unlike <<TRADITIONAL ALTERNATIVES/COMPETITIVE OFFERINGS>>, <<OUR Production>> is <<COMPETITIVE POINT OF DIFFERENCE>>.
<<Call TO ACTION>>.

Using this format, here is Hydrolyzier's elevator pitch:

Have you ever had a situation that required a low power, pocket-sized footprint, water purification system for a remote settlement? Hydrolyzier Water Company manufactures the Hydrolyzier MaxLite, a commercial-grade water purification organization that uses a tri-airplane osmotic process that dramatically reduces the content of impurities in drinking water. Unlike competing systems, our patented osmotic process uses 1-3rd of the power of a traditional h2o purifier while reducing the installation infinite to half. Our modular construction takes less than 36 hours to install, and best of all its price is less than sixty% of similar systems. We have successfully installed the organization in many remote communities. They have establish information technology to be easy to install, reliable, and inexpensive to operate. Our almost contempo installation is in a remote village in Republic of ghana, West Africa which nosotros take documented in a 5 infinitesimal YouTube video. May I ship y'all the link?

Vi More than Lift Pitch Types

Across these standard elevator pitches, Daniel Pink, in his book To Sell is Human being: The Surprising Truth About Moving Others gives us vi other types of pitches.

The One-Word Pitch

Tin y'all distill your entire presentation into a single give-and-take?

• For Google, it might be "search."
• For an Alfred Hitchcock horror movie, it might be "scream."
• The word "entering" belongs to Hubspot.
• While "invent" is closely associated with Thomas Edison.

For Hydrolyzier it is "purified water."

Okay, yous defenseless me. That'southward two words, … simply that's okay.

(… connected below)

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Hither's a portion from the book'south intro: Charismatic leaders seem to possess an effortless ability to influence, captivate, amuse, and inspire people to action. Whether it is through grace, passion, or unshakable confidence, charismatic people can rouse the sentiments and energies of the people they touch on. While not everyone can principal charisma, in that location is 1 charismatic tool that any leader can learn — the power of storytelling; specifically, how to communicate a strategic narrative. A strategic narrative is a compelling story that weaves together existential concepts like who you are, your origin, your big idea, what yous fight for and why, and offers a bold vision of a time to come that your people can rally behind. When charismatic leaders wield captivating strategic narratives, their ability is unstoppable.

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The Question Pitch

Ask yourself, 'Are you better off now than you were four years ago?

If your presentation'south key thought is already understood by your audience, a question pitch may be ideal. In the 1980 Us presidential election campaign betwixt Ronald Reagan and Jimmy Carter, Reagan asked a elementary question, "Enquire yourself, 'Are you better off now than you were four years agone?'" Most people immediately understood the question and its context. Reagan became the 40^thursday President of the United States.

For Hydrolyzier it might be, "How can you supply a rural village in Ghana, West Africa with clean drinking water in nether 36 hours, and at less than 60% of the cost of other water purification systems?"

The Rhyming Pitch

It takes a licking and keeps on ticking.

Rhymes are easy to mentally procedure and remember. Also, some scientific studies have found that rhymes are perceived to be more accurate and conceivable than non-rhymes when pitching the same concept.

• Teeth whitening toothpaste Pepsodent used the following rhyme in its 1960's and 70'south commercials, "You'll wonder where the yellow went when you castor your teeth with Pepsodent!"
• To emphasize its timepieces' durability, scout manufacturer Timex said, "It takes a licking and keeps on ticking."

For Hydrolyzier it might be,

• "Get wet." or
• A Pure, Make clean, H2o Stream

(This was hard. How did I practise?)

The Subject field Line Pitch

Every e-mail field of study line that you write is a pitch inviting the recipient to open information technology. Daniel Pink advises that your discipline line pitch should offer utility value, marvel, and specificity. Yet, he cautions that while specificity should exist in all subject lines, you should choose to apply either utility value or curiosity for any single subject line

Hither are some examples:

• Drugstore: "Your prescription is expiring."
• Mortgage Broker: "How Much House Can You Afford?"
• Credit Card Company: "You're missing out on advantage points."

For Hydrolyzier it might be, "How Remote Communities Can Install On-Site Purified Drinking Water Systems in Nether 36 hours."

The Twitter Pitch

Tin can you get your pitch downwards to 140 characters? Or less? Here are a couple of funny ones for Twitter itself:

• "Twitter. The only place you get excited when a stranger follows yous." or
• "Twitter. Get the news before information technology happens."

For Hydrolyzier it might exist, "Clean Drinking Water for 300 African Villagers in Under 36 hours."

The Pixar Pitch

Animation studio Pixar has produced a cord of hits, including Wal-Due east, Finding Nemo, Toy Story, Incredibles, and many, many others. The standard plot construction for each of these stories fall into the following format:

Once upon a fourth dimension <<INTRODUCE Character AND CONTEXT>>
Every twenty-four hour period, <<ESTABLISH THE WAY THINGS WERE>>.
One day <<INTRODUCE Trouble/INCITING INCIDENT>>.
Because of that <<Claiming>>.
Considering of that <<SEARCH FOR SOLUTION>>
Until finally <<FINDS SOLUTION>>
Now, <<Plant THE Style THINGS ARE BETTER Now>>

For Hydrolyzier it might be:

In Africa, hamlet water wells are vital to the sustainability of the rural population. In one community, we counted over 300 people who relied on a single well as their merely source of daily drinking water, often walking from miles around to obtain it. Last yr, the well was institute to be contaminated by waterborne parasites. Hydrolyzier was one of three companies contacted by the regional regime to remedy the state of affairs. We were selected to install our new water purification system, the Hydrolyzier MaxLite, primarily due to the speed which nosotros could deploy information technology (in less than 36 hours), and its cost (less than threescore% of its competitors). Today, the people of this village can safely drink from their well again.

Amplifiers for Your Pitch

If you are in a total-fledged pitch like those on Dragon's Den or Shark Tank, these pitch amplifiers will come up in very handy. Across profiling a great product or service, your pitch should besides incorporate the following:

Shock, Fascination, or Intrigue – The Dragons' minds are wandering during your entrance. Their brains are actively searching for WHY they should care. Give them a simple statement that startles them into rapt attention. Here's an example if you are pitching a water purifying device. In the introduction, you lot tin can either say:

• "Our device is called the Hydrolyzier, and information technology uses a tri-plane osmotic process that dramatically reduces the content of impurities in drinking water."

– or –

• "H2o is life, yet 768 million people do not have admission to safety, clean drinking water, and two.v billion people live without proper sanitation. When water is unsafe and sanitation not-real, h2o tin can impale."  (Unicef Clean Water Campaign)

The 2nd statement allows a fluid transition into a clarification of your product WITH the Dragons' full attention.

… a "space western".

Metaphor – Because people absorb new information by relating information technology to an existing reference signal they sympathize, you should create a metaphor that allows them to associate, compare, and draw relations easily. When Gene Roddenberry was pitching the original Star Trek series to NBC in 1964, the concept of a racially mixed crew with women and aliens on the bridge travelling to distant planets was so foreign that it was initially dismissed because NBC brass didn't recall anyone would watch. To sell the idea, Roddenberry used the metaphor of a "space western." Because western movies and Goggle box shows were something anybody was familiar with, this bought him the time and funding to develop non just ane, but two pilots for the popular series.

Hydrolyzier's master differentiating value propositions are its low price, small size, and rapid deployment adequacy. We could use the following metaphor to convey these central ideas:

"Hydrolyzier: We are the IKEA of Commercial H2o Plants."

Clarity – As a minimum, the lift pitch has to have clarity on the attributes of:

• The primary trouble the production solves
• The way information technology solves information technology
• Alternatives to the product, just emphasizing how you are better
• How large the market is
• The cost of the solution
• The toll you lot can accuse
• How much investment capital you demand and for what purpose
• What the Dragons will receive for their money

Emotional Entreatment– To go people moving fast and with purpose, you must infuse your pitch with emotion. Confidence, fright, anger, amazement, joy, indignation, love, disgust, envy, or dozens of other emotions tin can energize your pitch. Choose the ones most relevant to the story you are telling.

Tangible Demonstration – Zero shows people what your product can do better than a concrete sit-in. Imagination and agreement are stoked further when something is taken in hand. Get the audience involved in a demo.

Risk Reduction – Every new investment involves gamble. Show the Dragons you lot empathise what the risks are, and how you will quell them. By the way, nothing makes investment risk in a startup go away faster than showing you take sales. Show the Dragons your sales pipeline to get a deal done fast.

Potency – Potency commands attention, respect, and intrigue. Testify the Dragons you are an authority on the market place, its hurting, your solution, and the competitive alternatives. Authorisation tin can come in many forms but always includes the main elements of knowledge, experience, credentials, and public recognition. Demonstrate all four in the pitch.

Scarcity– If it's valuable, it's probably scarce. Show the Dragons that the opportunity to invest is (truthfully) fleeting. Some common reasons why include:

• Sales are coming in so fast yous volition soon exist able to self-fund out of greenbacks-flow
• Because sales are increasing, the valuation they can invest at will continue to ascension the longer they wait
• You have some other strategic partner that has indicated they desire to invest in y'all

Repetition – Repetition drives the bulletin deeper. What is the primal unifying message of your elevator speech? Repeat it three times in the presentation. For the UNICEF Clean Water Campaign, it might be "Water is life."

Contrast – Something is "hot" but in relation to something that is "common cold." The Dragons' brains are actively looking for a contrast to aid them clarify and categorize the data for a conclusion. In the Hydrolyzier example, the easiest fashion to utilise dissimilarity is to show a before and later comparing of the h2o. Muddied, polluted water before filtration, clean, articulate water later on.

Story – Now, wrap it all up in a story. Humans have been gathering in groups to tell stories for millennia. Stories have the ability to describe and keep attention, fascinate, intrigue, and engage all our mental and emotional energies. Great brands are most great stories. Create a powerful narrative to tell.

Time – Finally, keep the pitch brusk, simply long enough to get all of the higher up out, just no longer.

By using these structures, and embedding these psychological persuasion tactics in your pitch, you lot will have a dramatically improved chance of making a memorable impact!

Start Creating Your Light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation-Sharp Pitch (career or business organization)

Want to download a pdf of this article? Click here: The Best Lift Pitch Examples, Templates, and Tactics PDF.

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Source: https://strategypeak.com/elevator-pitch-examples/

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