sample elevator pitch presentation

Dan Ponomarenko , CEO of Webvizio , offered this pitch:

“At Webvizio, we streamline web project management for digital teams, making collaboration seamless. Our platform allows you to visualize changes, communicate in real time, and manage feedback efficiently — all in one place. We eliminate the clutter of back-and-forth emails, so you can focus on what you love: creating. Interested in simplifying your project processes and enhancing team productivity?”

2. "Deliver a clear tech talent solution with EchoGlobal Tech . "

Lou Reverchuk , Co-Founder and CEO of EchoGlobal Tech , offered this pitch:

“Hello, I‘m Lou, representing EchoGlobal Tech, where we bridge the gap between innovative tech projects and top remote software developers. At EchoGlobal, we understand that the right talent makes all the difference. That’s why we guarantee no AI matchmaking and no juniors pretending to be senior devs. Always quality over quantity with us. Imagine having a dedicated expert who truly understands your project‘s vision and transforms it into reality. Let’s set up a time to discuss your hiring needs.”

3. "Simplify the insurance buying experience with Dundas Life "

Gregory Rozdeba , CEO of Dundas Life , offered this pitch:

“Imagine buying life insurance the way you shop online — quick, easy, and transparent. At Dundas Life, we streamline the complex process of finding the right insurance, making it accessible at your fingertips. With us, you‘re not just a policy number; you’re in control, informed, and secure. Let’s make insurance straightforward together.”

4. "Engage with real estate investment expertise with EZ Sell Homebuyers. "

Mike Wall , CEO of EZ Sell Homebuyers , offered this pitch:

“Looking to maximize your real estate investment? With over two decades of experience and a portfolio of over 30 properties, I provide tailored advice that turns real estate into real results. Let’s discuss how I can help you achieve your property investment goals today.”

5. "Enhance your online visibility with CodeDesign . "

Bruno Gavino , Founder and CEO of CodeDesign , offered this pitch:

“Hi, I’m Bruno from CodeDesign. We often see companies struggle to gain visibility in the digital space, losing potential revenue to competitors who dominate online. Our agency specializes in leveraging advanced data analytics and custom digital strategies to enhance your online presence, driving more traffic and increasing sales. Imagine what it would be like to see your business outperform competitors by simply optimizing your digital marketing. Let’s chat about how we can make that happen for you.”

6. "Illuminate spaces with quality lighting with Festoon House . "

Matt Little , Director at Festoon House , offered this pitch:

“Imagine transforming your space with lighting that‘s not only beautiful but also built to last. At Festoon House, we’re dedicated to crafting premium lighting solutions that elevate your style, enhance your ambiance, and stand the test of time. From modern chandeliers to industrial-chic fixtures, our products are designed to inspire and impress. Join the Festoon House family and let's brighten up your world together — one light at a time!”

7. "Solve food waste with RedBat.Agency . "

Gert Kulla , CEO of RedBat.Agency , offered this pitch:

“We're tackling the issue of food waste in restaurants. Our app allows diners to buy surplus food at a discount while helping venues reduce waste and generate extra revenue. This creates a win-win for businesses and customers looking to save money and curb food waste.”

8. "Elevate travel with JetLevel Aviation . "

Fahd Khan , Director of Marketing and Technology at JetLevel Aviation , offered this pitch:

“At JetLevel Aviation, we provide top-tier private jet charter services, ensuring fast, flexible, and seamless travel for high-profile clients. Unlike traditional charter companies, our bespoke solutions and access to a wide range of luxury jets guarantee that your travel experience is not just efficient but also tailored to your specific preferences and schedules. Let us elevate your travel experience to the next level.”

1. Keep it brief.

The purpose of an elevator speech is to be as brief as possible while capturing a prospect‘s attention. Try to stay under 60 seconds — including your introduction. Even if you’re delivering your elevator speech during a formal presentation, where you have time to elaborate if needed, keep the bulk of your pitch under sixty seconds.

If you don‘t, you won’t be able to use your pitch when you're chatting with prospects in situations with tighter time constraints — such as a tradeshow or a chance meeting.

2. Practice multiple times beforehand.

You may have written the most incredible elevator speech for your product, but if you hamper the delivery by misremembering or even forgetting parts of your pitch, it won't be an effective tool. Be sure to practice by yourself, with your manager, and with your colleagues.

The goal isn't just to memorize it, but to practice your tone, pace, and overall delivery.

3. Come prepared with additional materials.

When you‘re delivering your elevator pitch, be prepared to provide your prospect with what they need to continue the conversation. Whether that’s a business card, a brochure, or a short demo, carry all that you might need with you.

The elevator speech is your opportunity to begin a deal on the right foot and speed up the nurturing process. Typically, you might take weeks emailing a prospect before they're ready to schedule a meeting with you, but an elevator pitch speeds that work. You want to have the materials you need to keep the conversation going.

4. Be positive and enthusiastic.

It‘s essential to show your personality during your elevator pitch, but whether you’re a quiet, calm introvert or a charming, excitable extrovert, you should still convey positivity and enthusiasm.

You can use your body language and expression to keep things positive, even if your tone is quiet and calm. You might highlight the amazing benefits your prospect will enjoy if they sign up, or tell a positive story from one of your previous clients.

Most importantly, you should make it obvious that you want to help your prospect more than anything — which will make you sound positive by default.

5. Vary the tone of your voice.

As you deliver your pitch, vary your tone and modulation to keep your listener engaged. This will help you emphasize the most important parts of your speech — such as the benefits — while keeping your prospect‘s attention. The pitch may be short, but you’ll be surprised at how easily people can tune out based on your tone alone. We don‘t want to risk it! Especially if it’s a prospect you've never spoken with.

1. Don't ramble.

I‘ve been a rep at Sales-R-Us for five years now. They’re the best company I‘ve ever worked for. I’ve loved my time there. I started as a BDR and have worked my way up to a senior position. I‘ve never looked back. I also love the services we sell. I can’t wait to tell you about them. Sales-R-Us help companies become more efficient with their sales through training, evaluation, and leadership management — and that‘s just to name a few. We have a unique approach that’s been honed by lots of sales experts over the years, and I‘ve seen our solution really help a lot of companies and teams. I’ve had many clients whose businesses have been saved because of our genius solution. I know we can do the same for you. Would you be interested in learning more?

This elevator pitch is not effective because:

• It's way too long.
• The rep spends way too much time talking about themself.
• It never gets specific or actionable.
• It never provides actual examples or attention-grabbing facts.

2. Don't use too much jargon.

At Stratosphere Solutions, our OS-level virtualization delivers software in containers, all of which share the system of a lone operating system kernel. These containers are isolated but can communicate with one another through well-defined channels. Ultimately, this lets you use fewer resources than traditional virtual machines.

• It's inaccessible to someone without relevant technical knowledge.
• It features too much jargon.
• It tries to condense an extremely complicated topic into 30 seconds.
• Its value proposition isn't clear-cut.

3. Don‘t insert your prospect’s personal information.

I visited your Instagram and noticed that you have a pitbull. I have a pitbull, too! I bet he sometimes distracts you when you work from home, which is the absolute pits when you‘re trying to put together a report for your boss. Your dog — what’s his name? — may be asking for your attention, but I assure you you can still create a report as easy as 1-2-3 with AnswerASAP. While petting your pupperino.

• It sacrifices the hook in favor of creating a “personal connection.”
• It's too familiar with the prospect to the point of discomfort.
• It makes assumptions about the prospect's work-from-home tendencies.
• It uses informal slang (“the absolute pits,” “pupperino”) for unnecessary humor.

4. Don‘t under-emphasize the problem you’re solving.

It's possible that you may run into issues when putting reports together for your boss. For instance, things may go awry every once in a while, such as disappearing data or disagreeing sources. With AnswerASAP, you can lay those worries to rest. We have a few features that will help you with those issues if you ever run into them.

• It treats a customer problem as a possibility and not an urgent reality.
• It‘s vague (“things may go awry”) and doesn’t emphasize how those issues can hurt the prospect.
• It doesn‘t specify the product features that will solve the prospect’s challenges.
• Because it never goes into detail, it shows little research and care.

Remember, an elevator pitch should only come at someone else‘s prompting. If you’re spontaneously reciting it to random people, you're not doing yourself any favors. But if they ask, you want to be prepared with an interesting, well-crafted pitch.

Reel in Clients with an Effective Elevator Pitch

While a short speech may seem insignificant, those first conversations can hold some weight. With a well-crafted pitch, you can turn a single conversation with a prospect into a long-lasting customer, or even into a business partner. We hope you found these examples helpful and are inspired to craft your own effective elevator pitch.

Editor's note: This post was originally published in August 2019 and has been updated for comprehensiveness.

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15 creative elevator pitch examples for every scenario

A good elevator pitch can be the difference between landing your next big opportunity or falling short of the competition. But the reality is, people want to have meaningful conversations without the forced sales pitch. So how do you pitch yourself during a job interview or client meeting with authenticity? 

First things first: What is an elevator pitch?

An elevator pitch, also known as an elevator speech, is an opportunity to share a quick summary of yourself and your product offerings. But a pitch can also be your chance at making a real connection that you can use later down the road. It’s not always an immediate benefit, but you should be prepared for any scenario in which you could be giving an elevator pitch. 

In reality, most people have given an elevator pitch whether they realize it or not. That’s because there are many different types of pitches—from interviews to new business opportunities. That makes preparing for your next pitch an important step in marketing both yourself and your company. 

When it comes to figuring out who to deliver your pitch to, you should aim for the best point of contact, not just the highest point of contact. Choosing connections that are related to or interested in what you’re offering will give you a better chance at making your sale. 

How long should an elevator pitch be?

One of the biggest unknowns about creating sample elevator pitches is how long they should be. In most cases, it will depend on what it’s about and who you’re pitching. A good rule of business etiquette is to make it as short as possible by carefully selecting the most important points. 

A study conducted by Microsoft found that the average person has an attention span of around eight seconds, meaning you’ll have to fight for that undivided attention. That’s no small task. So when it comes to a great elevator pitch, aim to keep it around 30 seconds—though the exact length can vary depending on your industry and what you’re pitching. 

When looking at pitch length based on industry, each one differs to some degree. Let’s take marketing for example. Your pitch opportunities will likely be to customers that come across your brand. And in that case, you have very little time to get your message across—whether it’s text, video, or imagery. But when it comes to sales, you may get the opportunity to expand your elevator pitch past 30 seconds. You will likely have plenty of networking opportunities where people are more than willing to listen to what you have to say. It really just depends on your medium and the audience’s eagerness to listen. 

But what if you can’t cut your elevator pitch down to 30 seconds? It may seem like your brand is too complicated to distill down to such a short timeframe, but if you’re pitching to the right audience you shouldn’t have that problem. Make sure you pitch to people related to your industry or a tangential audience that will be able to interpret your offerings. 

How to write an elevator pitch 

When it comes to writing an elevator pitch, it can be hard to decipher important facts from unimportant ones—this is why knowing how to effectively communicate in the workplace is important in the first place. For example, while it’s good to personalize your communication tactics wherever possible, it’s not necessary to give prospects an entire history lesson on your business. Only the most recent and relevant details should be included. To get started creating your own pitch, you first need to understand the basic components that make up any good elevator pitch.

Introduce yourself

All good pitches start with a short introduction. It could be as simple as stating your name and who you work for if those details apply. But the more personal you can make it, the more natural your elevator pitch will seem. Body language is also an important part of a solid introduction, as is eye contact. Here are a few tips to keep in mind when introducing yourself to a new prospect. 

Greet your audience in a way that’s appropriate for the occasion. Go formal for a business pitch or more casual for a fun event. With business meetings and networking events being held virtually, you’ll need to get creative with your introductions over video chat. You could even start with a lighthearted joke to break the ice. But whatever you do, make sure it’s relevant to your audience. 

Present the problem

All solutions start with a problem. Whatever you or your business is trying to solve, it’s important to get the point across early on in your elevator pitch to set the theme for the rest of your speech. An example problem: coordinating work between teams is chaotic.  

If possible, relate the problem back to your audience by using real-world examples. This will help make the problem more relevant and, hopefully, grab your audience’s attention. If your problem isn’t easy to explain, try using more than one example or a visual to really paint a picture for your audience. 

Offer the solution

If the problem is what draws the audience in, then the solution is what hooks them. This is your time to show them why they need your help. Here’s an example solution: Asana gives teams a system to organize and manage work so they know what to do, why it matters, and how to get it done.

The solution is arguably the most important part of an elevator pitch, so spend time perfecting it. If you’re pitching for a business, it’s likely the quick solution pitch has already been created. But again, it’s always better to personalize your pitch. So don’t be afraid to tweak it to fit your audience. If pitching for yourself, talk about the unique skills you’ve developed and why they would be beneficial to your prospect. 

Explain your value proposition

Now that you’ve piqued your audience’s attention, it’s time to seal the deal by explaining why your solution is better than anyone else's. An example value proposition is: Asana is the only platform that connects goals with the work needed to achieve them. 

The value proposition differs from the solution by focusing on why your audience should use your solution over a competitor’s. If you don’t have that answer just yet, perform a competitive analysis to compare your offerings or look to your executive summary. 

If your market is extremely niche and you don’t have a clear differentiator or significant competition, look to communication and interface capabilities. Consider why your idea or solution is original enough that someone would want to use it.   

Engage the audience

While most of the hard work is done, it’s important to engage your audience with a compliment or question before you part ways. Always err on the side of being genuine rather than delivering a scripted goodbye. 

There is no right or wrong way to engage your audience. While ending with a question can create a dialogue between you and your audience, a genuine compliment can go a long way. Think about what made you want to pitch them in the first place and use that to end the conversation. Lastly, don’t forget to swap contact information, such as a business card, if you don’t already have it. 

A foolproof elevator pitch template

Now that you know the basic components of a pitch, the next step is creating your very own elevator pitch. This template can work for just about any situation, from a job interview to pitching a small business or startup. That’s because we analyzed some of the most famous templates from industry experts—from Harvard research to Guy Kawasaki’s art of pitching—to create a foolproof template that will work in any situation. 

Plug your information into our elevator pitch template to draft a quick speech. While you won’t necessarily recite it word for word, it’s a great model to keep in mind in case you find yourself in a position where you’re not prepared with a personalized pitch.

Whether you’re looking for a pitch template for a job interview or for pitching your business, this template is a foolproof example for any situation you might find yourself in. 

General elevator pitch template

Use our elevator pitch template to start constructing your speech by adding statistics and personalized greetings where needed. This template incorporates the four parts explained above to hit all of the important details of a good elevator pitch. 

Introduction : “Hi I’m [name], a [position title] at [company name]. It’s great to meet you!”

Problem : “Since you work with [company name or industry] I figured you’d be interested to know that [problem + interesting statistic].”

Solution : “The great part about working at [your company’s name] is that we’ve been able to fix just that problem by [solution].”

Value proposition : “In fact, we’re the only company that offers [value proposition].”

CTA : “I think our solution could really help you. Are you available this week to speak further on this?”

Don’t be afraid to change up your pitch template based on your personality and professional expertise. We’ve also included personalized 30-second elevator pitch examples below to inspire personal facts you can add to create a more engaging speech .

30-second elevator pitch examples

Let’s dive into the best 30-second elevator pitch examples to help you create a pitch that’s both engaging and informative. Our examples take inspiration from the four elements included in the template above, to demonstrate how you'd pitch project management software to  increase productivity . Try a few or try them all to find one that best fits your personality and value proposition. 

Example 1: Short and sweet

This example is one of the most common you’ll come across. That doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s the best, but it’s a great example of a quick and easy pitch that fits almost any situation. When working on this type of elevator pitch, be sure to keep it as short and to the point as possible. Try to stick closely to the 30 seconds or less rule since the point is to be brief and transparent.

The problem is that work is chaotic no matter what industry you’re in or how good you are at your job. But a good project management software can help improve productivity and communication. I haven’t missed a deadline in years. If you’re interested in how it can help your team, give me a call and I can take you through some numbers. 

Example 2: Relatable over reliable

Sometimes the best way to grab your audience’s attention is to reel them in with a personal anecdote they’ll relate to. While it’s still important to drive home your solution, this approach puts more weight on making a personal connection rather than an immediate sale. 

It’s so great to finally meet you. How is business going? I heard you’ve been struggling with communication issues. My team and I struggled with that too. It wasn’t until we added project management software into our routine that we really saw an improvement in teamwork and overall communication. I hope you find a solution that works for your team. 

Example 3: Savvy with stats

Start your pitch off with a hook by dropping an attention-grabbing statistic. It’s important to have hard data to back up your statistics to ensure their accuracy before pitching. When it comes to a statistics pitch, it’s a good idea to come full circle at the end and connect how your solution can help solve that statistic.  

Did you know that despite having more ways to connect remotely, 60% of workers’ time is spent on work coordination with just 26% spent on skilled work and 14% on strategy? No wonder teams need help with project management. Implementing project management tools can decrease time spent on work coordination and help increase skilled work.

Example 4: Question everything

This example uses questions to make your pitch easily comprehensible. It also forces the audience to join in on the conversation rather than just presenting them with a speech. Try starting and ending with a question that makes the audience think about your pitch long after you leave the room.

Do you ever feel like you spend too much time on work about work? I’ve talked to so many people who share the same frustrations. I used to work long hours every day just trying to catch up. But do you know what? Ever since we started using project management software, I've been able to get so much more work done. Have you tried anything similar in the past?

Example 5: Comedic twist

If your pitch isn’t about a serious topic, you can add comedic twists to engage the audience. This is especially useful if giving a presentation. Add a GIF or quick funny clip in between slides to lighten the mood. If using this example, be sure it fits the occasion and tone of your company. 

Did you know that the average person can only pay attention for eight seconds? That’s not even long enough to place my coffee order in the morning. Maybe that’s why my barista always gets it wrong. But seriously, I think that’s why so many companies struggle to hit deadlines. 

Example 6: Tell a story

Use customer testimonials or your own personal story to paint a picture for the audience. This can be especially helpful if your topic is hard to explain in 30 seconds or less. Telling a story is a great way to add a relatable twist. 

We have a customer that transitioned to a fully remote workforce this year and needed help making sure deadlines were met. With our help, they were able to get up to 10% of their time back in their day and focus on more important things like strategic planning.  

Example 7: Emotionally driven

While this type of pitch may be more difficult to create, you have a better chance of winning over your audience if you can make your pitch emotionally driven. It’s also more likely they’ll be willing to share the experience with someone else down the road. It’s important to keep the emotions on the lighter side to prevent the conversation from steering too dark. Here is an example to inspire your own speech. 

It may seem like any other tool, but when you look closely it really is helping teams connect. And not just that, but it’s helping cultivate teams that actually enjoy working together on new projects. That’s something that’s hard to come by, but something everyone is looking for.  

Example 8: Write it first

While most speeches start by writing a general outline, you can opt to write the entire pitch from start to finish. This tends to create a thought-provoking and poetic flow once you do present your pitch. You’ll have to memorize this pitch, so practicing is a key element to this strategy. 

Hi, my name is Kelly! It’s great to meet you. You work for Apollo Enterprises, right? I’ve heard a lot about them. I actually heard that you’re looking for project management help. In my experience, any organization—whether sales or suppliers—needs help coordinating work and team communication. Work can be rather chaotic, especially now, without it. That’s why we’ve created a software tool that helps both individuals and teams organize their projects and communications all in one place. Have you ever thought about using something similar?

Example 9: End with a one-liner

Making a grand exit doesn’t come easily, but if you can pull it off your audience is sure to be impressed. Stay away from cliche one-liners and make your closing authentic to you. The point here is to leave them with a thought that they’ll remember after the meeting is over. Consider sharing a surprising statistic or question relevant to their business.

Over one-quarter (26%) of all deadlines are missed each week because of a lack of clarity. But with the right project management tools, that number could be much lower. So the question is, can your business afford not to use project management software? 

Elevator pitch examples by scenario

Now that we’ve covered the types of pitch examples, let’s dive into example elevator pitches for different scenarios. Whether you’re pitching for your business or yourself, you can use an elevator pitch to organize your thoughts and prepare for the real deal. Let’s look at key tips for any situation you may find yourself in. 

Example 10: Networking event

A networking event is probably the most common scenario you’ll run into. And with the new virtual-first culture, it may be even more challenging to make meaningful connections over video chat. That’s why it’s so important to prepare an elevator pitch that’s compelling no matter where you’re pitching it from. While most salespeople pitch casually in this environment, you may get the opportunity to meet an important executive. In which case, you’ll want to be prepared with a versatile pitch template. 

Great to meet you, I’m Kelly with Apollo Enterprises. We’ve been able to improve productivity and collaboration for teams all over the world. If you ever need help with project management, just reach out. I think we could make a huge impact on your company. I’ll make sure to keep your contact information handy as well. 

Example 11: Job interview

Looking for a new job or have career fairs coming up? Most interviews—whether with human resources, a recruiter, or a hiring manager—start with some form of the phrase, “Tell me about yourself.” This is an opportunity for job seekers to briefly explain themselves and their professional experience using industry buzzwords and key skills. Having an elevator pitch ready can ensure that you’re prepared when the opportunity presents itself. 

I’m Kelly, a specialist at Apollo Enterprises. I chose a career in project management because I had a passion for it, and now I can proudly say that I’ve been able to make a real difference in people’s lives. That’s why I’m looking to continue my career with an employer who shares those same values. I know my unique skills can make a big impact at your company because I’ve proven my results with a few key projects. 

Example 12: Formal meeting

You’ve landed the meeting, congratulations! Now is the time to create a formal elevator pitch to really get them interested. When presenting a formal pitch, a presentation can be a great addition to traditional elevator speech examples. But whether or not you choose to create a presentation, this meeting is about selling your product in the most professional way possible. So dress the part and don’t forget your unique selling proposition. 

I took a look at your current productivity figures and noticed an opportunity for improvement. With our project management software, you could get back up to 10% more of your workday. Not only would that mean more work getting done, but it would also have a positive impact on the overall success of your business. Not to mention, our tool is the only one in the industry that has goal capabilities to ensure teams stay on track. 

Example 13: Sales pitch 

Professionals often pitch traditional sales jargon, but the real key is creating a human connection while lightly sprinkling in what you’re selling. Start with a personal story or light-hearted introduction instead of the typical sales presentation. You can also prepare by creating sales team goal templates to ensure your team is on the same page. 

Our team really struggled to transition to a remote workforce. Communication wasn’t organized and people struggled to find the correct information to complete projects. But, thankfully, we found a solution to our problem. Implementing project management tools not only improved productivity but also improved overall teamwork. Every company prefers different tools, but I can say without a doubt that our software was the best at connecting goals with the work needed to achieve them. 

Example 14: Social introduction

Now, more than ever, professionals are choosing to meet virtually rather than face-to-face. Whether you’re chatting over LinkedIn or have a virtual meeting set up, it’s important to make your pitch personal and use clear visuals to help sell your point. Here’s a great example of a social media pitch. 

Thanks for connecting! I noticed that your competitors are outperforming you when it comes to year-over-year growth. I took the liberty of doing a competitive analysis and didn’t find any outlying problems. I’m wondering if it could be an issue with productivity. How has the transition to remote work been? If you’re interested, I could run you through some productivity figures if you were to add project management tools to your current processes. 

Example 15: Entrepreneurs and business owners

Pitching to a business owner is much different than pitching to an executive. They can be harder to sell because they are often hesitant about new investments. The most important tip is to use examples as they pertain to the business when explaining a problem and solution.  

I love your products at Apollo Enterprises. I’m a huge proponent of your mission. I did realize that there may be some opportunities to improve productivity and collaboration internally. Have you ever considered project management software? I think it could have a big impact on business growth now or even down the road. 

4 tips to perfect your elevator pitch

In addition to creating the perfect elevator pitch, you should also work on sprucing up your delivery. There’s nothing worse than sitting through a boring speech, so make sure yours is anything but. From posture to tone, there’s a lot you can practice to make sure you look professional and knowledgeable. Consider these four tips when trying to nail a successful elevator pitch. 

1. Stick to your outline

To prevent getting off-topic, it’s important to stick to your outline at least to some extent. While you don’t need to recite it word for word, it’s best to memorize the majority of your pitch. That way you won’t need to worry about checking your notes. 

2. Speak slowly and clearly

Many professionals tend to talk quickly when they’re nervous—hey, we’re only human. But it’s important to enunciate and speak slowly so the audience can understand you. This is especially important when presenting over video chat. But try not to slow yourself down too much or you’ll go over your allotted time. 

3. Record your pitch

Record yourself reciting the pitch to work on any areas that need improvement. Practice your pitch a handful of times by playing the recording back and working out any pain points. A couple of key areas to focus on are speed and tone. It’s better to sound overly energized rather than monotone. 

4. Practice, practice, practice!

There’s nothing more effective than practicing your pitch until you’re able to recite it in your sleep. If possible, practice in front of friends and family to get constructive feedback on how you can make your pitch even better. Even if you have years of experience, you can never go wrong with being overly prepared. 

Elevate your first impression with an elevator pitch

An elevator pitch is a chance to show off your strengths and pitch your solutions. While it may sound nerve-wracking, using the 15 elevator pitch examples above will help you develop your own method using personal tidbits that tie into your innovative solutions.

While your pitch is an important part of leveling up your business, there are many avenues you can take to achieve growth. One of those ways is by determining whether project management vs. work management tools are right for your team. Not only will they help connect your team members, but the right tools and software can also help your organization set strategic goals. That means more time spent on bigger projects to help your business reach next-level growth. 

Related resources

How Asana streamlines strategic planning with work management

How to create a CRM strategy: 6 steps (with examples)

What is management by objectives (MBO)?

Write better AI prompts: A 4-sentence framework

10 Elevator Pitch Examples to Convince Anyone in 30 Seconds

30 … 29 … 28 … 27 …  

Wait, can 30 seconds really transform your business’s future? 

Yes, by summarizing the essence of your dream or your business’s unique value in the time it takes for an elevator to reach its next stop, you can win the next conversation or a meet-up to discuss potential collaboration.

Within this brief window, you’re not just sharing information; you’re weaving a narrative, striking chords of need and solution, and sparking a connection that could turn the listener into a long-term customer or invaluable partner.

While crafting an elevator pitch depends on what your business offers to the market, taking inspiration from successful elevator pitch examples can help us prepare better. In this blog post, we have ten great elevator pitch examples with customizable templates, as well as actionable pitches, tips, and tricks from experts. 

Also, we’ll dive into the anatomy of an elevator pitch, from understanding its core components to what elevates a good pitch into a great one. 

Table of Contents

What’s an Elevator Pitch?

Say you’re in an elevator with a potential client or investor. In those 30-45 seconds, you give them an elevator pitch for your business that does three things:

• Captivates the audience’s attention : Storytelling, interesting facts, humor, or other elements that draw attention and retain it.
• Delivers the value of your product or service : Personalize the pitch to the audience by considering their priorities when choosing an approach, words to use, and features/benefits to highlight.
• Convinces them to take action: An effective elevator pitch adds a confident call to action with assertion. Although beware of coming off cocky and aggressive. 

Elevator pitches are used for various purposes: students approach colleges and institutions, job seekers approach employees, business pitch investors or clients, and professionals approach stakeholders. With an elevator pitch, you convey your value to people and get them to take action. 

What it’s not: Remember, an elevator pitch is not a sales pitch . You don’t use it to close a deal or convince someone to buy. Rather, you use it to gain another opportunity to converse with the prospect.

Psst … In content writing, an elevator pitch is like an “introduction” to my article, where I convince you to read the rest of my work. 

Favorite elevator pitch examples on Reddit

And another one …

The 1-Minute Elevator Pitch

There are different types of elevator pitches for different circumstances and purposes. In addition to businesses pitching their clients and investors, students can have an elevator pitch for internship programs, scholarships, and admissions. Job candidates also have elevator pitches for employers. 

Here are the elements of a good elevator pitch: 

Step 1: Hook the listener by stating the problem, asking a thought-provoking question, or mentioning an attention-grabbing statistic.

Step 2: Introduce yourself, your business, product, or service as a solution.

Step 3: Let them know of the features and benefits (your value proposition).

Here’s an elevator pitch example from Nate: Hey Mate, this is Nate. Have you ever landed in a new city and struggled to find a good, last-minute hotel deal? – The hook.

Check HotelFinder, the app that transforms your travel woes into wins by offering unbeatable last-minute deals – Solution.

With HotelFinder, save money, time, and stress with just a few taps – Value proposition.

Step 4: Tell them what makes you stand out.

Step 5: Conclude with a CTA.

Going back to Nate’s elevator pitch example: Unlike others, we specialize in last-minute bookings, ensuring you always have a place to stay, no matter the urgency. Recommended by top travel influencers, we’ve been the go-to app for spontaneous travelers worldwide for over five years – Self-differentiation.

Ready for hassle-free travel? Download HotelFinder now and join thousands of satisfied adventurers! – CTA.

Let’s look at the complete elevator pitch example of Nate now:  

Hey Mate, this is Nate. Have you ever landed in a new city and struggled to find a good, last-minute hotel deal? Check HotelFinder, the app that transforms your travel woes into wins by offering unbeatable last-minute deals. With HotelFinder, save money, time, and stress with just a few taps. Unlike others, we specialize in last-minute bookings, ensuring you always have a place to stay, no matter the urgency. Recommended by top travel influencers, we’ve been the go-to app for spontaneous travelers worldwide for over five years. Ready for hassle-free travel? Download HotelFinder now and join thousands of satisfied adventurers!

Easy peasy, right? 

Well, if you still find it difficult to write an elevator pitch, fret not. Below are ten elevator pitch examples with ready-to-use templates to get you started writing your pitch today. 

Read also: 6 Ways To Close The Deal With Less Persistence And More Influence

10 Elevator Pitch Examples With Templates

Looking at some winning elevator pitch examples, here are our customizable elevator pitch templates. Check which one best fits your needs.

1. Elevator pitch template for job seekers at networking events

At [Your Name], I bring [specific skills] and a [unique personal quality] to the table, making me the ideal candidate for [company or industry you’re interested in]. My previous experience at [Company Name], where I had [specific achievement], showcased my ability to [benefit to potential employer]. Let’s connect so I can share how I can contribute to [target company or team].

To me, it’s not just about finding a new job but finding a role where my unique skills and experiences are truly valued and can make a difference – and I can’t wait to prove my skills and make a difference — A final hook to leave a lasting impression.

Elevator pitch examples

Marketing professional

At John Doe, I bring innovative campaign ideas and a knack for data-driven strategies to the table, making me the ideal candidate for cutting-edge marketing teams. My previous experience at BrandX, where I increased online engagement by 40%, showcases my ability to significantly improve your digital footprint. Let’s connect so I can share how I can contribute to your team’s success.

To me, it’s not just about landing any job but finding a position where my creative solutions and strategic thinking can truly impact an organization’s brand presence – and I can’t wait to make a difference. 

Data analyst

At Sam Taylor, I bring advanced analytical capabilities and a keen eye for detail to the table, making me the ideal candidate for innovative tech companies focused on data-driven decision-making. My previous experience at DataInsight, where I optimized our data processing pipeline to improve data analysis speed by 40%, showcases my ability to enhance efficiency and accuracy in data handling. Let’s connect so I can share how I can contribute to your data analytics team.

I can’t wait to bring transformative insights to your team. 

Why it works

• Offers a brief overview of capabilities and achievements, and it ends with a call to action that encourages a potential employer to engage in a conversation.
• Captures the audience’s attention by focusing on how the person can positively impact the company rather than just listing qualifications.
• Ends with a hook to find a meaningful position that values the unique skill.

2. Elevator pitch template for startups pitching to investors

“In the [industry] sector, many startups overlook the importance of [specific pain point]. However, at [Your Startup’s Name], we’ve centered our mission around tackling this issue through [innovative solution/technology]. Our team of experts has developed [product/service] that not only addresses [pain point] but also sets a new standard for [industry impact]. With [specific achievement or metric], we’re ready to scale and revolutionize [market segment]. Interested in making a game-changing investment? Let’s discuss how we can work together for a better world.”

Elevator pitch example for an EdTech startup

“In the educational technology sector, many startups overlook the importance of personalized learning. However, at LearnSphere, we’ve centered our mission around tackling this issue through AI-driven curriculum adaptation. Our team of educators and technologists has developed a platform that not only addresses students’ unique learning needs but also sets a new standard for educational outcomes. With a 200% increase in student engagement in our pilot programs, we’re ready to scale and revolutionize the way education is delivered. Interested in making a game-changing investment? Let’s discuss how we can work together for a better world.”

• Quickly grabs the investor’s attention by highlighting a neglected pain point in the industry.
• Presents a solution that addresses this issue and promises to set new standards.
• Showcases specific achievements or metrics to build credibility.
• Demonstrates potential for growth and impact, making it a compelling opportunity for investors. 

3. Elevator pitch template for tech innovators at industry conferences

“At [Your Company], we’ve identified a critical oversight in how the [specific industry] handles [common pain point]. Unlike our competitors, we’re introducing [innovative feature or technology], a solution that not only simplifies [pain point] but also enhances [related benefit]. Our cutting-edge approach has already garnered attention for its ability to [specific achievement or impact]. Imagine a world where [pain point] is no longer a barrier to [industry goal]. Let’s explore how [Your Company] can lead this transformation.”

Elevator pitch example for a cybersecurity firm

“At SecureNet, we’ve identified a critical oversight in how the cybersecurity industry handles real-time threat detection. Unlike our competitors, we’re introducing AI-driven anomaly detection, a solution that not only simplifies threat identification but also enhances system resilience. Our cutting-edge approach has already garnered attention for its ability to reduce breach response times by 70%. Imagine a world where cybersecurity threats are no longer a barrier to safe and seamless digital operations. Let’s explore how SecureNet can lead this transformation.”

• Immediately highlights a unique solution to a well-known industry problem, positioning the company as a leader in innovation.
• Cites specific achievements building credibility and interest.
• Effectively uses the audience’s familiarity with the pain point to envision a future where this issue is resolved, compelling them to engage further.

4. Elevator pitch template for job interviews

“As a recent graduate from [Your University] with a degree in [Your Major], I specialize in [Your Skillset] with a passion for [Your Interest/Area of Expertise]. What sets me apart is not just my academic background but also my real-world experience through [internships/volunteer work/projects], where I honed my skills in [specific skill] and achieved [specific outcome]. I’m excited about the opportunity to bring my unique blend of skills and passion to [Company Name], particularly in [position or department you’re interested in]. Can we talk about how my background could be the perfect fit for your team?”

Elevator pitch example for a graphic design graduate

“As a recent graduate from the Art Institute of Chicago with a degree in Graphic Design, I specialize in digital branding and user experience design, with a passion for creating intuitive digital environments. What sets me apart is my artistic and technical skills and my real-world experience through internships at startup companies, where I honed my skills in user interface design and achieved a 30% improvement in user engagement for a client’s app. I’m excited about the opportunity to bring my unique blend of skills and passion to Pixel Creative, particularly to your design team. Can we talk about how my background could be the perfect fit for your innovative projects?”

• Immediately presents the job seeker’s educational background, area of expertise, and tangible achievements.
• Personalizes the pitch by expressing a specific interest in the company and suggesting a fit for a particular team or department, making it easier for the recruiter to see the candidate’s potential value.
• Takes advantage of the in-person networking opportunity with the request for a conversation as a direct call to action.

5. Elevator pitch template for professionals seeking to make a personal connection

“Hi, I’m [Your Name], a [Your Profession] with a deep interest in [specific interest related to profession]. What drives me is [a specific goal or value proposition] in [industry or field]. I’ve had the opportunity to [mention a significant professional accomplishment or experience], which taught me [specific lesson or skill]. I’m currently looking to [what you’re seeking, e.g., new opportunities, partnerships, learning], especially in key areas related to [specific area of interest]. I’d love to hear about your experiences in [their field or a related topic] and explore potential synergies.”

Elevator pitch example for a consultant

“Hi, I’m Jane Doe, a Renewable Energy Consultant with a deep interest in sustainable urban development. What really drives me is developing innovative solutions that integrate renewable energy into urban planning to create greener, more sustainable cities. I’ve had the opportunity to lead a project implementing solar-powered street lighting in a mid-sized city, which taught me the importance of community involvement in sustainable initiatives. I’m currently looking to collaborate on projects that aim to reduce urban carbon footprints, especially in key areas related to smart city technologies. I’d love to hear about your experiences with sustainable development and explore potential synergies.”

• Establishes a personal story by sharing the passion and professional focus in the elevator speech.
• Includes a notable achievement that illustrates their expertise and ends with an open invitation to engage in a mutual exchange of ideas, fostering a two-way conversation.

6. The fear-based elevator pitch template 

“Do you know how [common fear or worry in your field] can affect your life? At [Company/Practice Name], we address this head-on by [solution]. Our unique approach includes [specific methods or technologies], setting us apart from others. We ensure you avoid [negative outcome] and enjoy [positive outcome] instead. Schedule your appointment today to [action], and avoid [negative outcome].”

Elevator pitch example for a healthcare clinic

“Do you know how unchecked high blood pressure can affect your life with serious health complications? At Heart Health Associates, we address this head-on by providing personalized cardiovascular care. Our unique approach includes advanced monitoring technologies and tailored wellness plans, setting us apart. We ensure you avoid the risks of heart disease and instead enjoy a healthier, longer life. Book your health screening with Heart Health Associates today, and take the first step towards a healthier heart.”

• Taps into a basic emotion— fear —to create urgency and build human connection.
• Presents a solution that can prevent a feared outcome and motivates immediate action.

7. The data-focused elevator pitch template

“In the world of [industry], [pain point] is a common challenge. At [Company Name], we’ve developed [solution] backed by [specific data or research]. This not only [benefit #1] but also [benefit #2], according to [attention grabbing statistic]. Discover how [Product/Service] can [achieve goal] for you by [action].”

Elevator pitch example for a SaaS firm

“In the SaaS industry, user engagement drop-off is a major challenge. At EngageMax, we’ve developed an analytics platform that boosts user engagement by 30% on average, backed by AI-driven insights. This not only increases customer retention but also elevates overall satisfaction, according to our latest customer feedback analysis. Try EngageMax for free today, and see how data can transform your user engagement.”

• Data lends credibility and builds trust.
• The elevator speech appeals to logic by demonstrating measurable results or benefits, compelling the solution.

8. The impressive elevator pitch template

“Everyone loves [something enjoyable related to your industry], but not when it comes with [pain point]. At [Company Name], we’ve changed that to [solution]. Our [product/service] is the first to offer [unique feature], making [benefit] a reality for our customers. Experience [product/service] for yourself. Visit us at [location/website] to [action].”

Elevator pitch example for a new app

“Everyone loves shopping for clothes, but not the fitting room lines. At QuickFit, we’ve changed that by introducing virtual fitting room technology. Our app is the first to offer real-time size and style recommendations, making the perfect fit a reality for our customers without the wait. Try QuickFit on your next shopping trip. Download our app today, and say goodbye to fitting room lines.”

• Builds curiosity by highlighting a unique feature or benefit that addresses a pain point.
• Novelly solves a universal retail pain point, making the shopping experience more pleasant.

9. Branding elevator pitch template

“In the crowded [industry] market, standing out is key. [Company Name] takes a unique stance by [unique selling proposition]. We’re not just about [service/product]; we’re about creating an experience where [benefit]. Explore our [products/services] at [location/website], and join us in [achieving goal].”

Elevator pitch example for a real estate firm

“In the crowded real estate market, standing out is key. Vista Homes takes a unique stance by focusing on eco-friendly living spaces. We’re not just about selling homes; we’re about creating an experience where sustainability meets luxury. Visit Vista Homes online to explore our sustainable living spaces, and join us in making a positive environmental impact.”

• Builds a brand identity around a unique selling proposition.
• Appealing to the target audience’s values or desires.
• Taps into a growing consumer value (here, eco-friendly living).

10. Product launch elevator pitch template

“Introducing [Product Name], the game changer in [industry]. With [product feature], it’s designed to solve [pain point] like never before. Unlike anything on the market, it [unique selling point], ensuring [benefit]. Get [Product Name] today at [location/website], and start [achieving benefit].”

Elevator pitch example for an innovative product

“Introducing EcoStraw, the game changer in sustainable living. With its biodegradable material, it’s designed to solve the problem of plastic pollution like never before. Unlike anything on the market, it decomposes in just 90 days, ensuring our oceans stay cleaner for future generations. Secure your EcoStraw pack on our website now, and join us in the fight against plastic pollution.”

• Creates excitement about a new product by focusing on how it addresses a need or problem in a unique way.
• Highlights the product’s impact on a global concern, making the pitch relevant and timely.

Read also: Find The Best Time to Cold Call — Optimal Hours & Tips for Success

Experts Talk About Elevator Pitches

Here’s a series of elevator pitch examples that worked for founders in the market.

From Peter Murphy Lewis , Fractional CMO at Strategicpete:

Elevator pitch example:

Ladies and gentlemen of ACME Painting, I’m Peter Lewis, and I stand before you as an entrepreneur and storyteller deeply rooted in Kansas’s soil and seasoned by the world’s vast palette. My journey from the heartlands of Kansas to the vibrant streets of Santiago and beyond has taught me one invaluable lesson: every brushstroke tells a story, whether on a canvas or the canvas of life.

Your company, ACME Painting, doesn’t just paint homes; you color dreams and bring warmth to the community we both cherish. My proposal is simple yet transformative: Let’s blend our worlds. With my background in captivating audiences through television, podcasting, and global narratives, together, we can craft a compelling story that resonates not just in Kansas but echoes far and wide.

We’ll use digital marketing strategies that fuse traditional Kansas values with the rich tapestry of stories I’ve gathered from across the globe. By highlighting your work through a series of engaging, culturally rich narratives, we’ll paint ACME Painting as more than a service—it’ll be a beacon of creativity, quality, and community spirit.

Experience and event:

With my multifaceted career in entrepreneurship, sales, and marketing, I’ve witnessed firsthand the power of a compelling elevator pitch in one business stakeholder meeting.

Result attained: 

This well-crafted 30-second pitch to a potential investor led to a fruitful partnership that amplified our business growth.

From Dominic , the founder and CEO at MentorCruise:

Forget the struggle to stay ahead in today’s ever-changing landscape! Imagine this: you’re at a conference, feeling anxious. The latest industry trends are flying at you, and you know your skillset needs an upgrade. But finding the right mentor can be a nightmare. That’s where MentorCruise comes in. We’re like the ultimate co-pilot for your career, connecting you with a network of incredible mentors who can guide you through exactly what you need, from sharpening your expertise to navigating the newest technologies. Did you know a study by Forbes found that 76% of professionals believe mentorship is important for career growth? With MentorCruise, personalized guidance is just a click away. So, are you ready to take your career to the next level and chart a course for success?

————————————————Event and Result not disclosed due to confidentiality. 

But Dominic adds, 

Start with hooking your listeners with a relatable scenario that taps into their pain points. Add in a surprising stat for credibility, then shift the focus to the transformation your product enables. Don’t just list features, paint a picture of the positive results. Then, end with a question that sparks curiosity and leaves them wanting more. Remember, it’s about connection. Tailor your story and stats to resonate with your audience, deliver it with passion, and practice until it’s second nature.

From Gabrielle Marie Yap , Senior Editor & Culinary Entrepreneur at CarnivoreStyle :

“I’m Gabrielle Marie Yap, the founder of ‘Carnivore Style’, a food venture that’s revolutionizing the way people experience and appreciate meat. We source the highest quality, ethically raised meats from around the world and prepare them using a blend of traditional and innovative cooking techniques. Our mission is to elevate the humble meat dish into a gourmet experience, showcasing the rich flavors and textures that can be achieved with the right cut and the right preparation. We believe in the power of good food to bring people together, and we’re committed to making ‘Meat Mastery’ a household name for meat lovers everywhere.”

The experience was nerve-wracking but also exhilarating. I had practiced my elevator speech countless times, but delivering it to a potential investor added a whole new level of pressure. However, I knew my business inside out, and I believed in what I was doing, which gave me the confidence to speak passionately and convincingly about it.

Result attained:

The result was more than I could have hoped for. The investor was impressed with my pitch and my passion. He saw the potential in my business and decided to invest in it. This investment allowed me to expand my operations and reach a wider audience. It was a pivotal moment for Carnivore Style, and it all started with a well-crafted elevator speech.

From Simon Bacher, the CEO & Co-Founder of Ling :

“Feeling nervous about picking up a new language for school or work? At Ling, we think learning languages should be enjoyable and engaging. Our app turns language learning into a game, mixing different teaching methods tailored for Asian and Eastern European languages. Say goodbye to bland memorization techniques of irrelevant words or phrases! Our lesson content is organized around everyday situations, allowing you to learn language in context.”

Back in 2016, we kick-started Ling’s journey with this elevator pitch, enticing subscribers and B2B clients from globally expanding companies through licensing agreements. Repurposed across our digital platforms, including our website and social media, this pitch has been instrumental in our success. 

As a result, Ling has achieved over 10 million downloads with a monthly user base exceeding 500,000. 

From Hardik Parikh , the Founder of Zencraft:

Elevator pitch:  

“At the heart of every technological breakthrough, there’s a simple idea that solves a complex problem. My mission is to bridge the gap between these innovations and the market, transforming potential into success.”

This pitch crystallized during a chance encounter at a tech conference with potential investors. With just a minute to present my vision, I distilled my message to its essence, emphasizing the transformative impact of our solutions.

The pitch not only captured the investors’ attention but also sparked a conversation that led to a significant funding round for our latest project. It was a pivotal moment, showcasing the power of clarity and brevity in communication.

From Sergey Solonenko, the Founder and CMO at Algocentric Digital Consultancy

Imagine a scenario where a startup, Algocentric, introduces a revolutionary AI-driven marketing platform designed to predict and influence customer behaviors in real-time, thereby significantly enhancing engagement and conversion rates for SaaS brands. This platform not only leverages advanced AI for predictive analytics but also dynamically adjusts marketing strategies to maintain a competitive edge.

During a prominent tech networking event, I had the opportunity to deliver this elevator pitch in a spontaneous setting to a potential investor. The pitch’s brief yet comprehensive nature succinctly encapsulated our platform’s unique value proposition, piquing the listener’s interest.

This encounter led to a formal meeting, which culminated in the acquisition of substantial investment. The funding was instrumental in accelerating the development of our platform and expanding our reach within the market, establishing Algocentric as a leader in AI-driven marketing solutions.

I’ve also listed tips from the experts for you. Let’s go!

Read also: 6 Ways To Make Practically Every Sales Call Close

Tips to Convince Somone Within 60 Seconds

Have your notepad open to take notes:

An elevator speech should highlight the ‘why’ behind what you do to spark interest in the ‘how.’ Keep it brief and benefit-focused, and you’ll find it opens many more doors.

For example, I once spoke to a CEO who said their goal was to “leverage AI and machine learning to optimize the customer journey.” That tells me nothing about why they’re doing it or what the end customer gains. My suggested version of “We’re using advanced analytics to deliver personalized experiences that increase customer satisfaction and loyalty” would resonate much more. The technical details fade away behind the real value and purpose. — Alex Taylor, Head of Marketing at CrownTV . 

I kept it real, talking their language, focusing on their digital struggles, and how I could fix them. No fluff, just straight talk. That turned one of those chats into a major deal, putting a nice feather in our cap.

The trick? Make it short and punchy, and talk about how you can solve their problem. That’s your golden ticket to making a memorable impact in no time — Sudhir Khatwani , Director of The Money Mongers.

For those crafting their own elevator pitches, my advice is to concentrate on the transformative value your services or products offer. It’s crucial to communicate not just what you do but how you make a difference for your clients. Being able to articulate this clearly and succinctly can turn a brief encounter into a fruitful conversation, setting the stage for future success.

Additionally, having robust case studies or metrics to back up your claims can substantially bolster the effectiveness of your pitch, as concrete results speak volumes — Steve Pogson , the Founder at FirstPier. 

Read also: Sales Pitch: Everything You Want to Know (+ 9 Great Examples)

Dos and Don’ts to Perfect Your Elevator Pitch

An effective business elevator pitch involves a concise yet compelling presentation of your business idea, product, or service. Here are eight key tips from successful elevator pitch examples you need to keep in mind while perfecting your pitch.

Tip 1: Personalization holds success of your pitch

A personal connection will be crucial for capturing and maintaining your audience’s attention. Tailor your pitch to your target audience’s interests and needs, using language and examples that resonate with them. 

Tip 2: Don’t beat around the bush while pitching

Ensure your elevator pitch is clear, concise, and free of jargon. The goal is to convey your business idea compellingly in less than a minute and leave your audience interested in learning more.

Tip 3: Deliver with passion and enthusiasm

Your enthusiasm for your business can be infectious, making your pitch more memorable. Let your passion shine through while maintaining professionalism.

Tip 4: Prepare and practice pitching

A successful elevator pitch requires preparation and practice. Know your pitch well enough to deliver it confidently without sounding rehearsed. Pay attention to your body language and eye contact to effectively engage your listener.

The don’ts

Tip 5: Avoid rambling

Long-winded pitches fail to maintain the audience’s attention and often lack a clear focus, making them less effective in capturing interest or action. Rambling not only loses your audience’s attention but also dilutes the impact of your message. Focus on what’s most relevant to your listener rather than giving an exhaustive history of your career or business.

Tip 6: Say no to heavy jargon

While industry-specific terms can demonstrate your expertise, overloading your elevator pitch with jargon can alienate listeners who may not share your technical background. Keep your language accessible to ensure a broad audience understands your message

Tip 7: Don’t use personal information for personalization

Making assumptions or inserting too much of your prospect’s personal information can come off as invasive or irrelevant. Maintain professionalism and focus on how your business can solve a problem or meet a need. 

Tip 8: Do not low-ball your problem

A successful elevator pitch clearly outlines a pain point before presenting your business as the solution. Failing to emphasize the problem or treating it as a minor inconvenience can make your solution seem unnecessary or irrelevant.

Read also: How to Pitch Your SMB Sales Like a Pro

Where Else Can You Use Your Elevator Pitch?

The versatility of a well-crafted elevator pitch extends far beyond face-to-face interactions at networking events or career fairs. A concise, engaging elevator pitch can be repurposed across various written mediums, aiming to capture the attention of your audience and effectively convey your core value proposition. Here are key places to leverage your elevator pitch: 

• About Us page: Your website’s About Us page is a prime location for a refined elevator pitch that succinctly tells the story of your business, what it stands for, and why it matters. This is where a great elevator pitch can forge a strong first impression.
• Listing descriptions: Whether it’s a product listing on an eCommerce platform or a service description on a professional directory, incorporating your elevator pitch can immediately highlight the benefits and distinctive features of your offering.
• Social profiles: Social media bios are the perfect spot for a short pitch to engage readers from the start. A good elevator pitch here can pique interest and drive followers to explore your business or personal brand more.
• Ad copy: Effective ad copy often employs the principles of a successful elevator pitch, focusing on solving a pain point with a clear, compelling message that drives a call to action. Crafting your ad copy with an elevator pitch mindset can improve conversion rates.
• Landing pages : The introductory text on landing pages should quickly grab visitors’ attention and encourage them to act. Embedding your elevator pitch in this space ensures your key value proposition is front and center.
• Emails: Whether it’s an email introduction to a potential client or a cold pitch to a prospective partner, starting with a concise elevator pitch can set a strong, engaging tone for the message.
• Boilerplates: The boilerplate of your press releases should contain a distilled version of your elevator pitch, succinctly describing your organization and its mission to grab the media’s attention.
• Mission statements: Though mission statements are inherently broader, infusing the essence of your elevator pitch into your mission can make it more impactful and memorable.
• Blog post intros: Kick off your blog posts with a short pitch that outlines the problem you’re addressing and hints at the solution you’ll explore, hooking readers from the start.
• Anywhere you need to distill your business or offering : From networking skills workshops to the introduction section of your presentations and even within job interviews and cover letters, your elevator pitch can be a powerful tool to convey value and capture interest succinctly.

  Read also: 12 Sales Scripts to Reshape The Future of Your Business

In the fast-paced business world, mastering the elevator pitch is as essential as having a business card in your wallet.

The perfect elevator pitch can open doors to an open conversation, whether you’re a seasoned business owner wanting to meet investors, a fresh graduate with a bachelor’s degree navigating career fairs, or a professional enhancing your networking skills in a virtual meeting. 

It reflects your cutting-edge ideas, organizational prowess, and the ability to engage others in meaningful dialogue — whether in person, through remote work, or any other setting. 

Keep these elevator pitch examples and templates as tools to refine your pitch, turning brief encounters into opportunities for lasting professional relationships.

EngageBay is an all-in-one marketing, sales, and customer support software for small businesses, startups, and solopreneurs. You get email marketing, marketing automation , landing pages and email templates , predictive lead scoring, activity timelines, and more.

Sign up for free with EngageBay or book a demo with our experts.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. what is a good example of an elevator pitch.

Out of many elevator pitch examples, a standout one could be: “As a strategic consultant with a bachelor’s degree in marketing, I’ve harnessed cutting-edge strategies to boost brand recognition. My expertise turns business cards into door openers, blending educational background with practical outcomes. Let’s discuss how I can bring this innovation to your organization.”

2. How do you write an elevator pitch?

To write an elevator pitch, follow these steps:

• Hook the Listener: Start with a compelling statement or thought-provoking question that addresses a problem or need.
• Introduce Your Solution: Present yourself, your business, product, or service as the answer to the problem mentioned.
• Value Proposition: Explain the benefits and features that make your solution valuable.
• Differentiate: Highlight what sets you apart from the competition.
• Call to Action: Conclude with a clear action you want the listener to take.

Remember, your entire pitch should be concise, targeted, and tailored to your audience. It should convey your message compellingly in less than a minute.

3. How do you start an elevator pitch sentence?

Starting an elevator pitch sentence effectively can grab your listener’s attention immediately. You can start with:

• A thought-provoking question: “Have you ever wondered how much time we waste waiting for important health test results?”
• An attention-grabbing statistic: “Did you know that 90% of startups fail because they don’t address a real customer need?”
• A relatable problem: “Struggling to keep up with your daily to-do list isn’t just your problem; it’s a universal challenge.”
• A personal anecdote or statement: “I turned my passion for sustainable living into a business that helps households reduce their carbon footprint effortlessly.”

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Aishwarya Lakshmi

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Home Blog Business Elevator Pitch Guide: The Essentials to Elevator Pitch Presentations

Elevator Pitch Guide: The Essentials to Elevator Pitch Presentations

In her book Resonate , communication and Persuasion Expert Nancy Duarte, a highly praised master of turning story patterns into effective business communications, recommends “Showing your humanness when you present” as a “great way to stand out.” Yet, how do we manage to do that over a conversation that can only last as long as an elevator ride, at best? We’re focusing on elevator pitches over this note, aiming at strengthening your skills in delivering a successful elevator pitch for business in a way that brings your company, efforts, and ideas the best success moving forward. 

Table of Content

What is an elevator pitch?

How long should an elevator pitch be, elevator pitch real-life applications, the basic structure for an elevator pitch, recommendations on delivering your elevator pitch.

• Four Effective Elevator Pitch Examples (with Real-Life Experiences)

According to elevator company Kencor, Inc. , vertical lifts “have variable ride times”. An elevator ride in a small town in Kentucky is certainly not the same as one in New York City. The reason “there may be considerable differences in terms of speed”, as CMA Lifts states , is “because one thing is having to serve maybe a four-story building and much more is having to do with a building that in turn goes to touch a dozen.” Times will vary depending on the type of elevator, too, amount of a building’s stories, and stops made on the way.

In Taipei 101, which CMA presents as “the third highest skyscraper in the world,” a lift can travel 60.6 km to reach the 89th floor “at an altitude of 382 meters, in a time frame of about 40 seconds.” Why does this matter? We can use these times as a starting reference. 

The concept of an “elevator pitch” is most clear when we think of the length of an elevator ride as that timeframe in which you can make a perfect introduction to a potential investor or stakeholder. 

The content of a perfect elevator pitch should be succinct, direct, and plentiful . It’s also certainly one you polish every time you deliver it.

A highly esteemed 30 seconds is the common industry rule for a winning first impression. A half-minute capsule is the average notion of an elevator pitch length. This is one common reference point for elevator pitches. 

The second common standard for elevator pitches is based on a higher ride average stemming from New York City. Harvard Business Review (HBR) actually goes for this higher elevator ride average of 118 seconds. Of course, the higher amount of skyscrapers in that multicultural place makes up for the considerable difference. 

Whether you’re settling for the standard 30 seconds or allowing yourself an extension of up to 118 seconds, the truth is that elevator pitch rides are quick, efficient, and to the point. The goal is to sell your idea or product as fast as the attention you’re likely to get during a single elevator ride.  

The above is very much tied to the standard sitcom, TV, and movie scene of someone selling an episode, a project, or any idea while catching up to the jam-packed, unattainable executive everyone wants a hold of as they walk into the office. 

If we stick to this produced idea of an elevator ride that we see on screen, the most common real-life application is a key potential investor or customer, a person we wish to attract to whom we, in our minds, say: “If only I could pitch my idea to this person for a single minute, I’d sell it!” 

A conference, a demo-day presentation, product launches , and many other networking events are the real-life equivalent of what we see on TV (as in a Shark Tank episode). 

In general, elevator pitches are used to pitch a startup, engage in sales, introduce oneself, present a new venture to a venture capitalist, and even seek a job, even. 

As we said when we presented our Creative Elevator Pitch Deck PowerPoint Template , “The Elevator Pitch for Interview enables users to demonstrate their career portfolio in an engaging manner.” Someone who walks into an office or casually discusses their career over a taxi ride in a way that succinctly showcases their expertise and abilities is much more likely to catch attention for an open position than someone without clarity or ability to express their thoughts, goals, and desires. 

A well-thought-out elevator pitch for a role or as a presentation to a startup, even as a project description in a nutshell, is similar to a very powerful wild card that you pull up your sleeve when that person you know meets you by chance as much as gives you a quick 15-minute introduction to prove your point. Whether an investor can call you back during a 10-minute break or you run into a key business partner in a hallway, on the way somewhere, or at a quick reception at any event, an elevator pitch is destined to convey your ideas across very succinctly so you can pick up longer conversations (or pitches) at a more convenient or later stage. 

As we also said in the article to the template above, “business owners and managers use elevator pitch PowerPoints to discuss ideas briefly.” Templates and business presentations in this category of elevator pitch decks serve the useful purpose of putting ideas up on screen in a nutshell for focused discussion. And that’s usually highly appreciated. 

Further below, we’ll get to a real-life example of a pitch that worked great for Carmine Gallo in working with an esteemed language interpretation company in Monterrey, California. 

For now, if you’re looking to know more about “interview presentations”, including an Elevator Pitch Example for Job Seekers, our article How to Give A Compelling Interview Presentation: Tips, Examples, and Topic Ideas is here to help. We’ll get to more elevator speech examples for entrepreneurs in the section below, as well. 

For now, how do we ideally present our elevator pitches? 

Create visually appealing presentations as much as possible. The goal is for your visuals to give power and create engagement that adds to your message or speech. This can be done either by carefully pairing your presentation templates so the aesthetic remains cohesive, or opt for a software solution like the SlideModel’s AI presentation maker to speed up slide design process. Then, also work very conscientiously on your messaging.

As Nancy Duarte says, “Truly great communicators make it look easy as they lure audiences to adopt their ideas and take action.” To learn how to deliver a presentation pitch, and if we can expand on what the author says, this “isn’t something that just happens automatically; it comes at the price of long and thoughtful hours spent constructing messages that resonate deeply and elicit empathy.” Make sure you put in your focused, attentive hours constructing that ideal message that will resonate with your audience to make them take action. Results will be noticeable if you do, and your confidence in delivering these speeches will naturally and greatly improve as you move forward. This long-term exercise is about being in control of what you’re gearing and how you’re doing so. 

As the already-referenced HBR article states, “The first 8 seconds are the ‘hook’—the time you have to get the ‘lean in’ factor, to snag your prospect, to catch their interest.” For them, “Those first 8 seconds are the key”, as HBR puts it. And that’s essentially so because this first span is where we most commonly capture an audience’s full attention before we naturally lose it.  

Thereafter, you’re looking to answer a few key questions for your audience. In Presentation Secrets of Steve Jobs – How to be Insanely Great in Front of Any Audience , for example, Carmine Gallo breaks down the ultimate elevator pitch by recommending a presenter: “Simply create a one-sentence answer for the following four questions: (1) What do you do?  (2) What problem do you solve?  (3) How are you different?  (4) Why should I care?”

As promised, here’s what a winning elevator pitch looked like for Gallo in working with an interpretation company (which we labeled here as XYZ) in Monterrey, California: 

XYZ company…

“is the world’s largest provider of phone interpretation services for companies who want to connect with their non-English-speaking customers [what it does] . 

Every twenty-three seconds, someone who doesn’t speak English enters this country [the problem] .

When he or she calls a hospital, a bank, an insurance company, or 911, it’s likely that an […] interpreter is on the other end [how it’s different] . 

We help you talk to your customers, patients, or sales prospects in 150 languages [why you should care] .”

Quite succinctly and like we also said in our Creative Elevator Pitch Deck PowerPoint Template , whenever you’re figuring out how to write an elevator pitch, think of ways “to deliver the concept to an audience in a short description that listeners can easily understand.” The pieces of advice we give above should all assist in knowing how to present an elevator pitch successfully. But we’ve for further recommendations to this end. 

The first of our recommendations has to do with pacing. Just because an elevator pitch is expected to be of short duration, that doesn’t mean you need to race through it. Keep it intelligible. Take your time to breathe. Go slowly at it so your ideas can come through to your audience. Don’t rush through an elevator speech just so you can make up for the short time allowed. Practice, instead. Make sure you choose the right words and learn them by heart. Then, move slowly through them. 

The above leads us to our second piece of advice. If you’re building a perfect elevator pitch, revise, edit, and check again! Go through each word many times until you find the right-suiting one for the precise idea or concept you wish to convey. Get them right! 

Also, if you’re looking for an elevator pitch presentation template specially designed for presenting to VCs, angel investors, or stakeholders, for example, seek out specialized material. Our Formal Elevator Pitch Template for PowerPoint might work better in that case. The material is a framework of various slides designed for users to customize and perfect their sales pitches. You’re starting off with a base. 

On the other hand, seek to put yourself out there to family and friends. Especially seek business partners, colleagues, and people in and out of your field who can tell you how you’re doing with your elevator pitch for business. Rather than fight, be offended, take observations or corrections personally, and let alone justify your pitch’s content as you present to people outside the industry, seek to truly listen to feedback, take note, and make sure you incorporate it later. 

The reason behind this observation is that a perfect business pitch contemplates the human aspect of everyone listening. As Duarte puts it in her book, “Even with mountains of facts, you can still fail to resonate. That’s because resonance doesn’t come from the information itself, but rather from the emotional impact of that information.” So, seek to connect emotionally. 

Acknowledging emotion is frequently left out of everything business-related; yet, note how specialist Duarte recommends presenters “Use plenty of facts, but accompany them with emotional appeal.” Listen to your audience and polish your content and delivery until you can sync both the importance of data with the emotional calling that gets audiences to forget what and how you said it, but they walk away changed, with a new vision, and, more importantly, ready to support you and your endeavors. 

Let’s check how people have achieved this before you. 

Four Effective Elevator Pitch Examples (with Real-Life Experiences )

Our first examples of elevator pitches come from a German impact food startup. Though a bit on the longer side with a final 3-minute length, the video introduces the problem and solution flowingly with a captivating start. It includes benefits, creates an overall experience in itself for viewers as it appeals to the senses, and also incorporates a concise call to action that describes exactly where their efforts will be focused. This is a good example to get started in perfecting your upcoming elevator pitch. 

From the college side, Utah State University’s Cooperative Extension Services has an elevator pitch winner who made a compelling business case in less than 2 minutes. This is a perfect example of a 118 elevator pitch that needs a bit of pacing down to be perfect. Instead of rushing, this coffee cup business idea can easily be conceived to go much further on a slower scale. The pitch merits it. Yet, the data and sentiment, the surprise, and all the background work are there, making this a great academic example that can easily guide any executive into winning business presentations.

On the last note, The National Science Foundation came up with a video series on elevator pitches titled “Real People. Real elevators.” Check out episode 2 here for tips with a real-life dramatization and setting if you’d like to picture the situation of a real-life example a bit further. 

Now that we’re moving to the more cinematic side, one of Vince Vaughn’s characters has also made a point on product elevator pitches that we can rescue in a light spirit. The reason is that Vince’s character’s pitch works thanks to how he conveys a clear business idea with a captivating (though risky!) introduction to selling a powerful concept to a group of executives. The scene appears fueled by a writing team that apparently knows the back works of pitching an idea fairly well. Here’s what’s been labeled as “The best elevator pitch of the world” in a YouTube clip of 2011’s movie Dilemma . 

Here, we provide a range of elevator pitch examples to cater to different scenarios:

Business Elevator Pitch Examples:

Imagine you are the founder of a sustainable fashion startup, and you’re pitching your idea to a potential investor:

“I’m the founder of GreenStyle Apparel. We’re disrupting the fashion industry by producing high-quality, eco-friendly clothing made from recycled materials. With a growing consumer demand for sustainable fashion and our innovative supply chain, we’re well-positioned to capture a significant market share. Our recent partnership with [Notable Retailer] has already proven the appeal of our products. I invite you to join us in creating a more sustainable future while enjoying impressive returns on your investment.”

Imagine you’re the founder of a health tech startup and you’re pitching to a potential investor:

“I’m the founder of HealthTech Innovations, a startup dedicated to transforming healthcare through innovative technology. Our flagship product, HealthLink, is a telemedicine platform that connects patients with healthcare providers in real time, improving access to care, and reducing healthcare costs. With the recent surge in telehealth demand, we’ve already secured partnerships with major hospital networks and insurance providers.

Elevator Pitch Examples for Students:

As a college student majoring in communications, you’re networking at a career fair:

“I’m currently pursuing a degree in communications with a focus on digital marketing. During my internship at [Prominent Agency], I had the opportunity to work on campaigns for major clients like [Well-known Brand]. I excel at creating engaging social media content and analyzing performance metrics to drive results. I’m eager to bring my creative skills and data-driven approach to a dynamic marketing team like yours.”

Imagine you’re a marketing major and you’re introducing yourself at a networking event:

“I’m a marketing enthusiast with a passion for creating meaningful brand experiences. Throughout my coursework, I’ve honed my skills in market research, digital marketing, and campaign management. During my internship at [Marketing Agency], I had the opportunity to work on a social media campaign that resulted in a 25% increase in brand engagement.

I’m particularly intrigued by the intersection of technology and marketing, and I’m excited to leverage emerging trends to drive brand success. As a student, I’ve been an active member of the American Marketing Association, where I’ve collaborated with peers on real-world marketing projects. I’m eager to connect with professionals in the field and explore opportunities to apply my knowledge and creativity to your marketing initiatives.”

Elevator Pitch for Interview Example:

You’re interviewing for a project management role at a tech company:

“I’m excited about the opportunity to join your organization as a project manager. With a solid background in project management and a PMP certification, I’ve successfully led cross-functional teams to deliver complex projects on time and within budget. In my previous role at [Former Company], I was recognized for improving project efficiency by 20% through streamlined processes. I’m confident that my skills and experience align with your company’s goals and can contribute to its continued success.”

Elevator Pitch Examples for Interview (Technical Role):

You’re interviewing for a software engineering position at a software startup:

“I’m a software engineer with a passion for creating innovative solutions. In my previous position with [Tech Company], I was the lead developer on a project that resulted in a 40% increase in app user engagement. I specialize in backend development and have experience with a wide range of programming languages, including Python, Java, and Ruby. I’m excited about the opportunity to bring my technical expertise to your team and help drive your mission of revolutionizing the industry.”

You’re interviewing for a data scientist position at a software startup:

“As a data scientist with a strong background in statistical analysis and machine learning, I’ve been at the forefront of turning data into actionable insights. During my tenure at [Analytics Firm], I developed a predictive model that reduced customer churn by 15% for a major telecommunications client. I have experience working with large datasets and utilizing tools such as Python, R, and TensorFlow. My passion for data-driven decision-making and my commitment to staying at the cutting edge of data science techniques make me the ideal candidate to contribute to your data-driven culture and help your organization make informed strategic decisions.”

These real-life elevator pitch examples demonstrate how individuals can effectively present their qualifications, accomplishments, and enthusiasm in various professional contexts, such as entrepreneurship, networking, and job interviews. The key is to tailor your pitch to the specific situation and audience to make a memorable and impactful impression.

A few key aspects of perfecting a product elevator speech (or an elevator pitch, for that matter) is to keep it short. Be brief. From 30 to 118, we’re speaking of a few seconds put together for you to be persuasive, share your goals, problem, solution, and skills, and make a difference in attracting your intended audience. 

Practice, practice, and then practice some more. Mastering a pitch of this kind truly takes a lot of practice to go over the right words at the right pace, and powerfully impact a person or group. 

Also, keep a business card handy. If your pitch works, a quick and efficient way of giving your contact details to your stakeholders will do wonders to move your business forward. 

What’s next? Our recommendations

Before you go, here are a few real-life examples of how to end a presentation , in case they help in general. And, if you’re looking to Create a Great Investor Pitch Deck and Close the Deal , this other article might be useful. We’re giving you The 11 Key Slides For Creating A Winning Investor Pitch Deck there, too. 

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Carmine Gallo, Elevator Pitch, Garr Reynolds, Nancy Duarte, Pitch Deck, Sales Filed under Business

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• Job Interview Tips

9 Elevator Pitch Examples to Ensure You Stand Out

You know the concept of an elevator pitch: a short, braggy speech you’re supposed to deliver in front of some big shot when you inevitably wind up in an elevator with them for 30 seconds.

Nowadays, it’s like an automated, generic LinkedIn message. It’s inflated, overly self-promotional, and incredibly outdated. This kind of approach just doesn’t resonate in today’s business landscape.

So what do you do if you need an elevator speech? You have hopes to sell yourself, land a job, get a client, or sell a product.

Well, you need to learn a better way to create and present an elevator pitch. It doesn’t require a lot of work, only a new angle.

In this article, we’ll talk about:

• What’s an elevator pitch and how to make it
• What a modern-day elevator pitch should include
• Elevator pitch examples for different situations
• The key to writing an elevator pitch that stands out

Don’t waste days compiling overused interview techniques. Get original answers to every single question you could expect.

Shifting the Perspective on Elevator Pitches

An elevator pitch or elevator speech is a 30–60-second long speech that informs listeners about you, what you do, and why it’s relevant to them — whether you’re trying to sell a product, services, or yourself as a candidate for a job.

You can use it to quickly introduce yourself in a job interview, at a job fair, during conferences, networking events, or other semiformal job-related gatherings.

But like we said, the standard elevator speech is slowly becoming outdated because people make it sound salesy and robotic.

This is why there’s a shift of perspective: the modern-day elevator pitch should be conversational, natural, and focused on human connection and authenticity. Otherwise, it might not have the power you’re expecting.

You should still introduce yourself, state what you do, what your mission is, and hint at how someone could benefit from that. But your main goal is to get the conversation started, so both parties (you and the person you’re speaking to) can exchange ideas and see if there’s space for collaboration.

How to Create an Elevator Pitch: General Template

Before we begin, we’d like to point out that this article will walk you through the basic structure of an elevator pitch. Then it’ll show you how to adjust it for different purposes (for a job interview, a networking event, and other job-related social gatherings).

We’ll also provide specific examples based on different situations.

Here’s what the general structure of such an elevator pitch looks like:

A “hook” or an attention-grabber

Finding a relevant topic, a common pain point, or an interesting question could be a casual, natural conversation starter. This makes for a perfect hook or an attention-grabber for an elevator pitch.

From there, you can gently steer the conversation in the direction of your expertise and create an inviting atmosphere for people to share their experiences with you.

For example: Imagine you’re attending a seminar/conference about Google updates and how they affect content marketing. You can start a convo by mentioning an interesting initiative you took regarding content update best practices, and how it helped you keep the traffic during turbulent times.

You can expand then, mentioning what you do and how somebody could benefit from that. Potentially, a decline in traffic is someone’s pain point, and that person would be interested in what you have to say right away.

You could start a conversation by asking: “How did you fare after the last major update?” It’s a nice way to put them first and show curiosity about their situation.

Then, you could say something like “My last client’s blog traffic took quite a hit. At first, they were reacting the same way everyone else was, just kind of freaking out. Once I came on, we identified 5 specific things that could help them with authority and their traffic shot back up.” This would grab their attention and give them something to relate to. Plus, it would present you as the solution to the problem, and they would be more than interested to hear about the 5 ways to increase traffic.

Which brings us to our next step.

A quick explanation of what you do

In this part of your elevator pitch, you can speak more about your work and how you solve different pain points.

It shouldn’t be bragging, but an honest, realistic story about your relevant experiences. If you can back them with hard data (maybe one key accomplishment, because you need to be short), even better. You can also mention some of your biggest clients, your mission and vision, or any other relevant detail.

The space for questions

Every good elevator speech will leave enough room for the person you’re speaking with to ask questions. Perhaps they’ll ask for more details about your expertise and company. That would be the perfect opportunity for you to elaborate and show how you could potentially solve their problems and contribute to their success.

Perhaps they’ll ask for recommendations, be it for software, strategy, or people. That’s a nice way to start building relationships.

Or, someone might straight up ask you if you could help them because they’re facing the same problem, and then the case is closed. You “sold” yourself during the elevator pitch purely because you were able to strike up a valuable conversation and provide value.

The questions you ask

You can ask questions in your elevator pitch! We’re moving away from sales-dudes-bragging pitches. People don’t want to listen to the monologue you learned by heart and recited to five people in the room. They want authentic conversations now.

Use the opportunity to ask relevant questions to keep the conversation going.

You can ask about how their company is dealing with the topic at hand, if they heard about a recent event in the industry, or anything else that would help you connect with and understand the person you’re speaking with.

✅ Pro tip: Elevator speeches don’t have to follow the same pattern . The more your elevator speech sounds like a natural part of the conversation, the more success you’ll have. If you can make your elevator speech a chameleon, perfectly blended with the rest of the talk, people won’t recognize that you’re “pitching” anything. What they will recognize is your expertise and authenticity, and they’d be drawn to you.

Elevator Pitch Examples for Different Scenarios

Elevator pitch examples for a job interview.

If you’re looking for a job, you’ll likely hear “Tell me about yourself” in every interview. This is the perfect opportunity to bring out your elevator pitch and start a conversation.

Here’s how to create an elevator pitch for a job interview:

A recent graduate offering fresh perspectives and motivation to learn

A career switcher who shows transferable skills and eagerness to evolve, a seasoned professional highlighting vast experience and adaptability.

Elevator pitch examples for a networking event

Notice how these elevator speech examples will be a lot more conversational and a lot less rehearsed than the ones for job interviews. You should be as natural as possible when networking — focus on creating a connection first and a collaboration second.

An industry expert pitching unique insights and records of accomplishments

An aspiring leader focusing on the vision and leadership potential, an eager student highlighting the desire to learn more and make valuable connections, elevator pitch examples for social gatherings and other semi-formal situations, a freelancer discussing flexibility, bespoke solutions, and diverse experiences, a hobbyist-turned-professional conveying passion and talking about their unique journey., an introverted specialist emphasizing deep knowledge and precision in specific areas, elevator pitch examples: popular opinion vs. expert advice.

The internet is full of all kinds of advice — terrible, alright, and some that’s actually pretty solid. Let’s see if popular opinion moved away from seeing elevator pitches as highly structured, salesy, learned-by-heart pieces of text to deliver.

Zak7062 from Reddit said:

“I’m better at writing software than I am at writing elevator pitches” is what I usually go with. Usually, it gets a laugh and is a decent icebreaker that gets me more time to talk to them.

Career expert comments:

If the occasion is not too formal, this is the perfect icebreaker that will set a positive tone right away and start the conversation in the right direction. My immediate reaction would be to inquire more about this person’s coding skills, so I guess the hardest part of their job is done. But bear in mind this is just a hook, an ice-breaker, and not a real elevator pitch. So make sure to prepare at least a few bullet points describing your skills and the value you’d bring to their company. It’s cool to have such a nice ice-breaker, but you need to follow up with something substantial.

From ConsulIncitatus :

“My job is to make us look good and I do that by measuring results and improving them. That’s also good for the company. I’m the ears and mouth for my teams and occasionally the brain. I believe in servant leadership. I clear the path for my technical staff to build our vision for our products. I focus on their growth and that in turn grows us.”

One might argue that this is a nice overview of the duties of this person. But not me. There are 6 pieces of general information here that don’t reveal anything about the person’s skills and ability to accomplish results. Everyone who has a job has to measure results and improve them.

This, if heavily edited, could be the middle part of an elevator pitch where a person briefly explains what they do and their key skills.

In that case, the person would have to narrow down their choice of information. If they want to highlight they’re result-oriented, they need to pick an example of when they improved poor performance and back it up by % or $. If they believe in servant leadership, they need to quickly elaborate the principles. And so on.

Bottom line: Pick one or two key things/values/principles/achievements and prove them. Don’t list generalizations — you’ll risk blending in with every other candidate.

From Gordon Miller on Quora:

A mentor of mine taught me “a pitch is complete not when nothing else can be added, but when nothing else can be taken away.” Another mentor told me “It is all about the ONE THING. You need to figure out what the one thing is.”

Career expert comments: 

This is a nice way to look at it. I’m not saying you should focus on only one thing in your elevator pitch, but having a differentiator, a single thing that makes you different and potentially better from the competition is a nice thing to build your pitch around. Everything else you add should complement that differentiator, prove your worth, and hint at how you can help others who have the same problem.

Tips to Make Your Elevator Pitch Stand Out

Let’s see how you can make your elevator pitch more fun and engaging.

Personalize your pitch to show your unique value

A generic elevator pitch, the one you’d learn by heart and recite to anyone you meet, would blow your chances because it wouldn’t be relevant or valuable to the person you’re speaking to.

That’s why an elevator pitch needs to be personalized.

Creating a new elevator pitch for every person you’re speaking to makes no sense. But coming up with a nice basis and then adjusting the details each time might work pretty well.

If you know in advance who you’ll be speaking to, make sure to research their company so you’re in the loop with their initiatives and potential pain points. Then, highlight your specific achievements that directly relate to the company’s needs. Identify their pain points and address how your skills and experience could be the solution.

✅ Pro tip: If you don’t know who you’ll be speaking to, try to ask questions while you speak (if the situation allows it), or personalize the pitch to the company they work for.

Here’s a story my friend told me. One of her professors, who was also a hiring manager for Mondelez, often manned booths at career fairs. He said he used to hear thousands of bland elevator pitches with students listing their accomplishments, each similar to the previous one.

The ones who actually stood out always knew something about the company. He gave an example of one guy who started a conversation about Mondelez’s sustainability efforts in hazelnut production. The guy talked about how he was passionate about that and pitched some other ideas of ways they could improve these processes.

So even though the guy didn’t know who he would be speaking to, he made his elevator speech relevant by researching the company, obtaining important info, and adding it to the speech, along with additional ideas on how to improve the processes.

Keep the pitch conversational

Nobody wants to hear about you assisting in optimizing synergistic solutions for seamless integration in the tech ecosystem. They don’t understand what it means and they don’t care.

You need to keep your pitch conversational to hold the listener’s attention. By not sounding robotic and rehearsed, you’ll be more relatable and interesting to talk to. You’ll stand out by being memorable and authentic.

Plus, you’ll create a space for you and the person you’re speaking with to build a real connection and see how you can help each other.

How to keep it conversational:

• Avoid formal language or complex and vague terms.
• Use storytelling in your pitch
• Engage the listener: ask questions and create a dynamic discussion
• Pay attention to your tone and pace of speech

Highlight the benefits of working with you

When appropriate, highlight the benefits of working with you or your company, not just your skills or what you do in general.

Having sharp skills is great, but people probably want to know how you can use those skills to help them .

Try to address the why by bringing up unique points about yourself, highlighting your strengths, and mentioning your key achievements. Make sure those achievements are somehow connected to the industry/role/pain point/challenge/goal of the person you’re speaking to.

If you can prepare in advance and do some digging on the person’s company and challenges, even better.

Summary of the Main Points

• It’s important to move away from the old-school, salesy elevator pitches that make you boring and robotic.
• Nowadays, elevator pitches need to be authentic and conversational.
• Be aware that there are differences between an elevator pitch for a job interview and an elevator pitch for seminars, conferences, meetups, and any other job-related occasions.
• Your ideal elevator pitch should have a hook or another kind of an attention-grabber.
• It also needs to explain what you do and what’s in it for them.
• It should create a dynamic conversation where both you and the person you’re speaking to can ask questions.
• Keep your elevator speech conversational, personalized, and make sure to highlight the benefits of working with you.

_____________________________

Need a hand? There’s 3 ways we can help:

• Learn how to turn job interviews into offers . (Rated 4.9/5 by 1,000,000 users)
• Learn how to answer “What Can You Contribute to the Company?”
• Read about how to handle interview anxiety

How long should my elevator pitch be?

30–60 seconds. It should be enough for you to get your key points across and start a conversation. This makes it suitable for most networking situations.

Do I need to write my elevator speech down?

It’s not mandatory, but it might help during the initial elevator pitch brainstorming session. Writing down different elevator pitch ideas and versions will give you clarity and structure. It might also help with setting up your arguments. You could adjust, rearrange, add, or remove ideas until you get the perfect version. Plus, having a written pitch makes it easier to customize for different situations. You can adjust it based on the audience, occasion, the context of a conversation, and similar.

What is the objective of an elevator pitch?

To succinctly communicate key information about your expertise, capture attention, build a memorable impression of you, and initiate conversation, opening the door for exploration of partnerships and opportunities.

Are there any famous elevator pitch examples?

Steve Jobs’ elevator pitch to John Sculley back in 1983 when Sculley was still at Pepsi: “Do you want to spend the rest of your life selling sugared water, or do you want a chance to change the world?”

Airbnb’s early pitch was interesting too: “Book rooms with locals, rather than hotels,” hinting at their unique selling point — connecting travelers with locals who provide authentic lodging experiences. That’s Airbnb’s one thing, their differentiator.

What’s a good example of an elevator pitch for someone with no experience?

If you have little to no relevant experience, you can focus on your enthusiasm, potential, and transferable skills. Show enthusiasm about the field, industry, or company, showcase potential by bringing up a relevant accomplishment from the academic field, volunteer work, or internship, and highlight how you could use key transferable skills to contribute. Make sure you pick the transferable skills relevant to the speaker, depending on their company, industry, or the type of role you’re discussing. You can also demonstrate your enthusiasm for the role/company by researching and pitching interesting ideas (like that Mondelez example we mentioned above).

What to say in my elevator pitch if I don’t do anything unique and am just a solid employee?

If you don’t have a particular achievement or a unique role, you can still emphasize your hard work, reliability, work ethic, and ability to contribute. Being a solid employee is quite a desired skill and should be highlighted. Additionally, you can quantify your work to prove it. Using a number to back up your claims will spice your pitch up. For example, you could say, “I truly believe that hard work and reliability are the keys to success in this job. I’ve been working for ABC Auto for the past 5 years — I’ve never showed up late and always gotten my work done on time. My boss once told me: ‘Whenever I ask you to do something, I know I’ll never have to worry about following up.’ It’s my favorite compliment I ever received.”

Maja Stojanovic

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15 Best Elevator Pitch Examples for Business

What is an elevator pitch?

An elevator pitch is a brief overview of your business idea or product. It gets its name because it should be short enough to deliver in the time it takes to ride an elevator - around 30 seconds to 1 minute.

The goal of an elevator pitch is to quickly explain your concept and get the listener interested in learning more. If done well, they may ask you follow-up questions or request your full pitch presentation.

An elevator pitch is different from a full pitch deck. A pitch deck is a longer presentation, usually around 10-20 slides. It goes into much more detail on your business plan, target market, financial projections, and other key topics.

The elevator pitch just hits the high points to grab someone's attention. The pitch deck is the full sales pitch you'd give to potential investors if they want to explore partnering or funding your idea after hearing the elevator pitch.

I've compiled this list of 15 effective elevator pitch examples because being able to clearly and concisely explain your business is really important. Study these examples to learn how to distill your concept into a crisp 30-60-second overview that sells.

Tips for writing an effective elevator pitch

Let me start by pitching my (totally fictional) presentation tool called Slidebean.

-Do you ever need to make slide presentations?

‍(I'll assume you said yes).

-How long does it usually take you? ‍

(Insert any answer here, it's probably going to be hours).

-We discovered that the reason why it takes so long is that all presentation platforms give you a white canvas: you need to figure out the content of the deck while figuring out how it's going to look. It's just very inefficient- and if you're not a designer, slides might not look too good.

So we created Slidebean, a tool where all you need to do is add the content, and the design of the slides gets generated automatically. Over 10 million slides have been created with our platform, and startups have raised over $350 million dollars with presentations made using Slidebean. Do you need to make a presentation quickly in the near future?

You can see how I start with an engaging question that frames the common problems businesses face with bad websites and overpriced design. The listener immediately relates to that struggle.

It then explains my convenient solution for creating effective and beautiful presentations, while building credibility by name-dropping successful client projects.

The closing question (CTA) prompts my listener to express interest in discussing further.

How to organize your elevator pitch

A great elevator pitch grabs attention, sparks interest, and sets you up to pitch the full idea. Here is how to organize your pitch:

Hook them with a question

You'll grab someone's attention much better if you start with a thought-provoking question instead of just stating facts. Ask something that gets them curious about the problem you're solving.

Make them feel the pain

Don't just describe the issue your business addresses - help the listener actually experience the frustration or struggle caused by that problem. When they empathize with the pain, they'll appreciate your solution.

Less is More

There's no need to cram in every single detail about your product's features or your big long-term vision. Just quickly cover the core problem and how your initial solution resolves it.

Skip the Fancy Words

Using simple language anyone can understand is way better than impressing with industry jargon. Ditch the buzzwords and just explain your idea plainly.

Mention a Spark  

If you can slip in a hint of early traction - a notable customer, promising test results, or competitor interest - it builds credibility. Just don't overdo the humble brag.

Templates for effective elevator pitches

Having a basic structure to follow makes crafting your elevator pitch much easier. A good template guides you on what details to include and how to organize them in a logical flow. It provides a proven framework you can then adapt for your specific business.

You can use these templates to eliminate the guesswork and make explaining your concept as simple as filling in the blanks. Just plug in an engaging hook, a concise overview of the problem, your stellar solution, and a hint of traction.

Let's look at several templates successful startups have used as models for their pitch.

Startup Entrepreneur Pitch Template:

"Hi, I'm [Your Name], founder of [Your Startup]. We're [briefly explain your unique solution or product] for [industry]. In just [mention a timeframe], we've [share a remarkable achievement]. Our vision is to [describe your long-term goal]. With a passionate team, we're poised to [impact or disrupt]. Let's connect to discuss how we're innovating [industry]."

Sales Pitch Template:

"Hello, I'm [Your Name] from [Your Company]. We provide [Your Product/Service], solving [specific problem] for [target clients]. Using [unique approach], clients typically experience [quantifiable benefit]. Let's chat about how [Your Product/Service] could elevate [Prospect's Company]."

Job Seeker Pitch Template:

"Hello, I'm [Your Name], a [Your Profession] with [X] years in [expertise]. I've [highlight accomplishments/projects], and I excel at [emphasize a key skill]. I'm eager to bring this to [Company Name]. Can we explore how I fit into your team?"

Networking Event Pitch Template:

"Hi, I'm [Your Name], specialized in [Your Expertise]. I've [mention an achievement]. I'm here to connect with fellow [industry] enthusiasts. Let's exchange insights on [specific topic] or potential collaborations."

Nonprofit Fundraising Pitch Template:

"Hi, I'm [Your Name], dedicated to [Your Cause] with [Nonprofit Name]. We've impacted [mention achievement] through [specific program]. To continue, we seek support from like-minded individuals. Your contribution can help us [tangible outcome]. Interested in joining our mission?"

Use these templates as a guide to build you own elevator pitch.

15 Elevator pitch examples from real startups

You've seen the templates, now let's look at some real-world examples. Imagine how the founders of these famous startups could have pitched their billion-dollar ideas in just a few sentences. Check these out:

SpaceX Elevator Pitch

Do you know how crazy expensive it is to launch stuff into space? Well, SpaceX builds affordable rockets and spacecraft to make space exploration and travel possible for everyone - not just governments. We've already won major NASA contracts, and with more backing, we can make Mars the next frontier.   ‍

Airbnb Elevator Pitch

Tired of expensive hotels and lame vacation rentals? With Airbnb , you can affordably book unique homes and spaces from local hosts for your next trip. We're like the eBay of accommodations - our community already has over 2 million listings worldwide. Let's turn your extra space into profit!

Uber Elevator Pitch

Getting across town is such a hassle - cabs are expensive and public transit is slow. Uber is an app that lets anyone instantly hail an affordable ride from nearby drivers with the tap of a button. We already have thousands of cars on the road in San Francisco and growing rapidly.

Snapchat Elevator Pitch

You know all those awkward pics and messages you don't want to leave a permanent record? Snapchat is an app that makes them self-destruct after viewing so you can share casual moments without worrying. It's quickly becoming huge on college campuses.

‍ Stripe Elevator Pitch

Payments on the internet still require tedious merchant accounts and credit card gateways. Stripe allows developers to integrate buy buttons into any website or app, making transactions dead simple. We have a beautifully easy API and are growing 20% monthly.  

Facebook Elevator Pitch

There ought to be a more effortless way for people to connect and keep up online, right? Facebook is a modern social network that lets you share life updates, photos, events and more in one space. It's already one of the most popular sites on campus.

Spotify Elevator Pitch

Sick of paying for entire albums when you only want a few songs? Spotify is an app that provides unlimited streaming access to millions of songs for just $10/month. No more stealing music - it's an affordable legal alternative to piracy that's better than radio.

Pinterest Elevator Pitch

Gathering inspiration from random websites is such a hassle. Pinterest is a tool for collecting all your favorite home decor, fashion, recipes, and other ideas in one beautifully organized place. It makes it easy to "pin" things from all over and browse trend boards created by others.

DoorDash Elevator Pitch

Craving food from your favorite restaurant but don't feel like leaving the house? DoorDash delivers meals from thousands of top eateries straight to your door with the tap of an app. Order delicious dinners from the best local places without the hassle of driving there.  

Zenefits Elevator Pitch

Handling payroll and benefits for your small team is an expensive nightmare, right? Zenefits is free, easy-to-use cloud software that automates those HR processes so you can focus on your actual business. We're already simplifying benefits for over 10,000 companies.  

Zoom Elevator Pitch

Traveling to meetings is such a waste of time and money. Zoom provides affordable, reliable video conferencing so remote teams can meet face-to-face no matter where they are located. Our superior quality and features are already winning over companies like Uber and Stanford.

Robinhood Elevator Pitch

Why are stock trade commissions still so high at traditional brokers? Robinhood is a no-fee investing app that allows anyone to buy and sell stocks, ETFs, and options for free. We're making the markets more accessible to a new generation of investors.

Palantir Elevator Pitch

Data is everywhere but transforming it into meaningful insights is brutally difficult. Palantir specializes in modeling massive datasets to help government agencies and companies make smarter decisions. We're already working with anti-terror and fraud detection operations.

Slack Elevator Pitch

Workplace communication is a mess - there are random email threads, meetings, file sharing chaos. Slack is a messaging platform that streamlines everything in one place so teams can collaborate seamlessly. We've already replaced email at companies like Airbnb and Ticketmaster.

Dropbox Elevator Pitch

Tired of emailing files to yourself to access them from different computers and devices? Dropbox is a service that creates a shared folder accessible from anywhere - your desktop, laptop, phone, and the web. Any files you save to it are automatically synced and backed up in the cloud. We already have millions of users at companies like Hewlett-Packard and Cisco who love working across all their devices. It's a simpler way to access everything you need from anywhere.

Elevator Pitch Essentials

An elevator pitch is a very concise 20-30-second speech that quickly explains your product or company. The goal is to convince the listener about the value of what you offer. It aims to make a great first impression and spark enough interest for further conversation.

The biggest challenge is capturing the listener's attention immediately in such a short window of time. Here are some additional pointers:

Avoiding Jargon and Fluff

Make you use clear, straightforward language to communicate your message effectively and avoid complex industry jargon. Choose simple everyday words anyone can understand to explain the key benefits and value propositions of your product without using confusing technical terms.  

Here's an example of an elevator pitch lost in confusing jargon:

“Our cloud-based, multi-tenant SaaS solution leverages AI and machine learning to provide a holistic, best-of-breed workflow optimization platform. It integrates robust data pipelines and customizable analytics dashboards, empowering enterprises to drive synergies and leverage economies of scale for unparalleled operational efficacy. We disrupt legacy paradigms with our cutting-edge tech stack and innovative go-to-market strategies .”

This pitch is terrible because it uses way too many buzzwords and technical terms that are vague and alienating.

Here's the same pitch in simple, straightforward language:

“We offer software that uses artificial intelligence to streamline business processes and operations. The program analyzes your data to identify inefficiencies, then provides recommendations and tracking tools to improve productivity across your company. Our user-friendly interface requires little training, ensuring fast implementation and rapid results for our customers.”

You can agree that this second elevator pitch is more effective because it explains the key benefits and solutions in plain language anyone can understand.

Start with a Question

Opening with a thought-provoking question is a great way to immediately engage your audience.

For example, Steve Jobs famously opened a pitch to John Sculley with "Do you want to sell sugar water for the rest of your life?"

Instead of just describing your product or service, focus on the listener's problems and needs. Clearly articulate how what you offer can directly help and provide value to them.

Provide Proof of Results  

If you can, highlight any achievements, satisfied customers, or other proof that provides credibility. Mentioning any major brands or companies you're already associated with builds trust.

Add Emotional Benefit Statement

In addition to practical benefits, tap into the emotional reasons for what you do. Explaining the deeper "why" behind your work in an enthusiastic way resonates.

Include a Call to Action (CTA)

Be sure to provide clear next steps and ways for the listener to follow up. For example, offering a product demo meeting or requesting their contact info.  

Here is an example CTA for an elevator pitch:

“To see exactly how our platform can streamline your operations and drive growth, I'd be happy to walk through a demo and pricing options at your convenience.”

Make it natural and conversational

While being concise, maintain a conversational and natural presentation tone. Allow for some back-and-forth interaction instead of just rigidly following a script.

Here's an example:

You: Hi, I'm Chris, the founder of SnapShot. Have you ever missed capturing a great moment because you fumbled with your phone's camera app?

Listener: Oh yeah, all the time! It's the worst.

You: Right? That frustration is exactly why I created SnapShot. It's an app that allows you to just double-tap your phone's power button to instantly take a picture - no unlocking or loading the camera required.

Listener: Wow, that's clever! So it works with your phone's native camera?

You: Yep, totally seamless integration. We partnered with Android and iOS to enable those double-tap shortcuts right into the operating systems. Actually, let me show you how it works...

[You demo the SnapShot app and its quick capture ability]

Listener: That's amazing! I'd use that every day. How do I get it?

You: Great, I'm glad you can see the value! SnapShot is available now for $2.99 on the App Store and Google Play. Or if you just share your email, I can send over some promo codes to try it for free ?

Notice how the natural dialogue and interactive demo help make the pitch feel like a real conversation rather than a rehearsed speech.

Nailing your elevator pitch takes practice, but mastering this skill pays big dividends. Use the examples and tips here as a guide, but put in the work to make your pitch authentic and compelling. An amazing idea deserves an amazing pitch - make yours one to remember!

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3 Real-Life Elevator Pitch Examples to Help Nail Your Own [Including Templates]

Written by: Mahnoor Sheikh

Are you struggling to perfect your elevator pitch?

An elevator pitch is an essential tool for networking and pitching your ideas, whether you're an entrepreneur looking for investors or a job seeker looking for your next opportunity.

In this article, we'll provide some real-life elevator pitch examples to help you nail your own, including templates to get you started.

Whether you're looking to sell a product, a service, or yourself, these examples will inspire and guide you on your way to crafting the perfect elevator pitch.

Table of Contents

What is an elevator pitch, pitch deck vs. elevator pitch, how to write an elevator pitch, 5 tips for writing a compelling elevator pitch, 3 real-life elevator pitch examples, how to create an elevator pitch presentation.

• Creating an elevator pitch is a persuasive way to sell and spark interest in your product, service, solution or idea.
• Generally, they are meant to be shorter than an elevator ride, about 60 seconds or less.
• Compared to pitch decks which are more detailed, elevator pitches are shorter and designed to drive interest in your solution within the shortest possible time.
• An effective pitch must include three important elements: your offering, what makes it unique and the actions you want your listener to take.
• Capture attention and reel in investors with these tips: open with a hook to grab attention; share your vision with passion; be clear and specific; offer more value than you’re asking in return.
• Level up your next elevator pitch with the help of Visme’s templates. Pick any template of your choice, customize it with our rich library of design assets and share it with your audience.

An elevator pitch is a short, persuasive speech that quickly and simply defines a product, service or idea and its value proposition.

It’s called an elevator pitch because it should be brief enough to be delivered during a short elevator ride. The purpose of an elevator pitch is to grab the listener’s interest and encourage them to take action — such as arranging a meeting, investing, hiring or buying.

An elevator pitch is typically given face-to-face, but you can also share a written or video version. The key is to keep it engaging and persuasive, regardless of how you deliver it.

Pitch decks and elevator pitches are both useful tools for communicating the value of a business or idea to potential investors, customers or partners. But there are key differences between the two.

An elevator pitch is short, concise and meant to be delivered verbally. Its purpose is to capture interest and get the message across within 30 to 60 seconds.

A pitch deck is a more detailed presentation that provides more information and context. Pitch decks include multiple, research-backed slides like the problem and solution, the target market, company financials, the business model, the team and more.

A pitch deck is often used in conjunction with an elevator pitch but is more comprehensive and visual. You can include charts and graphs , diagrams, images , videos and other engaging content in a pitch deck to boost the impact of your pitch.

Writing the perfect elevator pitch can be challenging. But if you follow some key principles, you’ll be able to nail yours down in no time.

In this section, we’ll answer several important questions and cover essential information to help you write a compelling elevator pitch for your brand.

How long should an elevator pitch be?

An elevator pitch should be short and to the point, typically lasting 30 seconds to 2 minutes. The length of your elevator pitch will depend on your audience and the purpose of your pitch.

If you’re pitching to potential investors, for example, you might want to take some time to provide more detail and context. And if you’re pitching to a busy customer on the street, you'll need to be as concise as possible.

The key is to strike a balance between providing enough information to interest the listener and keeping the pitch short enough to hold their attention. An effective elevator pitch is well-planned and rehearsed, with each word chosen carefully to convey the most important and compelling information.

What are the 3 elements of an elevator pitch?

Whether your elevator pitch is super short or a bit on the longer side, it should cover the following key elements to be powerful and convincing.

• What is your offering? A great elevator pitch aptly describes the product, service or idea being pitched and leaves no room for ambiguity. You don’t have a lot of time to write a long-winded introduction, so quickly get to the “meat” of it.
• What makes it unique? Simply describing your idea won’t get you anywhere. You also need to show your listener why they should care. What makes your product or service different? Why is it worth buying, using or investing in? How can it add value?
• What do you need to make it happen? Finally, wrap up your elevator pitch with “the big ask.” This doesn’t have to be a monetary ask. It can also just be an invitation to reach out, set up a meeting or try out your product. Your listener wants to know what you need from them and evaluate whether it’s worth their time and effort.

We’ve covered the elements that go into a good elevator pitch. But there are nuances to keep in mind that can help take your pitch from good to knock-your-socks-off great.

Follow these tips to give or write a memorable elevator pitch:

1. Start with a hook. An elevator pitch is already short, which gives you only a few seconds to grab attention. Starting with a hook like a shocking statistic, a relatable problem or an achievement can help you instantly connect with the listener, prepping them for your pitch and ask.

2. Be clear and specific.  An elevator pitch is no time to get wordy and beat around the bush. Get to the point, use clear language and be as specific as possible when talking about your product, its benefits, features, the problem you’re trying to solve and what you need from the listener.

3. Follow the 100/20 rule. David Meltzer’s 100/20 rule is all about having the energy of providing $100 in value while asking for only $20 in return. Strive to get that point across and you’ll have your audiences’ attention.

4. Be passionate. Believe in your own idea before expecting others to believe in it. Seeing how passionate you are about your business or product can inspire your listener to feel the same way.

5. Share your vision. Don’t be afraid to share your big plans — Elon Musk does it all the time by talking about how he wants to change the world. People love backing a visionary and if you have a long-term goal or dream for your idea, share it. It shows confidence and passion and automatically makes your idea look more appealing.

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We’ve walked you through the basics of what an elevator pitch is and how to write one. But there’s no better way to learn than from the ones who’ve made it work in real life.

Here are three inspiring examples of elevator pitches from well-known brands and founders.

Back in 2014, Elon Musk gave an excellent elevator pitch for Tesla in Beijing, China.

“What we trying to do with Tesla is to change the world by bringing electric cars — sustainable transport — to the world and showing people that an electric car can be fun and sexy and fast and long-range. But in order to be successful in that, we need people to take a chance on the company. We need people who are willing to be early adopters of new technology.”

The pitch perfectly sums up the company’s solution (sustainable transport), offering (electric cars), what makes it unique (electric cars that are fun, sexy, fast and long-range) and what Tesla needs to make it happen (early adopters of new technology.)

This elevator pitch from DoorDash is a bit on the longer side, but it perfectly sums up all the key points — the problem they’re trying to solve, the solution they’re offering, how exactly their product works and why their idea is worth investing in.

We love how DoorDash has cleverly weaved in solid statistics and numbers into their elevator pitch to drive their point home. It shows they’ve done their research and are confident about their product’s potential.

Also, note the call-to-action at the end is not pushy. In fact, they invite anyone who’s interested in learning more to approach them and leave it at that.

GitLab’s Y Combinator demo from 2015 is an inspiring example of a succinct, no-nonsense elevator pitch.

Wasting no time, GitLab’s CEO hooks the audience with social proof — naming well-known customers like Apple and Disney. He goes on to highlight the benefits of the product and what makes it unique (faster, open-source, more affordable, more contributors, etc.)

An elevator pitch is typically delivered orally, but you can also put together an elevator presentation or “pitch deck.”

Unlike regular pitch decks, an elevator pitch presentation is shorter and to-the-point. It’s meant to act as a visual aid to your speech, but can also be shared online.

Here are two ways to create an elevator pitch presentation in Visme:

Create a Short Elevator Pitch Deck

This is the easiest way to present your elevator pitch in front of an audience. Simply put together a short presentation with a few slides.

You can use this opportunity to enhance or support your elevator pitch with visuals like charts, graphs, images, videos, animation and more.

1. Start with a template. Browse our professional pitch deck templates and edit the one you like using our robust presentation maker.

2. Customize your presentation. Replace the placeholder content and access millions of free, built-in graphics, stock images, video clips, icons, charts and data widgets from inside the editor. You can also upload your own brand assets like logos, fonts and colors.

3. Download and share. Once you’re done, download your pitch deck in PPTX, HTML5 or PDF format. You can also save your presentation as an MP4 video. Want to share online? Generate a live link or embed your slide deck anywhere using a code.

Record Your Elevator Pitch

Another way to present your elevator pitch is to record an audio or video version of it and then embed it in your presentation or share it on its own.

Visme makes it easy to go this route as well. Easily record a narration within the presentation maker, or upload a video and embed it in one of your slides.

You can also upload your video, make some edits, and download or share it quickly using Visme’s video editing features .

Show Off Your Elevator Pitch with Visme

Crafting an effective elevator pitch is key to selling anything, even yourself.

The ability to sum up your pitch and present it within a few seconds shows clarity and confidence, inspiring potential investors and customers to do business with you.

Make your pitch even better by creating an engaging presentation in Visme. You can create a short presentation for your elevator pitch, a longer pitch deck to provide context and even a video presentation where you can record and embed your elevator pitch.

Use our ready-made sales templates , built-in graphic assets, data visualization tools and more to deliver an unforgettable elevator pitch for your brand.

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About the Author

Mahnoor Sheikh is the content marketing manager at Visme. She has years of experience in content strategy and execution, SEO copywriting and graphic design. She is also the founder of MASH Content and is passionate about tea, kittens and traveling with her husband. Get in touch with her on LinkedIn .

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How to Write a Killer Elevator Pitch [Templates Included]

Anuj Malhotra

Let’s face it - In this age of information overload, people do not have the time to listen to our long introductions. Whether our attention spans are decreasing or not (that’s a debate for some other time), one thing is for sure - the audience is becoming very selective in what they pay attention to. They instantly tune out our technical gibberish or anything that goes above their heads. Nobody has the time to untangle complicated knots of information. Simple and interesting stuff works with them.

That brings us to writing the elevator pitch - a short, simple description of your company or yourself that can be understood in seconds. The name, as most of you already know, came after the practice of quickly introducing yourself to a fellow person sharing the elevator ride with you. This ride takes less than a minute and that’s the time you have to quickly introduce yourself and make the other person interested in knowing more about you. This brings us to the question-

What is an Elevator Pitch and What It is Not-

An elevator pitch is not a sales pitch. It is not just jumping at the first opportunity to start describing what you sell. It is an attempt to make people familiar with what you do and make the person interested in knowing more about you. A good elevator pitch will initiate a further conversation where you can sell yourself. Not in the first elevator pitch.

Who needs an elevator pitch? Practically everyone in this business of selling a product, service or idea. And where do we need it? When you are on an elevator of course, but also sharing a public ride, at a networking event, at your investor pitch proposal, at your interview, or a chance encounter with a stranger. You need to perfect your pitch so that you lose no time in picking the ‘right words’ and say the ‘right’ words with confidence.

How to Write an Elevator Pitch-

What are the “right’ words? The words that connect with the receiver. Here are some tips to get started:

Writing an Elevator Pitch for Yourself:

Step 1- Give an Insight into Yourself- 

Think of what do you say when someone asks “What do you do?” Do you just vomit out quickly your designation? 99 out of 100 people do that. There is no soul behind those words. It is just a fact that you are sharing. 

Average Introduction - 

I am a graphic designer. Better Elevator Pitch - I am a freelance graphic designer passionate about making beautiful things and experiences for my clients.

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Step 2- Describe Your Services

Now, that you have set the stage for who you actually are, describe quickly what you offer as your product or service. Remember that you are not selling anything just sharing what you do as a matter of fact.

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#3- Show What You Do

Well, if you are riding in an elevator, then you cannot simply take out your phone and start showcasing your work unless the person said, “I would love to see your work.” But if you are presenting before an audience, say you have made a visual resume for a company, it makes sense to not just tell what you do but also show it. The first two slides have just taken 10-20 seconds, you still have a few seconds left to convince the audience of your credentials and create a memorable impression.

Showcase your work by showing a visual of the same:

Download the Portfolio Briefcase

If you can show a before-after, that is even better because nothing convinces more than seeing the transformation thanks to your service…

Download this Before After PowerPoint Template

Step 4- Any big achievement to your credit?

If you have been awarded for your work or you helped the client achieve big success, it would be an opportunity lost not to share it. There’s no bragging about it but a matter of fact statement.

I don’t know if you have viewed my presentation on “7 Sure-Shot Ways to Multiply Your Earnings” on SlideShare. It was awarded “Presentation of the Year” by SlideShare last year. 

Such a statement is bound to impress any tom dick and harry. Even if it’s not a ground-breaking achievement but a value that you offer to your clients, it will work.

I am Tom Phelps and I am a career counselor. Basically, I help my clients find their talent and put it to best use. Two of my clients recently got featured in New-Age Entrepreneurs Magazine for their disruptive startups.

Download this Key Achievements PPT Template

Step 5- Share Your Contact Details

Last but not least, don’t forget to share your business card with the listener. All your effort of leaving a good impression goes down the drain if they can’t connect with you in the future when your services are needed. If it is a visual resume or a presentation at an event, share your contact details and also share your presentation copy so that you can be contacted in the future.

Download this Contact Us Presentation Slide

Creating an Elevator Pitch Presentation for Your Company:

In most cases, you need to pitch your company services before clients. The steps are the same - go for an easy-to-understand, interesting approach that connects with the audience. 

Step 1- Start with a Hook

Pique the audience’s interest with a catchy opening. Here are three common ways to capture audience's attention right from the start-

#1- Ask a Question

Involve the audience in a conversation by asking them a question.

Download the Thumbs Up Icon Template

#2- State a Fact

Facts add credibility to a presentation. Logical people are more convinced when data and statistics are presented before them.

Download Social Media Marketing Slide

#3- Share a Story

Stories always connect with the audience at an emotional level. They give a face to the facts and data you share. Story could be of a client in distress and how the fortunes turned for them once they started utilizing your services. It is not a brag story but a genuine description of a problem that many in the audience would be facing and how you rose to the challenge. 

Step 2- Who are You & What Do You Do

Once you have captured the audience's interest, it is time to do the most important thing - Introduce your company. There are two ways to go about it - First, Introduce your brand name and a short line description of what you do.

The second way is - Introducing your brand name and tagline that describes the value you offer to others.

Download Digital Marketing PPT Diagram

Step 3- Who’s Your Target Audience  

If the audience is obvious like in the example above (every business can benefit from social media presence), you can skip this step. For many other products and services, this is a very important part of the elevator pitch.

Step 4- What’s Your USP

What makes you different from your competitors? Highlight your Unique Selling Proposition that will convince the audience to choose you over others.

Download this Business Approach PowerPoint Template

Step 5- Client Testimonial/Case Study

Showcase the good work you have done for your clients. Case studies and client testimonials add credibility to your claims.

Download Case Study PPT Template

Step 6- Contact Us Details

You can’t forget to share your business card if you are conversing face to face. While presenting an online slideshow, don’t forget to add the contact details towards the end.

Download the Contact Us Slide

Case Study: Best Elevator Pitch

You realize the power of an elevator pitch when you read the case study of DollarShaveClub. Their pitch video went viral on YouTube helping them build a billion dollar business. 

Here’s what we learned from it:

Top 10 Tips to Create a Killer Elevator Pitch:

• Show Your Human Side

Brands are faceless organizations. That is why, it is difficult to connect with them right from the start. We just hear their names and if it is an unfamiliar one, it gets lost amongst the dozens of brand names we come across every day. So, for a new brand wishing to make an impressive elevator pitch, we can take a cue from DollarShaveClub. 

The CEO himself introduces the brand - Hi, I'm Mike, founder of DollarShaveClub.com. What is DollarShaveClub.com? Well, for dollar a month, we send high-quality razors right to your door. Yeah a dollar. 

P.S. Also notice how he asks the straightforward question to engage viewers. 

• Highlight Your USP

A startup can take over business giants if it has something valuable to offer that others do not. The USP has already been highlighted in the opening line - it is just a dollar a month! But is that it? Is money the only selling factor. No. The pitch quickly establishes the quality of service-

Are the blades any good? No, our blades are f**king great! Each razor has stainless steel blades and aloe vera lubricating strip and a pivot head. It's so gentle a toddler could use it.

• Throw Light on Problem

The reason why your business exists is to solve a pain point. What is that pain point? Articulate it well so that even if the people were not aware of it, thanks to you they are. DollarShaveClub launches a scathing attack on a big brand by articulating the pain point perfectly...

And do you like spending $20 a month on brand name razors? 19 go to Roger Federer... And do you think your razor needs a vibrating handle, a flashlight, a back scratcher and ten blades. Ask your grandfather - had one blade and polio. 

• Offer Your Solution

Now that you have presented the problem, the next logical step is to present your solution. Although the same is indirectly covered when you described in the beginning the service you offer, you can elaborate upon that briefly over here. 

Stop paying for shave tech you don't need and stop forgetting to buy your blades every month. Alejandro and I are gonna ship them right to you.

• Social Promise is a Bonus

Millennials are motivated by cause marketing and less by monetary reward. In a study on millennials and buying behavior, it was found that 42% of millennials bought from a company with a social mission as compared to 14% of older Americans. The shaving company includes social appeal in its pitch smartly.

We're not selling razors. We're also making new jobs.

• Make it Humorous

Nothing engages like humor. The brand knew how to add fun to their pitch and lighten up the viewers. The pitch has many funny moments like the grandfather reference, love for tennis, and boss-worker bonhomie.

Alejandro, what were you doing last month? Not working. What are you doing now? Working. I'm no Vanderbilt but this train makes hay.

• End with a Memorable Call to Action

The listeners might be engaged with your story but is that all you want? You want them to take the next step - look up at your service and make the next buying move.

So stop forgetting about your blades every month and start deciding where you're gonna stack all those dollar bills I'm saving you. We are dollarclubshave.com and the party is on!

Isn't it about time?

• Have a Catchy Slogan/Tagline

A slogan that sticks works great for your business. But it should highlight your customer value, your value proposition. DollarShaveClub addresses both their benefits in their catchy tagline - It helps you save money (just a dollar a month) and time (product is shipped right to your door).

Shave Time Shave Money

• Keep It Short Elevator pitches should be no more than 30-60 seconds. Attention spans are decreasing. You have to grab their attention quickly. Where video format is concerned, DollarShaveClub packs a lot of punch in just 90 seconds.
• Keep It Simple

This is where many elevator pitches go wrong. They use their industry jargon thinking everyone understands the same. Test your elevator pitch on those outside your industry to get a fair idea.  Work on the pitch to make it as simple as possible.

Professionally Designed Elevator Pitch PPT Templates

If you need single-slide Elevator Pitch templates to pitch the main points in one slide, here are some professionally designed templates to help you keep your message succinct and visually impactful...

Download this Editable Elevator Pitch Template

Grab this Elevator Pitch PPT Diagram

Download this Elevator Pitch Slide

Access this Elevator Pitch Presentation Template

Grab this Elevator Pitch Layout

Download this Elevator Pitch PPT

Access this Elevator Pitch Case Study

Grab this Elevator Pitch Example PPT

Download this Elevator Pitch Slide Design

Template 10

Download this Elevator Pitch Editable PPT Template  

Related posts:

• Top 10 Pitch Deck Google Slides Templates For Successful Fundraising
• Top 15 Elevator Pitch Templates to Present Extraordinary Business Ideas
• [Updated 2023] 50 Best Company Presentation Templates To Ace The Corporate Ladder
• [Updated 2023] Top 10 Business Strategy Google Slides Templates To Empower Your Team

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19 Best elevator pitch examples and templates to stand out

An elevator pitch serves as a brief yet compelling introduction to yourself, your business, or your idea, delivered in the time it takes to ride an elevator. 

It encapsulates your value proposition, target audience, and unique selling points, making it crucial for networking, job interviews, or pitching to potential investors. 

We covered various aspects, including what an elevator pitch is, how to craft one effectively, and its key components in the blog “ Sell your elevator pitch even before selling your products ”.

In this blog, we’ll discuss in detail various elevator pitch examples with appropriate templates that will inspire you to craft one for yourself.

Elevator pitch examples and templates

In this blog, we will give you a curated list of best elevator pitch examples and templates in a diversified format. Using these examples and templates you can craft a compelling and concise pitch for any situation. 

We have incorporated the below mentioned elevator pitch examples and templates.

• General elevator pitch template & examples
• 30-sec elevator pitch templates & example

Elevator pitch examples by scenario

Business elevator pitch examples & templates, a general elevator pitch examples & templates.

Now let’s create an impactful elevator pitch. This easy-to-follow template will help you structure your pitch and hit all the key points:

Introduction

• Start with a friendly greeting: “Hi [Name], it’s a pleasure to meet you!”
• Briefly introduce yourself: “[Your Name], [Your Title]” (optional: “[Company Name]”)

Identify the Problem

• Connect with their world: “Since you’re in the [Industry] field…” (or mention a specific company they work for).
• Highlight a common pain point: “…I know [challenge] can be a significant hurdle.”
• Add a compelling statistic: “For example, a recent study found that [percentage] of [industry professionals] struggle with [specific problem].”

Introduce Your Solution

• Focus on your company’s value: “The good news is, [Your Company Name] offers a solution that can help!”
• Explain your offering: “[Briefly describe your product/service] allows you to [benefit].”

Emphasize Your Value Proposition

• Differentiate yourself: (Optional) “In fact, we’re the only company that provides [unique feature] within the [industry].”

Call to Action

• Express your interest in helping: “I think our solution could be a great fit for your needs.”
• Encourage further conversation: “Are you available to chat more about how [Your Company] can help [Their Company]?” (suggest a specific timeframe).

Let’s see an example of this template.

Streamlining Supply Chain Management

Hi [Name], it’s great to meet you! I’m [Your Name], a Solutions Architect at FlowStream.

Identify the problem

Since you work in the logistics industry at [Company Name], I know supply chain complexity can be a major challenge. Did you know a recent study by [Source] found that 72% of manufacturers struggle with inefficient inventory management and delayed deliveries?

Introduce your solution

The good news is, FlowStream helps businesses like yours optimize their supply chains! Our cloud-based platform provides real-time inventory visibility, automates order fulfillment, and improves communication across your entire network.

Emphasize your value proposition

In fact, we’re the only solution that integrates seamlessly with existing ERP systems, allowing for a smooth transition and maximizing ROI.

Call to action

I think FlowStream could significantly reduce your supply chain costs and improve delivery times. Are you available for a quick call this week to see how FlowStream can help [Company Name]?

30-sec elevator pitch example & templates

Explore top-notch 30-second elevator pitch samples for crafting an engaging and informative pitch. These examples draw inspiration from the four elements outlined in the template, showcasing pitches for project management software aimed at boosting productivity. Feel free to experiment with different approaches to discover the one that resonates best with your personality and value proposition.

Hi [Name], I’m [Your Name] and I help [Target Audience] with [Problem]. We offer [Product/Service] that [Key Benefit 1] and [Key Benefit 2]. Unlike others, we [Unique Selling Point]. Would you be interested in learning more?

Example 1: Concise and Effective

This pitch is a classic and widely used approach. While it may not be the ultimate solution, it serves as an excellent model for a succinct and straightforward pitch suitable for various scenarios. When crafting this type of elevator pitch, prioritize brevity and clarity, aiming to adhere to the 30-second rule to maintain engagement and transparency.

Example 2: Emphasizing connection over utility

Sometimes, the most effective way to capture your audience’s attention is by sharing a personal story that resonates with them. While it’s crucial to highlight your solution, this approach prioritizes establishing a personal connection rather than an immediate pitch.

Example 3: Statistical appeal

Kickstart your pitch with an intriguing statistic to instantly capture your audience’s attention. Ensure the accuracy of your statistics by verifying them with reliable sources beforehand. When employing a statistical approach, it’s effective to loop back at the conclusion and demonstrate how your solution addresses the highlighted statistic.

Example 4: Engaging inquiry

Employ the power of questions to craft a pitch that resonates with your audience and encourages active participation. Initiating and concluding with thought-provoking queries ensures that your message lingers in the minds of your listeners long after your interaction.

Example 5: Narrative approach

Leverage the potency of storytelling by incorporating customer testimonials or personal anecdotes to vividly illustrate your point to the audience. Picking the right niche-specific customer testimonial templates can be particularly effective for complex topics, as it adds a relatable dimension to your pitch while ensuring consistency and impact in your narrative. Particularly effective for complex topics, storytelling adds a relatable dimension to your pitch.

Example 6: Emotional appeal

Crafting an emotionally-driven pitch requires finesse, but it can significantly resonate with your audience and prompt them to share the experience with others. Maintaining a positive emotional tone is key to keeping the conversation uplifting. Here’s an illustration to spark ideas for your own pitch.

Crafting a compelling elevator pitch is a vital skill for any business professional. In this guide, we’ll explore a variety of examples and templates tailored to different scenarios and industries. Whether you’re pitching your startup to investors or networking at a conference, these proven formulas will help you make a memorable impression and win over your audience.

The persuasive elevator pitch template

Tailor your pitch to highlight what your audience values most.

SaaS Example

Your [SaaS] platform is remarkable.

However, its full potential may not be immediately evident to new users.

The insightful data-driven elevator pitch template

Illuminate the problem with compelling data-backed insights and showcase your solution’s efficacy. Here’s a framework to integrate data seamlessly:

In case of home services, energy wastage remains a pressing issue. Astonishingly, the collective energy squandered daily in California and Texas alone rivals the infamous 2010 BP Oil Spill.

NRGSaver has guided over 3,000 homeowners to slash utility costs, shrink their carbon footprint, and foster environmental wellness. Our tailored assessments, coupled with 24/7 monitoring, yield average annual savings exceeding $3,000 compared to alternative services.

So, here’s the query: What could you do with an extra $3,000? Perhaps a well-deserved vacation awaits…

The engaging storytelling elevator pitch template

Crafting a storytelling pitch defies a rigid template; it’s about weaving a narrative infused with emotion and employing various rhetorical styles. Whether you opt for humor, poignancy, or inspiration, the key lies in captivating your audience. 

In summary, storytelling adds depth to your pitch, engaging your audience and leaving a lasting impression.

With an understanding of various pitch examples, let’s explore elevator pitch examples tailored to different scenarios. Whether you’re advocating for your business or presenting yourself, an elevator pitch helps streamline your message and readiness for any occasion. Let’s delve into essential tips applicable to diverse situations.

During a networking event

Crafting a compelling elevator pitch tailored to various scenarios is essential for leaving a lasting impression. While conversations at these events are often informal, the chance encounters with key decision-makers highlight the importance of having a versatile pitch template on hand.

During a job interview

Instead of the common “Tell me about yourself,” interviews often begin with, “What excites you about this opportunity?”  This is your chance to shine!

This is how you can turn the interview board in your favor.

During a formal meeting

You have fixed a meeting with one of your prospects and now is the opportunity you won’t like to miss.

While delivering a sales pitch

Start with a relatable story

“Anyone else here ever feel like communication vanished when your team went remote?  We recently experienced that struggle at [Your Company Name].  Finding information was like a digital scavenger hunt, and deadlines were feeling more like suggestions!”

Connect with the audience’s problem

“Does that sound familiar? Many businesses face challenges when transitioning to remote work.”

Introduce your solution (without jargon)

“The good news is, we found a solution that not only brought order back to our projects but also boosted teamwork.  By using powerful project management tools, we were able to streamline communication and connect goals with the specific tasks needed to achieve them.”

Focus on results, not specific software

“The impact was clear – improved productivity and a happier, more collaborative team.  While every company has its own software preferences, the key is finding a system that clearly connects goals and actions.”

Tailored Call to Action

“Are you curious about different project management tools and how they can benefit your team?  We’d be happy to share some insights based on our experience.”

While pitching an entrepreneur or a business owner

Presenting to a business owner requires a different approach compared to pitching to an executive. Convincing them can pose challenges as they tend to be more cautious about new ventures. Utilizing relevant examples tailored to their business context is paramount when illustrating a problem and proposing a solution.

Best elevator pitch to inspire you

Fintech (AI-powered investment platform)

“Tired of feeling lost in the stock market? We’re [Your Company Name], and we use cutting-edge AI to create personalized investment plans that grow with you. Unlike traditional brokers, our platform analyzes your risk tolerance and goals to build a portfolio that maximizes returns while minimizing risk.  Think of it as having a robo-advisor with a Ph.D. in finance.  Ready to invest smarter, not harder? Let’s chat!”

E-commerce (Sustainable product marketplace)

“Do you care about the planet as much as you care about style? We’re [Your Company Name], the online marketplace connecting you with eco-conscious brands that prioritize sustainability without compromising quality. From organic clothing to ethically-sourced home goods, we make it easy to shop with a conscience. Join the movement towards a greener future, one purchase at a time. Explore our curated collections today!”

Healthcare (Virtual mental health platform)

“Feeling overwhelmed or stressed?  Getting the mental health support you deserve shouldn’t be a hassle.  At [Your Company Name], we offer confidential and convenient online therapy sessions with licensed professionals, all from the comfort of your own home.  Schedule appointments, track your progress, and access self-care resources, all in one secure platform. We believe everyone deserves access to quality mental healthcare. Let’s talk about how we can help you prioritize your well-being. With Pathway ‘s innovative mental health platform, you can explore personalized treatment options and connect with experienced therapists seamlessly.”

Education (Interactive learning platform for kids)

“Is screen time stressing you out, but your kids beg for tablets? We’re [Your Company Name], and we’ve created a revolutionary educational platform that combines engaging games and activities with curriculum-aligned learning. Kids have fun while mastering essential skills, and parents get peace of mind knowing their screen time is productive. Sign up for a free trial and see how learning can be both fun and effective!”

AI Startup (Personalized fitness coaching app)

“Ready to ditch the generic workout plans and get personalized fitness coaching that actually works? We’re [Your Company Name], the AI-powered fitness app that creates customized workout routines based on your goals, fitness level, and  preferences.  No more gym intimidation or plateaus.  Our app guides you every step of the way, making fitness accessible and achievable for everyone. Download the app today and unlock your fitness potential!”

Tips to achieve your best elevator pitch

Having a compelling elevator pitch is crucial, but delivery is just as important.  A monotone, rambling pitch can lose attention fast.  Here are 4 tips to ensure your delivery shines:

• Outline for Clarity: Craft a concise outline of your key points. Memorize the majority to avoid reliance on notes and stay focused during the pitch.
• Pace: Combat nervousness by speaking slowly and clearly. Enunciate each word to ensure the listener understands every part of your message. This is especially crucial in virtual presentations.
• Self-Recording: Record yourself delivering the pitch. Play it back to identify areas for improvement, like pacing or energy level. Aim for enthusiasm over monotony.
• Repetition is Key: Practice your pitch repeatedly until it feels natural. Enlist friends or family for mock presentations. Their feedback can highlight areas where your pitch can truly shine. Remember, even veterans benefit from preparation.

Final takeaways

With countless businesses vying for attention, opportunities are fleeting. However, an elevator pitch serves as a powerful tool to leave a lasting impression amidst the noise. 

Crafting an elevator pitch provides a platform to showcase strengths and present solutions concisely. While it may seem daunting, leveraging the 19 elevator pitch examples above can guide you in developing a personalized approach that integrates personal anecdotes with innovative solutions.

About The Author

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Crafting Your Perfect Elevator Pitch: Examples and Templates to Pitch Yourself Effectively

Explore lasting examples of elevator pitches to perfect your pitch, whether for yourself or your business. Elevate your pitch game with proven examples and templates."

What's Inside?

What is a Elevator Pitch?

Similar to a spoken business card, an elevator pitch is a succinct and compelling synopsis meant to capture listeners' attention and make an impact quickly. Imagine yourself entering an elevator with a prospective customer, financier, or boss who has the power to drastically alter the course of your professional life or company.

You have the brief opportunity to enthrall and pique the interest of your listener by showcasing your value proposition, area of expertise, and unique selling factors.

The term comes from the fact that this succinct but effective communication tool usually lasts between thirty and two minutes, or the length of an elevator ride. Its goal is obvious: to pique the curiosity of your audience while briefly describing who you are, what you do, and why it matters.

Whether you're networking at a conference, looking for startup funding, or going on a job interview, having a strong elevator pitch will help you get noticed and establish valuable connections.

The Essence of an Elevator Pitch

The ability to clearly and concisely convey your value offer is more important than ever in the fast-paced, cutthroat business world of today. This is where the elevator pitch excels, acting as a potent instrument with several advantages:

• Initial Impression Matters:

You never get a second chance to create a first impression, as the saying goes. With the help of an elevator pitch, you may quickly and effectively make a good first impression on prospective customers, investors, employers, or partners. It sets the tone for subsequent conversations and has a big impact on how people see you.

• Maximizing Opportunities:

Opportunities frequently arise out of the blue and over brief periods of time. Examples include an elevator ride, a chance meeting at a networking event, and a quick chat in a busy hallway. Being prepared with a polished elevator pitch increases the likelihood that you will be able to take advantage of these opportunities by allowing you to communicate your message clearly and quickly.

• Simple and Direct Communication:

Brevity is important in a world when information overload is rampant. When preparing an elevator pitch, you must focus on the most intriguing parts of your offer and reduce your message to its most basic form. Your pitch will be more memorable and comprehensible if it is clear and succinct, which also increases the probability that your audience will comprehend it.

• Distinctiveness and Recall:

By emphasizing your special value proposition, area of expertise, and passion, an effective elevator pitch helps you stand out from the competition. It offers you the chance to highlight the unique qualities that set you or your company apart, making an impact on the audience that will linger long after the pitch.

• Building Relationships and Networking:

An elevator pitch is a useful strategy for establishing and fostering professional contacts. Networking is crucial for career advancement and business growth. Through proficient communication of your identity and your capabilities, you can establish significant relationships with possible customers, associates, advisors, and partners.

It's a smart move for networking and job growth to include a polished elevator pitch to your summary part of your LinkedIn profile. This will boost your exposure and draw in the correct contacts.

In conclusion, it is impossible to exaggerate the significance of an elevator pitch. It is an adaptable and essential tool for creating a good first impression, grasping chances, communicating clearly, standing out from the crowd, and establishing meaningful business connections.

Learning the elevator pitch can help you succeed in any professional endeavor by providing a powerful introduction to yourself, your company, or your ideas.

When do you use Elevator Pitch?

An elevator pitch is a flexible instrument that can be used to accomplish a range of goals in a variety of professional settings. The following are some typical situations in which an elevator pitch can be quite successful:

• Events for Networking:

Having prepared an elevator pitch enables you to effectively introduce yourself and establish important relationships with other professionals, possible clients, partners, or mentors, whether you're attending a conference, industry gathering, or networking mixer.

• Interviews for jobs:

In job interviews, an elevator pitch can provide a brief overview of your credentials, experience, and career objectives, showcasing your fit for the role and making a good first impression on the interviewer. This is especially useful during the "Tell me about yourself" section.

• Startups & Entrepreneurship:

It's common for business owners and startup founders to have to present their concepts to possible partners, investors, or clients. An good elevator pitch can pique stakeholders' interest and create excitement about your venture by communicating its value proposition.

• Marketing and Sales:

An elevator pitch is a useful tool in sales and marketing because it may be used to introduce new goods or services to prospective clients, emphasize their salient features and advantages, and encourage them to take a specific action, such arranging a demo or making a purchase.

• Expert Demonstrations:

An elevator pitch can be used as a succinct opening to a presentation or speech at a conference, seminar, or meeting to draw the audience in and set the tone for the remainder of the session.

• Career Expos & Fairs:

An elevator speech may help you stand out from the crowd and leave a lasting impression at career fairs and expos, when you might only have a short amount of time to speak with recruiters or companies. This will increase your chances of getting interviews or job offers.

• Unformal Environments:

Elevator pitches are helpful not just in formal business contexts but also in informal or social circumstances when you want to briefly and captivatingly introduce yourself and your interests or professional experience to others.

How long should Elevator Pitch be?

Although there is debate over the optimal duration for an elevator pitch, most people agree that it should be between 30 and 2 minutes. This amount of time is just right—brief enough to hold someone's interest, yet extensive enough to cover the major points of your message. The idea is to make your pitch succinct but thorough by finding the right balance between substance and brevity.

30 Seconds to Two Minutes: Understanding the Duration

• 30 seconds:

The traditional elevator journey lasts 30 seconds, which is ideal since it gives you just enough time to introduce yourself, explain what you do, and make a suggestion about your special selling point. You must be incredibly succinct and direct in a 30-second pitch, concentrating on the strongest points of your offer.

• One minute:

You can include a little example, a noteworthy accomplishment, or a more in-depth description of your services, goods, or background in a 60-second pitch. This is the perfect duration when you need to be brief but have a little bit more audience attention.

• Two minutes:

A two-minute elevator pitch window, which is the maximum length, gives you the chance to tell a quick story or add a little anecdote that helps you make your ideas more clearly.

• Providing too much information is a typical elevator pitch mistake to avoid; concentration and conciseness are essential for leaving a lasting impression.
• Every elevator pitch, no matter how long, needs to be customized for the target audience and goal, concentrating on the points that will most likely pique the listener's interest and resonate with them. It's crucial to rehearse your pitch delivery so that it sounds captivating and natural rather than forced or hurried. Recall that the objective is to create a genuine connection that inspires more discussion rather than merely passing the time.

In the end, the secret to a successful elevator pitch is not only how long it is, but also how clear, relevant, and engaging it is for the person listening to you. You place yourself in a position to take advantage of chances, make connections, and succeed by creating a clear and memorable message.

The Creation of a Elevator Pitch Step By Step

Making a compelling elevator pitch doesn't have to be difficult. This is how to reduce it to six doable steps:

The secret to success in any elevator pitch scenario is to avoid giving a monologue and instead make your presentation conversational by fostering dialogue. This strategy turns the pitch into a lively discussion of ideas, laying the groundwork for a stronger, more lasting relationship.

1. Establish Your Goal

Determine precisely what you want your pitch to do before anything else. Are you trying to get a job, build a network, or draw in investors? Your pitch's focus and direction will be determined by your objective.

2. Recognize Your Audience

Make sure your message speaks to the people in your target audience. Take into account their requirements, interests, and obstacles. By getting to know your audience, you can make your proposal stand out by emphasizing its most interesting and essential features.

3. Emphasize the Special Value You Offer

Determine what makes you unique. This is the main body of your pitch, including your advantages, problem-solving techniques, and reasons for being the best option. Keep it succinct, compelling, and unambiguous.

4. Organize Your Proposal

Write a little story that includes:

• A succinct overview of your company or yourself.
• How your special value offer meets the needs of the target audience.
• A request for action, outlining the next action you would like to take (such as a meeting or interview).

5. Work on and polish

To make sure your pitch fits inside the time limitations and flows naturally, practice it (preferably 30 seconds to 2 minutes). Ask mentors or dependable coworkers for input, then make adjustments to your pitch in light of their observations.

6. Adjust as Required

Be ready to modify your pitch if your objectives and situation alter or for various situations. Having a pitch that is adaptable lets you be prepared for many scenarios without having to start from zero.

• Recall that your elevator speech is a dynamic instrument that will change as your company grows or as you advance professionally. Maintaining the effectiveness of your pitch and making sure it aligns with your current goals and accomplishments requires regular review and revision.

Common Pitfalls to Avoid in Your Elevator Pitch

Knowing what to exclude from an elevator pitch is just as important as knowing what to include for maximum impact. Two frequent mistakes that can seriously reduce the impact of your presentation are the tendency to digress and the overuse of technical terms and jargon. Here's how to overcome these obstacles:

Overcoming the Urge to Ramble

A superb elevator pitch is concise and clear, and that's its essence. Veering off topic can quickly dilute your message and make it difficult for your audience to understand what you're trying to say. To resist this impulse:

• Get ready and work on it:

Prior to each networking event, prepare a succinct, unambiguous pitch. Focus on the most important points and practice it to make sure you can finish it in the allotted time.

• Concentrate on Your Main Point:

Decide what you want your proposal or yourself to stick in the minds of your audience. To stay focused, center your pitch on this key point.

• Employ a Framework:

Keeping your delivery on track can be facilitated by creating a clear framework for your pitch, such as starting with a hook, moving into your value proposition, and concluding with a call to action.

Steering Clear of Excessive Jargon and Technicalities

Industry-specific terminology might highlight your experience, but using too much jargon in your elevator pitch can turn off those who aren't as technical as you. To steer clear of this:

• Recognize Your Audience:

Adjust the language you use to the level of familiarity your audience has with your sector. Simplify whenever in doubt.

• Substitute with Simplicity:

Whenever feasible, use plain language to effectively communicate your point without making it seem simplistic.

• Explain Benefits, Not Features:

Pay more attention to the advantages your idea or job offers than to the intricate details. This strategy keeps your pitch interesting and approachable.

Your elevator pitch will be more entertaining, clearer, and ultimately more successful in reaching your objectives if you intentionally steer clear of these traps. The secret is to convey your worth clearly and concisely, without getting bogged down in extraneous details or industry jargon, whether you're selling to clients, employers, or investors.

Structural Components of an Effective Elevator Pitch

The structure of your elevator pitch is equally as important as the content when making one. The excellent pitch is similar to a succinct but captivating tale that leads the audience from curiosity to comprehension to action. The following are the essential structural elements that comprise this journey:

The Hook: Grabbing Attention Immediately

The hook is the first sentence you say to pique the interest of the listener and entice them to continue listening. It creates suspense and sparks interest in the same way as a headline in an article or the first scene of a movie. To create an engaging hook:

• Start with an unexpected fact, a thought-provoking query, or a daring assertion about your subject or concept.
• Make it pertinent to your audience by bringing up an issue they are interested in or offering a chance they wouldn't want to pass up.

The Pitch: Conveying Your Message Clearly

Now that you have their interest, it's time to present your case. Your elevator pitch should begin with an explanation of what you do, why it matters, and what makes you unique. To make your point really clear:

• Refrain from straying from your main point and be succinct. Remain focused on the strongest points of your argument.
• Employ language that is easy to grasp and accessible to anyone, regardless of background in your subject.
• Emphasize your special value proposition , or what you have to offer that no one else has.

The Close: Encouraging Further Engagement

In the close, you summarize your argument and point the audience toward the following action. This is your opportunity to move interest into action, be it setting up a meeting, going online, or just carrying on the conversation. To promote additional participation:

• Give your audience a precise idea of what you want them to do next in your call to action at the end.
• Whether it's passing them a business card, sending them to a landing page, or scheduling a time to talk more, make it simple for them to take that next step.
• Thank them for their time and attention, and make a good impression that they will remember.

Strategies for Personalizing Your Elevator Pitch

When an elevator pitch feels personal to both you and your audience, it will resonate. It's about emphasizing your unique selling points and tailoring your message to resonate with the audience you're speaking to. Let's investigate how to add this unique touch:

Identifying Your Unique Selling Points

You stand out from the competition in your field thanks to your unique selling points (USPs). These are the attributes, experiences, or aptitudes that set you apart from the competition. How to determine your USPs:

• Think back on your accomplishments, encounters, and abilities. Think about the things that have brought you constant attention or appreciation. Is it your capacity for original problem-solving? Your background in a certain field?
• Consider the difficulties you've surmounted or the unusual routes you've chosen. Your pitch may become more memorable and sympathetic by using these anecdotes.
• Find out what makes you stand apart from coworkers, friends, or mentors. Others are frequently able to provide insightful opinions about our special talents.

Tailoring Your Message to the Audience

When it comes to elevator pitches, a one-size-fits-all strategy rarely works. You must adjust your pitch to the needs, interests, and concerns of your audience if you want it to resonate with them. How to do it is as follows:

• If at all possible, do some audience research in advance. Recognize their function, industry, and difficulties. With this information, you can tailor your pitch to their concerns and areas of interest.
• Before making your proposal, attentively listen in on conversations. Recognize cues or keywords that will enable you to modify your message at any time.
• When delivering your message, be adaptable. Even while your main point might not change, be ready to highlight different parts of your pitch according on the person you're speaking with. For instance, when addressing a prospective employer, emphasize how you can address the particular issues facing their business.

Your elevator pitch will be more engaging and effective if you personalize it by figuring out your unique selling proposition and adjusting the message to the audience. It demonstrates that you are sincerely interested in adding value to the audience and are not merely reciting a prepared speech. Making a good initial impression and paving the way for new prospects can be achieved with this strategy.

Elevator Pitch Examples

Although creating an engaging elevator pitch is essential, putting it together visually can make it more powerful. You can make polished presentations using Decktopus that grab the attention of your audience right away. With the help of Decktopus's editable templates , interactive components, and time-saving tools, you can make a pitch that is memorable and effective. Whether you're pitching to investors, employers, or clients, use Decktopus to elevate your pitch.

Here is a template page from Decktopus :

• So how can one craft a compelling elevator pitch? Everything begins with a well-defined elevator pitch template. Using this framework will help you organize your pitch and make sure you cover all you need to, from self-introduction to highlighting your special value proposition.
• Always adapt your message to your audience to ensure clarity and engagement by emphasizing how your distinctive value proposition fits with their needs or interests. This is one of the most important elevator pitch tips.

In order to fully comprehend the technique of creating a compelling elevator pitch, let's examine a few real-world examples that highlight various strategies and formats:

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Job Seeker's Pitch:

"Hello, I'm [Name]. I'm a seasoned marketing expert that is passionate about data analytics and digital strategy. In my previous position at [Company], I oversaw a team that used focused social media efforts to boost online engagement by 30%. I'm now looking for new chances where I can work with a forward-thinking company like yours and use my experience to produce quantifiable results."

Business Proposal:

"Hey, My name is [Name] and I founded [Startup]. Our company focuses in creating AI-powered solutions that help retail organizations manage their inventories more efficiently. We've assisted clients in reducing stockouts by 40% and increasing revenue by 20% thanks to our cutting-edge technologies. I'm eager to investigate how your operations could profit from our state-of-the-art solutions."

Pitch for Networking:

"I'm [Name], nice to meet you. I'm very interested in sustainable IT solutions, and I have a background in software engineering. I'm currently working on a project that optimizes energy usage in commercial buildings by combining machine learning with IoT sensors. I'm constantly excited to meet like-minded individuals and look into possible partnerships."

Entrepreneurial Pitch:

Hello there, I am [Name], the [Company's] founder. Our specialty is creating handcrafted chocolates with ingredients that come from ethical sources. We've gained a devoted following of customers and numerous accolades in the industry because to our distinctive blends and dedication to sustainability. I'd be happy to talk about how we may collaborate to make uniquely branded presents for your next business gatherings."

Pitch for Freelancers:

"Hello, my name is [Name]. I'm a self-employed graphic designer with a talent for developing striking brand identities. I love realizing my clients' ideas, whether it be for print materials, websites, or branding. I'm here to assist you differentiate your business and stand out from the competition with my portfolio of accomplished projects and more than five years of experience

• Example Elevator Pitch: Sales Expert

"Hello, my name is [Name]. I'm an experienced sales representative with a track record of surpassing goals. In my previous position at [Company], I routinely saw a 30% rise in revenue annually."

• Startup Founder's Elevator Pitch Example:

"Hello, I'm [Name], founder of [Startup." Our company specializes in creating AI-driven software that helps small businesses increase productivity while saving time and resources by streamlining workflow procedures."

• Example of an Elevator Pitch: Marketing Expert

"Greetings, [Name]. I'm a marketing expert that is passionate about data analytics and digital strategy. Using focused social media initiatives, I oversaw a team at [Company] that raised online engagement by 30% in my prior position.

A strong hook that is effortlessly integrated into your goals to guarantee that your message is understood thoroughly is essential to creating an interesting elevator pitch. Whether you're pitching at a business pitch, job interview, or networking event, the most important thing is to have a clear message that focuses on your unique selling point.

You can examine the deck prepared by artificial intelligence created by Decktopus.

Adding a powerful statistic to your pitch helps bolster it by offering hard data supporting your accomplishments or the potential influence of your concept. Recall that the objective is to pique the interest of your audience and encourage a deeper discussion about your objectives and how the two of you may collaborate to achieve them.

1) What is an elevator pitch, exactly?

• An elevator pitch is a succinct, two- to three-minute persuasive speech that aims to pique people's interest in what you do or your concept.

2)What elements are essential to a great elevator pitch?

• It ought to start with an introduction, a synopsis of your work or idea, its advantages or capacity to solve problems, and a call to action.

3) How should my elevator pitch be modified for various audiences?

• Recognize the needs or interests of the audience and emphasize pertinent elements of your pitch to meet those demands.

4) How often should my elevator pitch be updated?

• Review and revise your elevator pitch on a regular basis to take into account any new experiences, accomplishments, or objectives. Maintaining it up to date guarantees that you're constantly prepared with a pertinent and powerful message.

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The ultimate guide to creating an ideal elevator pitch presentation in 2023

What is an elevator pitch? What is an elevator pitch designed to do? And even more importantly – what makes a good elevator pitch? It is probably one of the most common presentation types – and it’s easy to see why. It is brief, effective, and utterly universal since you can use this format in pretty much any sphere – from business to making friends. So, let’s find out exactly what it is and how to make an ideal elevator pitch!

Elevator pitch meaning

An elevator pitch, sometimes referred to as an elevator speech, is a brief, memorable summary of your professional background, product/service, expertise, and credentials. This type of presentation should be quick enough to present during a short elevator ride, which is why it’s called an elevator pitch.

This speech is entirely about who you are, what you sell or currently do, and what you plan to do in the future.

Think of it as a Twitter version of your business proposal/plan. You can use over 140 characters to share your ideas during a 60-second elevator ride but only share up to 3 tweets’ during the first contact. The reason is simple: the average English word has 5.5 characters with spaces, and a 140-character tweet is equal to 25 words.

Pro tip: In your elevator pitch, speak at a comprehensible 75 words per minute (a little slower than the usual pace of 120-200 words/minute).

Done right, this speech will help you make a solid first impression on potential investors, employers, or business partners. It can also aid in network development, employment, or establishing connections with new coworkers on your first day at a company. You might even learn something new about your business that you never knew before!

Is this something you are interested in trying?

Good! Because we’ll soon show you how to do it!

Key takeaways:

• Aim to convey your message in no more than 60 seconds and keep your elevator speech short and to the point.
• Maintain a maximum of 75 words per minute.
• With the limited time you have, be enthusiastic and persuasive. Concentrate on the most critical details.
• Use visual aids to grab attention.
• To ensure that your speech is effective, record it or deliver it to a friend. Remember, practice makes perfect.

What is an elevator pitch deck designed to do?

To put it shortly, an elevator pitch is designed to introduce either you or your product or service. Keep in mind that your audience would likely be strangers. Your goal here is to catch their attention and spark interest.

Depending on what you want to achieve, there may be different types of elevator pitch presentations:

• Introductory elevator pitch – fits anywhere from job interviews to sales campaigns and fundraising events – wherever you need to introduce yourself or your product/service.
• Job interview elevator pitch – fits for making a fast overview of your skills and competencies for your potential employer.
• “Selling” elevator pitch for business – fits for either selling your product or getting funding to make one.

Remember, your elevator pitch is as helpful during online networking events, job interviews, and trade fairs as in person.

In this article, we’ll show you how to craft a powerful elevator pitch ppt to attract investors.

What constitutes a good elevator pitch?

The purpose of elevator pitch slides is to give clear and crisp information about yourself or your product/service. That’s why your deck should contain only a few slides. The perfect elevator pitch deck is anywhere between 5 to 12 slides, with smart art and charts.

How to do an elevator pitch for business?

There are a ton of elevator pitch examples available online. And every one of those samples follows a slightly different format template.

This raises an important question: which one is the best?

We at SlidePeak will try to provide a clear answer to that question in this elevator pitch guide. Having explored many alternative options, we found our winning template, which we will now share with you.

Our elevator pitch presentation is divided into 8 sections:

• Introduction
• Problem vs. solution
• Market size and competition
• Business model
• Unique selling point (USP)
• Founding team
• Money milestones
• Call to action (CTA)

Here’s a quick overview of what each elevator pitch slide deck section includes and why:

Section 1: Introduction

You might be tempted to begin an elevator pitch with something startling. After all, you want to draw the investor’s attention, don’t you?

The issue with shocking starters is that they may draw the investor’s attention away from your business, which is the main focus of your pitch. That’s why we recommend starting out naturally rather than shockingly and putting information on 1-3 slides to make the information easy to understand.

You should include these elevator pitch essentials in your introduction:

• The name of the business
• A concise summary of your business (no more than two sentences)
• A breakdown of the top three products/services you offer (optional)
• Your target audience

Make sure to relate all details in no more than 18 seconds or 36 words max. By briefly outlining the details, you give the potential investor a basic grasp of what you do.

Good examples:

Pro tip: You can skip the target audience if it is obvious, like in the example above (anyone can benefit from social media). For other products/services, this is a crucial component that should be clearly defined.

Starting your elevator pitch PowerPoint with a question or hook is also an excellent way to attract the investor’s attention. In such a case, add one more slide before the introductory one.

Example 1: Starting with a question

Example 2: Starting with a hook or interesting fact

The pitch’s beginning or conclusion might both contain a hook. If you’re cold-pitching and use your hook at the beginning, your audience might be intrigued. A lengthier conversation will begin if you place it near the end of your speech during a networking event or job interview.

Section 2: Problem vs. solution

The next section has to throw light on the problem you’re attempting to solve. It can consist of one main problem statement, several smaller ones that are related to it, or one main problem divided into two to three smaller ones.

The objective is to demonstrate that you fully understand the challenge and quickly tell them about the solution you offer. The simpler to understand, the better.

Section 3: Market size and competition

Potential investors are always more likely to invest where they can expect substantial returns. That’s why demonstrating the scale of the opportunity and insights into the competition gives an immediate sense of whether they should invest their time with you.

Good example:

Section 4: Business model

An investor can get a sense of how you plan to make money with a fast elevator pitch slide on the business model. An investor is more likely to convert when a business strategy is clear and compelling.

Section 5: Why choose us or our USP

Your objective in this section is to show potential investors how your company stands out from the competition. At this point, they decide whether or not to spend more time with you.

If they want to hold a second listening to you, you are more likely to get funding.

Pro tip: You should be mindful that you have a maximum of 20 seconds to highlight your USP. Therefore, keep information to a minimum and provide details that are absolutely necessary for your investors to know.

You can also add a slide describing your technology if you offer high-end, technologically oriented products or solutions. If it’s a patented technology, make sure to put it forward during your elevator pitch.

Section 6: Founding team

People invest in people.

Investors are interested in the credentials of the people they spend their money and effort on. To inspire trust in potential investors, always include your credentials, experience, and accomplishments.

Section 7: Money milestones

Investors absolutely love numbers and will remember them long after your elevator pitch is over. Therefore, make sure to demonstrate a well-thought-out investment process right from the start.

A good example from Airbnb:

How to speak at an elevator pitch?

Now that we’re finished with the content part, let’s talk about how you should speak at an elevator pitch.

Actually, time may be quite an enemy here. You start talking faster because you are worried, and there’s so little time for you to speak. And if you are a fast talker, this may result in your pitch feeling rushed and hard to follow.

Try keeping a relaxed approach to how you speak. Your steady and clear rhythm will create a feeling of confidence in what you are talking about. This will result in credibility and give you the highest possible impact.

How to end an elevator pitch?

The ending is as important as the beginning, if not more! In fact, the more creative you can be, the more successful your elevator pitch will be.

You need to consider a concluding statement that will stick in the investor’s mind. The better the line, the more likely your potential investor will remember your message afterward.

This memory trigger could be anything from a catchy phrase to a promise of value. It can be a summary of the pitch. If you can make it rhyme, bonus points for you!

You can also ask whether further explanations are needed, initiate a discussion, or offer your business card – whatever attracts attention and makes your pitch memorable.

What to avoid in an elevator pitch?

The key thing in an elevator pitch, apart from its size, is clarity.

Here are 6 things you should avoid when you write your elevator pitch.

• Avoid truisms, buzzwords, hyperbole, and jargon. Some people can be impressed, but many others will be confused.
• Don’t speak too fast or ask too much of people.
• Weed out fillers and annoyances.
• Don’t give your elevator speech to people who don’t want to hear it or are in a hurry.
• Don’t take a one-size-fits-all approach. Make sure to refresh your pitch if the situation changes.
• Don’t speak in a monotone way or frown. Instead, aim for high energy.

Finally, think about how you move and what you do during your elevator pitch. Too many gestures and overall movement may appear annoying, while not moving at all will make you sound odd. So, try to strike a balance and always be ready for objections!

Some good examples to follow:

The presentation part

The design, appearance, and feel of the deck have an equal impact on your elevator pitch’s success, as does accurately communicated information.

Do not shy away from receiving professional assistance to get the elevator pitch design done. After all, it is your idea that should succeed – an effective elevator pitch deck simply opens the door.

Quick tips for elevator pitch that stands out

• Keep it concise, short, simple, and visually appealing.
• Select bold fonts.
• Give preference to contrasting backgrounds.
• Use words, fonts, and images that are easy to understand.
• Avoid putting all the information in a single slide –the less information, the better.
• Avoid using free stock images – instead, use few but relevant ones.

The bottom line

Stick with the elevator pitch guidelines we’ve offered in this article, and you will present your business with class and style. And if you have any questions or need assistance creating an elevator pitch, feel free to contact our team at any time convenient for you.

We’re always happy to assist business owners and startups in expanding their marketing efforts!

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• Keynote VS PowerPoint
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A complete guide to perfect pitch deck design: structure, tips & examples

How to find investors on LinkedIn for my startup

Top 7 Killer Elevator Pitch Examples

Make short, sharp, and on-the-spot presentations by modeling your presentations after these elevator pitch examples.

I’ve scoured the business management internet space to bring you the best, most-impressive elevator pitches. In the following paragraphs, I’ll show you how to model your communications on these winning archetypes. (Spoiler alert: some of these examples show what not to do, so read closely.)

What is an elevator pitch?

Think of your elevator pitch (or elevator speech) as a Twitter version of your business plan/proposal. You may use more than 140 characters to communicate your ideas during a 30-second elevator ride; however, don’t share more than three tweets’ worth of information in “ first contact ” situations.

Because the average English word has 4.5 characters (5.5 with spaces), a 140 character tweet equals roughly 25 words.

Most people speak 120-200 words per minute ; use a comprehensible 75 words (slightly slower than the average speaking speed) in your 30-second elevator pitch.

Speaking slowly (while still showing your passion for the subject) demonstrates confidence and competence.

Don’t just wing it and stumble your way through a rambling, improvised elevator speech the next time you get a chance to speak with an industry influencer.

Create and practice your elevator pitches right away–you never know when you’ll run into that next big opportunity.

Business networking means always having a business card in your hand and a smile on your face.

Give the same care and attention to the way you describe yourself (and your company) as you do to your professional attire, branding, and product design.

However, don’t spend too much time on this effort; track your time to ensure you spend an appropriate amount on this project without obsessing.

You can use an elevator pitch for everything from getting a job/promotion to landing a new client or investor. You’ll find these short, refined introduction speeches in all areas of business communication.

Staying ahead of the competition and managing industry rivalry means always presenting yourself in the best possible light. Later in this article, I’ll provide elevator speech examples for each of the popular variants. However, let’s use a basic elevator pitch template to get started.

Use a simple elevator speech template

You can find many outline variants and elevator pitch examples online; I’ll describe my favorites in this article. However, to keep things simple, I’ll start with a simple method used by the Harvard-MIT Division of Health Sciences and Technology:

• State the Problem
• Present Your Solution
• Explain Why People Should Trust You
• Describe Your Value Proposition
• Offer a CTA (Call to Action)

In the following fill-in-the-blank template, I use one sentence per point to clarify the structure of this system. Feel free to break this rule and create a natural-sounding elevator pitch. As you practice your speech out loud, keep tweaking your phrasing to sound personable and precise. Just remember to maintain a maximum of 75 words!

A simple Harvard-MIT elevator pitch template

• Problem: “[Customer Type] are often frustrated by the effort it takes to [Action].”
• Solution: “[Your New Solution] eliminates the need to [Customer’s Old Solution].”
• Why You: “For [Duration], [Customer Type] have trusted [Your Company] to provide the best solutions in [Customer’s Industry].”
• Value: “With [Your New Solution], you can [spend less/make more] [time/money] [Action].”
• CTA: “I’ll give you a call to learn more about your situation (Get Contact Info). Thanks for your time.”

Elevator pitch example #1: Nice and simple

“Ranchers are often frustrated by the effort it takes to hand-shear their angora alpacas. DroneClip eliminates the need to chase, restrain, and trim these beautiful beasts. For over 5 years, alpaca farmers have trusted DroneClip to provide the best solutions in alpaca ranching. With our safe and reliable drone aircraft, you can spend less time shearing and manage a larger herd. I’ll give you a call to learn more about your situation. Thanks for your time.”

Use a comprehensive speech outline template

When making an elevator pitch (or any other presentation, for that matter) you may want to follow a programmatic speech format like this one from UC Davis :

• Smile and make a “hooking” statement to capture your audience’s attention.
• Introduce yourself (and your company).
• Explain what you do and why you love it.
• Describe the contributions you’ve made, including the problems you’ve solved.
• Give a short, striking example of your value.
• Explain your interest in your listener(s).
• Describe your product/service/solution.
• List the ways people benefit from working with you (instead of your competitors).
• Provide a brief story about a satisfied customer.
• Ask for an appropriate response to this interaction (contact info, a referral, an appointment, etc.)

Even when working with this model, remember to keep it brief. A 75-word elevator pitch only includes 5-6 sentences. In fact, this detailed outline contains over 100 words.

Take a look at this example and learn how to sharpen your sentences into quick, powerful points. Some people like to use a lot of words to get your ideas out of their heads and onto paper.

If you’re one of these types, write a verbose first draft of your elevator speech just to get your thoughts in order.

Then, review the document a few times and find ways to make each sentence do its job with slightly fewer words than before.

To make this outline work, you’ll need to include many points per sentence, as I have below:

Elevator pitch example #2: Follow a comprehensive outline template

“Do you hate shearing stubborn alpacas by hand? I’m Joe Neely from DroneClip. I enjoy connecting animal lovers to technologies like our DroneScoop waste solution. I’m here at the Alpaca Festival to learn from you, the experts. Our hands-free DroneClip shearing system outperforms hand-shears so you can limit your employee hours. We saved one rancher, Bob Mikabob, over 40 weekly work-hours. When can I visit your farm, demonstrate our product, and meet your neighbors?”

Construct an elevator pitch for any purpose: example of custom writing

A simple format like Monroe’s Motivate Sequence may help you create the best elevator pitch for your purposes. This flexible structure can be adapted for everything from job interviews to investor meetings–and beyond:

• Get Attention
• Establish a Need
• Satisfy This Need
• Visualize Consequences
• Present a CTA

Say you want a promotion from Assistant Alpaca Wrangler to Chief Wool-Gatherer. Tailor Monroe’s Motivate Sequence to your needs and make a quick, 30-second presentation (to anyone who will listen). Let your colleagues, supervisors, and managers know why you deserve this lofty position.

Elevator pitch example #3: Adapt this format to your needs

“Yuck–I can’t believe how much loose alpaca hair floats around in our barn. I just got some in my mouth! Wouldn’t it be great if someone kept this place hair-free? I’d be glad to go around and scoop it all up. If we added a Chief Wool-Gatherer position, it would surely pay for itself by reducing waste and increasing profits. Tell the boss you want me to start, right away!”

No matter your desired outcome, it always pays to present your plans in a coherent, logical fashion. Make your speeches short and to the point, only mentioning the most relevant facts and opportunities.

The elevator pitch writing process

Sometimes it helps to see the process itself. You can adjust your speechwriting efforts according to the following brief, step-by-step elevator pitch example. To keep this section readable, I’ll create a short 30-word blurb, not an entire 75-word elevator pitch.

Elevator pitch example #4: Working with words

1) Write down all your ideas, regardless of word count.

“I’m Joe Neely and I want alpaca lovers to buy my T-shirts. I want people to feel proud of their animals and spread the word about our brand. Our brand is called DroneClip. We offer hands-free alpaca shearing solutions like FAA-approved UAV/UAS quad-copters for ranchers who want to save time and money and have more resources to invest in other aspects of their operations.”

2) Get rid of unnecessary details. The 64-word paragraph I created in Step 1 is a good start, but I can do better. First, I can cut the redundancies in my extremely-long final sentence:

“I’m Joe Neely and I want alpaca lovers to buy my T-shirts. I want people to feel proud of their animals and spread the word about our brand. Our brand is called DroneClip. We offer hands-free alpaca shearing solutions like FAA-approved UAV/UAS quad-copters for ranchers who want to save time and money.”

3) Remove any confusing or unfamiliar industry jargon. Now I’m down to 53 words. I must remove the drone-specific language in the last sentence to avoid confusing listeners. (I can always provide educational materials defining these terms in later interactions with my customers.)

“I’m Joe Neely and I want alpaca lovers to buy my T-shirts. I want people to feel proud of their animals and spread the word about our brand. Our brand is called DroneClip. We offer hands-free alpaca shearing solutions for ranchers who want to save time and money.”

4) Shorten and connect your sentences. You can communicate your entire unique selling proposition quickly if you limit your use of “ stop words .” These little connectors help sentences flow, but you don’t need as many if you combine 2-3 statements.

“I’m Joe Neely–Alpaca lovers buy my T-shirts to share their love of Alpacas and DroneClip. We offer hands-free alpaca shearing solutions for ranchers who want to save time and money.”

5) Review and ask, “What’s in it for the listener?” I’ve pared down my key points to a reasonable length (31 words). Before I polish up my final product, I need to make sure I’ve addressed the benefits customers can expect from my product. Sure, I’ve told people what the product does, but I’m selling T-shirts, not drones, in this example.

“I’m Joe Neely from DroneClip. Get our T-shirts to share your love of Alpacas and impress people by promoting the latest technology. We offer hands-free alpaca shearing solutions for ranchers who want to save time and money.”

6) Polish your speech and hit your target word count. This little blurb says everything I need it to say. I present both my T-shirt enticement product (which would also work well as a freebie) and my big sell (DroneClip drone systems).

Now, I just need to combine my introduction with my final sentence and add a few tweaks (for example, “time and money” became “resources” and then simply “frugal”).

“I’m DroneClip’s Joe Neely. We offer hands-free shears for frugal ranchers. Buy a T-shirt, show you love Alpacas, and impress people with this fun new technology.”

I’ve narrowed down my word count, added an idea, and refined my language. With similar efforts on your longer, 75-word elevator speech, you can maximize your potency. Make the most of your limited time and say the most you can in fewer words!

Sample elevator pitches you do not want to emulate

Elevator pitch example #5: avoid truisms, buzzwords, and hyperbole.

“Hi, I’m Joe Neely–I’m here to tell you all about the best drones ever constructed. The U.S. military has nothing on our sUAS and UAV options. With DroneClip, the world’s greatest corporation, you’ll be flying over the sky in your own battle robot–which also clips alpaca hair! If you’re flying, you’re flying with DroneClip–and winning the battle against hand-shears!”

In this elevator pitch example , I didn’t hold back and spoke as I would to a drone enthusiast. Not only are many of the claims in this blurb highly-exaggerated (hyperbole), I’ve also used unfamiliar buzzwords/industry terms.

Instead of providing clear and concise content , I’ve fluffed-up this elevator pitch so much with useless and obvious statements (truisms) that I didn’t have room for a CTA.

Elevator pitch example #6: Weed out fillers and annoyances

“Do you hate alpaca hair? Do wish you’d bought yaks instead? No? Do you love alpacas and say, ‘leave the yaks to the hacks?’ Well, I’m Joe Neely–come one, come all to the DroneClip side of the street. You can’t go wrong with this system –it’s the best in the business. Do you want the finest alpaca hair machine money can buy? Well, step right up and buy one today!”

If you include too many fillers like leading questions and side tangents, you’ll only annoy your customers. Don’t come off like a carnival barker ; you want people to view you as a professional who knows when not to come on too strong.

Don’t insult your audience’s attention by filling their ears with unfounded claims. Be sure to describe a valid consumer need–and how your product/service meets it.

Elevator pitch example #7: Don’t change the subject and ask too much of people

“Hi–I’m Joe Neely and I want you to–I mean, if you want to, you can… Buy the DroneClip right now, my friend. You don’t need to see how it works – trust me when I say it solves all your problems, champ. I hope you like this product, sweetie, because I don’t know if… I meant to say DroneClip is the best alpaca hair solution and you’ll save a lot with it. Just ask your neighbors–in fact, my man, buy one for each of them!”

Let’s face it. No one will buy a major piece of farm equipment unseen and untested. They certainly won’t buy one for their neighbors/competitors. Ask your customers for too much too soon, and you’ll look silly. Also, changing the tone from indecisive to enthusiastic makes people uncomfortable. Calling people by inappropriate and unprofessional nicknames and trailing off mid-sentence makes you sound completely insincere–as if it were your first day on the job (or the planet).

The bottom line

Stick with the elevator pitch examples and outlines I’ve offered earlier in this article, and you’ll present yourself with class and style. Take the necessary time to sculpt, polish, and practice your speech.

An award-winning elevator pitch can’t sell by itself; you must devote time and effort to making it sound natural in your best speaking voice.

Once you have a good speech prepared, you need to try it out in real-life situations. Whether you sell big or flop the first time, you’ll gain the experience you need to keep improving.

You’ll keep improving your sales skills throughout your career; just get out there and start talking to people–today!

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What Is an Elevator Pitch? Tips and Examples

Learn more about an elevator pitch and why it's important. Find out when, where, and why to use an elevator pitch. Discover how to make your elevator pitch stand out, and explore some examples for different situations.

When you need to make a quick, professional connection, you could try using an elevator pitch. This handy communication tool allows you to quickly convey two or three key points about your business or career, in a variety of situations.

Read this guide to learn more about elevator pitches, including why, when, and where to use them. Discover elements to include in your pitch and how to make your pitch stand out. Then, explore a few examples of elevator pitches to inspire your own.

What is an elevator pitch?

An elevator pitch allows you to share important information quickly. To understand an elevator pitch, think about a ride in an elevator with an important business executive you've wanted to talk to. You only have about 30 to 60 seconds to share your information, so you must capture their attention, get to the point, and wrap it up quickly.

Even though this brief exchange is an elevator pitch, it doesn't have to take place in an elevator. You can use an elevator pitch at a business event, job interview, or in a company hallway or break room.

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Why use an elevator pitch?

You can use an elevator pitch to make yourself known to someone or if you have something that someone else might want or need. An elevator pitch allows you to make a positive first impression in a short amount of time. And it provides the listener with information you want to convey, whether pitching a business idea, introducing yourself, or trying to get a job interview.

When and where to use an elevator pitch

Many situations present opportunities for the use of an elevator pitch. Consider any of these places or scenarios:

If you're promoting a product or service, you’ll likely attend a trade show or two. You'll need a short and exciting elevator pitch to help get prospective customers interested and make sales.

Industry event

An elevator pitch can benefit you at a conference or other industry event. You could pick up a new client, get a new business partner, or make valuable professional contacts. Make sure to tweak your message for each person you meet to sound original.

Career fair

When you are looking for a job or considering a career change, preparing an elevator pitch for a career fair is a great idea. At these events, employers speak to many different people, but a well-executed elevator pitch can help get you noticed and possibly land a new job.

A workplace can provide several openings for an elevator pitch. For instance, you may want to use one when:

Talking with a board member before a meeting

Collaborating with a colleague on a project

Conversing with a superior in the break room

Introducing yourself to an in-house trainer

Having lunch with a potential client

Job interview

Many employers or recruiting specialists start a job interview wanting to know “a little bit about you.” You can answer with a well-rehearsed elevator pitch. Specifically, you can briefly discuss your education and work experience and why you'd be a good candidate for the job.

Web or social profile

Use a concise and informative elevator pitch as your bio for your website and social profiles. Prospective customers, clients, or investors can read about your skills, experience, products, or services in seconds. 

3 elements of an elevator pitch

Before you deliver an elevator pitch presentation, create a draft of what you want to say. Keep your pitch sounding natural by using language you would use in ordinary conversation with someone you know and respect. Add the following elements to keep your pitch concise and to the point.

1. Stimulate interest.

Keeping your audience's needs in mind, begin with a statement or question that will get their attention. When describing yourself, your product, or your idea, consider what characteristics will excite the person to whom you're presenting your pitch. This step may be the only one you have time for, so stimulating interest is important as it can lead to future conversations.

2. Present value.

Use logic and facts to describe how you can solve your audience's problem or address their pain point. When conveying what you have to offer, consider the skills or products that this person might want or need, or the ideas that might interest them. Make an impression by giving an example of how you have solved a similar problem when possible.

3. Make your request.

Finally, ask your listener for a follow-up based on your purpose for making your pitch, whether it’s an appointment, business card, or more information. Make sure your request relates to the person you're pitching, such as your boss, a hiring officer, or an angel investor, and that it's reasonable. For instance, rather than asking for a promotion, job, or investment, consider asking for a meeting or a phone call to explain why this is a good idea.

Once you've created a first draft, simplify your pitch by removing unnecessary words. Keep it between 30 and 60 seconds long to leave your listener curious for more information.

How to make your elevator pitch stand out

It takes a well-crafted elevator pitch to capture someone's attention in less than 60 seconds. Make sure your pitch grabs and secures your listener’s attention with the following tips.

Keep your objective in mind.

When giving your elevator pitch, remember what you want to get from it. Keeping your objective in mind throughout your conversation should help you remember all the essential points.

Prepare and practice.

Practicing your elevator pitch and delivering it well makes you believable to your listener and shows that you know what you're talking about. Consider recording your pitch and practicing in front of a mirror to increase your confidence. Be extra-prepared by keeping a business card handy. Doing so shows professionalism and gives your listener a way to contact you.

Use your natural voice.

You want your elevator pitch to sound honest and authentic. So make sure you speak in your natural voice and keep your language simple by choosing words you’d normally use.

Speak clearly.

Your audience will better understand your message if you speak slowly and clearly. Speaking too quickly can result in jumbled words and cause your message to lose its meaning.

Show confidence.

A few non-verbal communication tips can help you show confidence during your elevator pitch. Use good posture, shake your listener's hand, and maintain eye contact while you're talking.

Tailor your pitch to each situation.

To tailor your elevator pitch, consider how your offering can benefit each listener specifically. You can ask questions about your listener's particular situation and use the answers to tailor your pitch even further.

After you've presented your elevator pitch, follow up with an email or send a message through a professional social media profile. Mention how and where you met, thank the person for their time, and ask if you can talk again over the phone or in person.

Elevator pitch examples

When creating your elevator pitch, it might help to look at a few examples for different situations.

Career fair pitch:

I'm Brenna Jacobs, and it's so nice to meet you. I've been working for seven years as an environmental lawyer for a land development firm in Phoenix, but I'm hoping to move into government work in the DC area, since I grew up there. In your experience, where might I want to focus my energy?

This elevator pitch presentation is concise, natural, and friendly and doesn't overwhelm the listener with information. As a result, the pitch might lead to a job interview with the listener or point you to other options, which is a win-win situation.

Pitch for selling a service:

Hi. I'm Joshua Tate, and I just got my master's degree in marketing from Howard University. I read recently that your start-up is developing a new line of natural dog products. Interning at a local health food store last year was an unforgettable experience; I helped them boost their second-year sales by 14 percent. I'm a dog owner and an environmental enthusiast, and I would love to talk with you about some creative ideas I have for marketing your line.

This pitch is concise but provides the listener with key information (master's degree in marketing, personal interest in product line, and solid sales statistics). It will likely pique the listener's interest, and you should at least pick up a valuable business contact.

Your next steps

To build your communication skills for creating a successful elevator pitch, consider taking Introduction to Public Speaking offered by the University of Washington on Coursera. You’ll have the opportunity to learn how to develop compelling ideas, deliver information effectively, and remain confident while speaking.

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This content has been made available for informational purposes only. Learners are advised to conduct additional research to ensure that courses and other credentials pursued meet their personal, professional, and financial goals.

Free Elevator Pitch Templates: Business, Networking, and Personal

By Joe Weller | June 23, 2022

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We’ve collected the top elevator pitch templates for students, businesses, networking, and personal use to help you prepare for events and meetings where you have limited time to pitch yourself, business ideas, or products. 

Included on this page, you’ll find a basic elevator pitch template , an elevator pitch template for students , an elevator pitch template for networking , and an elevator pitch template for sales.

Basic Elevator Pitch Template

Download Basic Elevator Pitch Template Microsoft Word | Adobe PDF

Use this elevator pitch template to ensure that you include all pertinent information in your brief presentation. In a typical elevator pitch, you’ll have 30 seconds to introduce yourself, provide an overview of your experience, hook the audience with clear goals, and present a simple action plan. Adapt this template to meet just about any personal or business need and make sure your idea is clearly presented. 

Check out our resources on how to write a great elevator pitch for more information.

Elevator Pitch Template for Students

Download Elevator Pitch Template for Students Microsoft Word | Adobe PDF

Students seeking internships, jobs, or further study opportunities can use this template to prepare an elevator pitch for job fairs, internship applications, or chance meetings with hiring managers. Fill in the sections for personal information, the reason why your proposal matters, and a call to action. Writing a pitch ahead of time helps you appear prepared and qualified when meeting with hiring professionals. 

Check out more elevator pitch examples to meet the needs of any short presentation.

Elevator Pitch Template for Networking

Download Elevator Pitch Template for Networking Microsoft Word | Adobe PDF

Use this template to build your elevator pitch for any networking opportunities on the horizon. Customize your pitch by type of event, audience, and networking goal. Write and rehearse a simple but targeted elevator pitch by answering the questions on this template, and arrive at your next meeting with a concise pitch to help you stand apart from the crowd.

Elevator Pitch Template for Sales

Download Elevator Pitch Template for Sales Microsoft Word | Adobe PDF

When you have a new product or service to sell, an elevator pitch will help communicate your idea to potential buyers or customers. Answer questions about target customers, existing market solutions, product details and features, and next steps to develop a concise and effective elevator pitch.

Elevator Pitch Deck Template

Download Elevator Pitch Deck Template — Microsoft PowerPoint

Use this pitch deck template to highlight your product or service in a clear, concise presentation-ready format. Edit the customizable slides to present key information about your business, products, or services in a short time frame, including the problem(s) you hope to solve and how you will solve them.

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When teams have clarity into the work getting done, there’s no telling how much more they can accomplish in the same amount of time.  Try Smartsheet for free, today.

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12 Best Elevator Pitch Templates For PowerPoint

Last updated on April 16th, 2024

Sales personnel are always on the lookout for opportunities to rope in new customers. This is particularly true for sales representatives who have their performance linked to their remuneration, such as a salary calculated based on the number of units sold, or customers acquired for the company. Anyone engaged in sales and marketing needs to have a good slide deck handy for convincing potential customers on the go.

What is an Elevator Pitch?

An elevator pitch is like a quick presentation that can be delivered on the fly. As the name implies, it should be so concise that you can even pitch your ideas before someone during an elevator ride. This type of pitch is usually not more than 30 seconds or 2 minutes long. Hence, the definition of an elevator pitch isn’t much different from a sales pitch definition. The main focus of the former is to save time and try to convince a potential lead within a short time, such as 30 seconds or 2 minutes. However, it can be not easy to pitch a product service or idea quickly without visual aid, as a mere elevator speech might not be enough. This is why it might be helpful to make a slide deck show to a potential lead on a smartphone or tablet.

We have curated a list of some of the best elevator pitch templates for PowerPoint presentations . These elevator pitch templates can help you create high-resolution slide decks with the help of elevator pitch example slides to aid you in making attractive elevator pitch decks for grabbing leads on the fly.

1. Startup X – Perfect Pitch Deck PowerPoint Template

This is the perfect pitch deck for individuals and organizations looking to create compelling sales presentations. This sales pitch template provides 480 unique slides, each divided further in 20 categories, making up a virtually infinite number of sample slides at your disposal. The entire bundle contains as many as 19,600 slides, available with all kinds of sample layouts for making timelines, roadmaps, portfolios, revenue models, and the like.

The template is also available in as many as 5 aspect ratios, including; 16:9, 4:3, 16:10, A4 and US Letter. It’s not just a great template for startups but also for medium size and large organizations looking to enhance their clientele.

With over 4000 icons, and as many as 196,000 slides, this might just be the only elevator speech template you may ever need.

Go to Download Startup X Perfect Pitch Deck PowerPoint Template

2. Investor Pitch Deck PowerPoint Template

Imagine a pitch deck with as many as 67,000 high-quality slides, with easy drag and drop editing functionality for slide elements. Add to that the availability of all kinds of layouts for making your portfolio, about us, agenda, business model, competitor analysis, financial reports and related slides, and you get the Investor Pitch Deck PowerPoint Template.

This is a giant template bundle with over 3500 vector icons, 67000 slides, business diagrams , charts, tables and virtually any kind of layout you might need for making not only a pitch deck but any kind of professional business presentation.

Go to Download Investor Pitch Deck PowerPoint Template

3. Pitch – Modern PowerPoint Template

When you’re looking to leave a lasting impression on someone during an elevator pitch, all you need is a good looking pitch deck and your selling skills on point. This modern UI themed pitch deck gives everything you need to create a compelling elevator pitch deck.

This is not your average pitch deck template, as it not only offers more than 800 high resolution slides , but also offers more than 500 font icons , mockups , maps for Europe, Asia, Australia and specific countries, as well as a range of charts, shapes and animated slides ready for you to utilize with some minor adjustments.

Go to Download Pitch – Modern PowerPoint Template

4. Elevator Pitch PowerPoint Template

With a pastel color palette, this elevator pitch template for PowerPoint presentations, and Google Slides, can be used to prepare a compelling elevator pitch and present your startup to a C-Level audience. Combining the slides of this Elevator Pitch design with other slide deck templates , entrepreneurs can save a lot of valuable time when preparing presentations for their startups.

5. Elevator Pitch PowerPoint Presentation Bundle

For presenters looking for a slightly unconventional pitch deck design, with color schemes that don’t have the green, white and blue in excess, this template can be a good option for making elevator pitch decks.

This PowerPoint bundle has been specifically designed for elevator pitches and comes with as many as 30,000 slides and 2400 icons to give you all that you need for making a 2 minute or 30 second elevator speech.

This sales pitch template has as many as 200 backgrounds, 44 color palettes, comes in 4 different resolutions, and offers both animated and non-animated slides to help you deliver the right mix of content for your elevator pitch.

Go to Download Elevator Pitch PowerPoint Presentation Bundle

6. Decker PowerPoint Template

If you think thousands of slides are too overwhelming, and want to settle for something simple, then you can try out the elevator pitch template Decker. The template comes with elegantly crafted flat design slide layouts, suitable for making a pitch and other types of business presentations. The template comes in 2 aspect ratios, i.e. the Standard 4:3 and Widescreen 16:9. Moreover, this template provides 3 premade color options, with 80 slides per color.

The slides have been designed to be easily editable and you can make anything from team and company profiles to infographics, competitor analysis, financial reports, market comparisons, etc.

What makes Decker PowerPoint Template worth using is its mix of slides that are practical for professional use and not too overwhelming with too many packed features. Hence, if you’re looking for a simple elevator pitch deck template, this is just what you need.

Go to Download Decker PowerPoint Template

7. Pitch Deck Start Up PowerPoint Template

Startups are companies that need to focus the most on gaining new clientele. A pitch deck presented by a startup needs to have the right mix of visual appeal, and relevant content, without visually overwhelming the audience. To get things right, a startup pitch deck should be clean looking, concise, with subtle graphics.

The Pitch Deck Start Up PowerPoint Template offers all that in the form of beautiful, clean looking slides, with 146 unique slides with unlimited color options.

What’s great about this pitch deck is that it not only has all kinds of business themed layouts but the sample slides have a clean look, with ample space for elaborating upon key points in your Elevator Pitch.

Go to Download Pitch Deck Start Up PowerPoint Template

8. Startup Pitch Deck PowerPoint Template

This is another startup oriented design and elevator pitch template which is perfect for making pitch decks, business plans, and business proposals . This template provides fully animated slides, and offers the bundle in files for the 4:3 Standard and 16: 9 Widescreen format. This elevator pitch template for PowerPoint contains all kinds of fully animated business related layouts, with 5 premade colors, 111 unique slides, available with light and dark themes. Alternatively, the elevator pitch template can also be used in Google Slides.

You can easily use this template for making a 30 second elevator speech, or a project proposal to pitch before a potential investor. This template has clean looking slides, with specific type of layouts for making marketing plans, competitor analysis, business models, and other related slides for delivering a concise deck to pitch your ideas.

Go to Download Startup Pitch Deck PowerPoint Template

9. Ultimate Startup Pitch Deck PowerPoint Template

The Ultimate Business Pitch Deck PowerPoint Template is a professional business presentation slide helpful deck to showcase the company’s services. Featuring a light background and modern decoration shapes in the slide template, this Elevator Pitch template design can be used as a pre-made template to showcase the company’s products and services.

Go to download Ultimate Business Pitch Deck PowerPoint Template

10. Widescreen Startup Pitch PowerPoint Template

Unlike conventional pitch deck templates, this bundle offers something more colorful. The slide designs come with colorful graphical elements, making your content more attractive. For example, the sample diagrams come with colorful shapes, so that your added content can help emphasize each part of the diagram.

This is a full HD widescreen template, with 100 slides, including 3 interactive Business Model Canvas slides. The slide bundle comes loaded with animations and interesting graphics to help you add some visual appeal to your elevator pitch presentations.

Go to Download Widescreen Startup Pitch PowerPoint Templates

11.  Elegant Startup Pitch PowerPoint Template

The Startup Pitch PowerPoint Template is an elegant slide deck which comes with 53 sample slides which can be used for making business plans, depicting business processes, as well as for presenting annual reports, project timelines, market analysis, project milestones, SWOT analysis, etc.

This is a comprehensive business presentation template which can be easily used for making elevator pitch presentations, with the aid of some very elegant slide designs. The template has slides with mainly grey and white shades, with a hint of different colors to light up slides; adding to the overall visual appeal.

With this template you get unlimited color options, HD Quality slides in a good PowerPoint resolution , 9 XML color files, 3 aspect ratios (4:3, 16:9 and A4 Print), and 53 elegantly crafted slides that are likely to get your elevator presentation and pitch deck noticed.

Go to Download Elegant Startup Pitch PowerPoint Template

12. Startup Toolkit PowerPoint Template

This is a comprehensive toolkit for making business presentations and pitch decks. This slide bundle contains 110+ full HD slides , including animated slides . There is also an icons bundle included within the toolkit, with specific slides for making 60 second elevator pitches .

This toolkit can be used for making anything from comprehensive business plans and proposals which might need a 20-30 minute time period to explain, to 60 second elevator pitches. This makes it a flexible toolkit template that you can utilize according to need.

Go to Download Startup Toolkit PowerPoint Template

While the above templates can help you make not only elevator pitch decks but also longer presentations, we compiled our list keeping in view the various features of the aforementioned templates that can specifically be useful for making elevator pitches. These templates can act like toolkits for you to create all kinds of business presentations and to provide your sales staff the means to deliver a concise overview to potential leads within a short period of time, even as short as an elevator ride.

Find more Pitch Deck Presentation Templates

About Farshad

IT professional, communications specialist and Blogger!

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