Elevator Pitch: How to Prepare and Succeed

“Elevator Pitch”; just like the name indicates, is a very concise presentation of a person or their idea and is delivered within a few seconds, the approximate duration of an elevator ride.

With so many types of pitches, one stands out and matters to business school students: the personal presentation that should tell potential recruiters what they want them to remember. They never know when they might find themselves in a networking situation, so better be prepared and develop in advance their very own personal pitch.

The Elevator Pitch and Its Importance

Whether it’s for an interview with a recruiter, a job fair  at the university, or for personal practice, an elevator pitch is a quick way for students and professionals to summarize and “sell themselves” as experienced in their industry or apprentices in case they’re soon-to-be or fresh graduates. Not only does an elevator pitch demonstrate a person’s experience, capabilities, and expertise, but it’s also a great tool for career development and has a big potential to connect individuals with future employers, sponsors, investors, or collaborators.

In fact, a lot of business opportunities and connections have originated from elevator pitches especially in unprecedented situations when someone asks the typical question “tell me about yourself”,  and the worst thing would be to toss around incoherent points, which is why better be prepared with an elevator pitch aka the equivalent of a mental PowerPoint presentation.

Preparing for it

For it to be successful, an outline is needed to organize the ideas and narrow down the main points that will be stated. Following these simple guidelines below will serve a great deal:

1- Indentifying the goal:

What’s exactly the purpose of the pitch? Is is a simple introduction in a form of an icebreaker in a conversation? If is to show interest in a potential job opportunity? Or is it to present a business idea?

2- Making it conversational:

It’s all about making it less like reciting a poem and more like a genuine conversation. Engaging in the pitch not only makes the person appear more honest but also passionate about what they want to achieve.

3- Providing a summary:

The more straight to the point the better; nevertheless this doesn’t mean talking fast. By structuring the ideas and defining a clear USP and CTA, the rest is a piece of cake.

4- Putting it all together

After setting the main ideas into place, it’s time to make them more coherent and convey them as a whole by linking them logically and smoothly.
This is an opportunity to show passion and to humanize the pitch with something personal. A great example is the I Pitch & Meet event that was organised for EMLV business school’s international students where the goal was to make them meet, pitch and network with big world renowned companies. Also, it was a great opportunity for them to find interships.

Tips and Tricks

• Avoid acronyms and technical terminology
• Express confidence and self-esteem
• Stay up to date on the latest industry news

Creating a distinctive elevator pitch is now easier than ever.

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