Do I really need to work an elevator pitch?

Yes. It's a 20 to 30 second memorable description of what you do and/or what you sell. An elevator pitch is vital to grabbing the attention of more prospects. You should find yourself using it frequent and often at networking events, trade shows, conferences, warm calls, cold calls, sales calls, and even elevators.

When at all possible, you should use the elevator pitch when prompted by another person or prospect. Don’t meet someone for the first time and aimlessly holler it at first introduction. Try to ease it into conversation so it flows nicely.

Create a good script and practice it. Be smooth and engaging. The goal of the elevator pitch is to inform and initiate the prospecting or qualification of a person and/or their business. Then, earn a second conversation, not to convince or sell the person you're speaking with (in most cases unless you are going in for a hard immediate sale). It’s a quick introduction.

Here are the important components you need in an elevator pitch:
Who are you? What does your company do? What's the value proposition? Then, grab their attention and end with a question (preferably a qualifying question).

As a point of background related to introductions, there has been research done on the brain when we talk about ourselves. Our brains show activity in the amygdala areas linked to motivation or value. It has been noted that when we're in high-stress situations, we resort to what feels good. High stress could result in rambling and you do not want to ramble in your pitch. Stay in the 20-30 seconds range.

One way to lower stress related to the delivery of your elevator pitch is to write it, read it, say it aloud, and practice it over and over with tone and inflection. Remember, don’t carry-on and ramble. Just deliver the elevator pitch at the right time in a conversation. Then ask a few questions (be prepared with a few general open ended questions) and be conversational. Keep the information about yourself to a minimum. The point is to earn a new meeting to share more detail later (in regards to you and your business, products/services).


1. Who are you?
Write a sentence about who you are and what your role is at the company (e.g., "I'm a Sales Development Rep for ABC Lawn Mower Co.").

2. What does your company do?
Provide a clear understanding of what your company does along with its products/service.

For Example: "I'm a SDR for ABC Lawn Mower Co. As certified mechanics, we help golf courses across the U.S. with mechanical maintenance of their valued mowers, machines, and all equipment in their shop."

3. What's the value proposition?
What does your company do really well that sets its product or service apart from the rest?

For example, "I'm a sales rep at ABC Lawn Mower Co. As certified mechanics, we help golf courses across the U.S. with mechanical maintenance of their valued mowers, machines, and all equipment in their shop. We have dedicated reps monitor maintenance schedules, handle warranty issues, work on equipment onsite, and ensure every asset is looked at financially (in a cost effective manner) as an investment – so your maintenance crew doesn’t have to hold that responsibility."

So, you've told the prospect about your business with a value nugget. If they are human and relate to your business in any way you have likely peaked interest. A few probing questions may be thrown your way. Now is when you start asking about their business. Learn a little more about their business and role. People love to talk about themselves. Be natural and converse fluently. Now grab their attention!

4. Grab their attention.
Ready? Grab and pull them in with an exciting story about a customer, great value added stats (use facts and figures or name drop their competition), how the business was started, or the company mission. Hook them. Give them an interesting industry fact or something super-duper cool about your products/services. An attention-grabbing hook keeps people engaged and it builds credibility. Then, schedule a meeting on the spot… get their contact info and ask for permission to contact them later… or, drop a seed that you will be reaching out to them in the near future!

Here is a little more info on elevator pitches. In brief:

Here is an example of a One Line Elevator Pitch which seems to be effective when you need to get to the point.

One Liner Example: ProducingContent.com provides quality social media content for your business - saving you valuable time, boosting your content production, and improving your brand voice. 

Here is an example of an Elevator Joke Pitch which seems to be engaging, helps some listeners to relate better, softens an introduction, and this pitch helps to soften some well-known issues about your vertical, industry, reputation, etc.

Joke Example: This is not natural to my personality so I took down my example. Check out comedian Bob Saget's video for pointers on Elevator Pitches. For fun, please email me some suggestions of Elevator Pitch Joke Examples for ProducingSales and/or your business. 

Don’t work in your business, work on your business and put more time back in your day to focus on hyper growth activities, like networking.