What Is an Elevator Pitch? Examples & How to Write One
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What’s a good elevator pitch? It’s the one that gets attention. Makes people genuinely interested in you. Lands you a job of your dreams, or helps build a lasting relationship with a strategic client.
In 7 minutes, you’ll learn everything you need to know to create an elevator speech that works every time.
This guide will show you:
- What is an elevator pitch, and when to use it.
- Step-by-step instructions on how to give an elevator pitch in every situation.
- How to write a universal elevator pitch you can later adjust.
- Elevator pitch examples for various scenarios: semi-formal conversations, job interviews, or pitching your business ideas.
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Looking for something slightly different? See our other guides:
- How to Introduce Yourself [+Examples]
- How to Answer The “Tell Me About Yourself” Interview Question
- How to Write a Good Letter of Introduction
- 100 Words & Adjectives to Describe Yourself During a Job Interview
- How to Write Your Resume Introduction [+Intro Paragraph Examples]
Before we move on, let’s start with some basics:
What Is an Elevator Pitch?
An elevator pitch (also known as an elevator speech) is a short, persuasive speech you use to introduce yourself, your product, or your company. Its purpose is to explain the concept quickly and clearly to spark interest in who you are and what you do.
Simply put—It’s an answer you give to the good ‘ol “So… What do you do?” question. A short-and-sweet sales message so compelling that, once you’ve finished, whoever you’re talking to likes you enough to hire you or give you money. A good elevator speech should be brief, interesting, memorable, and delivered confidently.
How long should an elevator pitch be? An elevator pitch should be 30 seconds long at maximum: short enough to get your message across any time and anywhere—even during a quick elevator ride (hence the name).
What Is the Objective of an Elevator Pitch?
Depending on the situation, your elevator pitch will have a slightly different purpose. That’s why the first thing you need is to identify your goal:
- Do you want to land a job with a particular company?
- Perhaps you have a great business idea, and you’re looking for a VC?
- Want to land a new, strategic client?
- Heck, maybe you just want to casually introduce yourself and explain what you do for a living...
Whatever it is that you’d like to achieve, we’ve got you covered. Here’s how to craft an elevator pitch for three different occasions. Or, if you just want to see elevator pitch examples for reference and inspiration, feel free to scroll over to the next section.
If you feel you could work on improving your communication skills, check out our guide: 20+ Effective Communication Skills for Resumes & Workplace Success
How to Write an Elevator Pitch?
There’s no point in launching your elevator pitch if you don’t have the attention of the person you’re talking to. Capturing your audience’s interest comes first in this elevator pitch formula:
1. Start by Grabbing Attention
Open your elevator speech with a captivating and relatable conversation starter. For instance, identify a common industry pain point they’ll be familiar with.
2. Spark Curiosity by Presenting the Benefit
Tell them you’ve found a solution to that very problem. Briefly describe the value proposition.
3. Summarize What You Do
Say what you do and how you do it. Present the outcome. Explain the results of your work and what makes you unique.
4. Practice Your Elevator Pitch
Present your elevator pitch to someone you know and ask them for feedback: do you sound natural? Is your elevator pitch conversational and free-flowing? You can also record your pitch. Check if you aren’t repeating any words, and make sure no sentences sound too awkward or salesy. Do your best to stay within the 30-second limit without talking too fast.
4. Be Ready for More Questions
A good elevator pitch is an invitation to a conversation, not an ad slogan. Don’t aim to answer all the questions within your elevator pitch, and instead be ready to clear all the doubts right after you’re done delivering it.
5. Have a Business Card at Hand
If the person you spoke with wants to continue the talk later, handing a business card will be much more professional than just giving your phone number.
Also, if your elevator pitch doesn’t immediately bring the desired outcome, don’t worry.
Research has proven that there’s almost no correlation between the presence of an elevator pitch and the final decision of potential stakeholders. Another publication by the MIT Press focused on elevator pitches used by tech innovators to sell their ideas to potential VC investors: they suffer a failure rate of 96%.
But not getting what you want straight away doesn’t mean you’ve failed. It just wasn’t the right time or the right audience, but the good impression you’ve made will last. And pay off in the future!
Alright. Before we move on to more examples of elevator pitches, one final thing. Although you’ll usually deliver your pitch during a conversation, it’s good to have an adjustable elevator pitch template ready beforehand. Here’s how to make yours:
To make sure you’ll be ready for that big interview, see our guide to all of the most typical interview questions: Common Interview Questions and Best Answers (Examples)
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Elevator Pitch Examples
So there you have it. Everything you need to know about an elevator speech or a sales pitch. Now, get inspired by these sample elevator pitches from various professionals. Let’s start with an elevator pitch from someone without much work experience.
Elevator Pitch Example for a Student—Networking Event/Job Fair
I’m a recent UPenn graduate with a degree in English and a minor in Film Studies. I work as a freelance copywriter for local businesses and nonprofits and a movie critic for the Huffington Post: actually, my recent review of The Favorite got 52 thousand shares on X. Maybe you’ve come across it? Anyway, if you know someone in need of unique, buzz-worthy content, feel free to send them my way!
Now, see some examples of elevator pitches for an interview:
Sample Elevator Pitch for an Interview—Senior Project Manager
I’m a Senior Project Manager with a creative attitude to problem-solving. In my current position as Chief of Project Management at Seton Hospital, my recent challenge has been the reduction of stockroom waste. I introduced a new Kanban system and designed Lean training programs to be carried out across all departments. We managed to cut stockroom waste by 65%, which ultimately slashed monthly costs by a quarter. I know cost-saving solutions for the infant ward are among your key priorities. I’m sure I can use my expertise to achieve great results with this initiative.
Sample Elevator Pitch for an Interview—Digital Marketing Manager
As a Digital Marketing Manager at XYZ, I coordinate all stages of creating audiovisual marketing materials: from the concept to execution and promotion. At the beginning of last year, I got a list of 15 campaigns and a set budget for all of them. Together with our Technology Department, we came up with a strategy of cross-departmental communications, calibrating the tech solutions with all team’s talents to cut redundant costs and increase efficiency. Under my leadership, we completed all 15 projects on time and over 10% below budget. By the end of the year, sales from all campaigns contributed to increasing revenue by 48%.
Sample Elevator Pitch for an Interview—Customer Service Representative
I’m a Customer Service Representative who works with one mission in mind only: to maximize business opportunities by connecting every customer with personal support at every step of their life journey. In my current position, I’ve planned and supervised online and phone surveys prior to the redesign of our home page. The product we’ve created resulted in a boost of the mean NPS from 7.9 to 8.6. My goal is to translate that expertise into sky-high customer happiness scores for your company.
The next sample, in turn, is an actual elevator pitch I’ve heard from one of Zety’s readers, Joseph.
Elevator Pitch Example—Semi-Formal Introduction
First and foremost, I’m saving the world economy. Other than that, I grow corals on dead and declining reefs. I’m travelling the world to evaluate reefs. Currently, my team and I are growing corals in Fiji. Next year, we’ll do the same on the Great Barrier Reef, together with a team of Australian scientists. What does that have to do with the world economy, you might ask... Well—if humans kill off the reefs, whole oceanic ecosystems will follow. And soon after—the Earth. Last time I checked, you couldn’t grow any economy on a dead planet.
Check the elevator pitch sample below if you’re wondering how to write an elevator speech for an entrepreneur.
Entrepreneur Elevator Pitch Template
My company develops and designs personalized online sales funnels. That means two things: one, online customers enjoy a flawless user experience tailored to their needs and interests, and two, our clients get automated solutions that dramatically boost sales. We helped our last client increase online revenue by 120% month-on-month. Does your company have any experience with e-commerce automation?
Catching the investors' attention is crucial for success. Here’s an example of an elevator pitch that a startup founder could use.
Tech Startup Elevator Pitch Example—Investor Meeting
Hi, I'm the co-founder of TechSavvy, a startup revolutionizing the way businesses manage their IT infrastructure. Our AI-driven platform automates mundane IT tasks, saving companies time and money. We've already onboarded 10 clients in the past quarter and reduced their IT overheads by an average of 30%. Are you interested in hearing more about disruptive technologies shaping the future of business?
When heading to a networking event, you should always have your elevator speech ready. Here’s a sample you can take inspiration from.
Sales Professional Elevator Pitch Example—Networking Event
Hey there, I'm John, a seasoned sales professional with a track record of exceeding targets and driving revenue growth. At ABC Corp, I spearheaded a sales strategy that resulted in a 40% increase in annual sales volume within six months. My expertise lies in building lasting client relationships and identifying untapped market opportunities. Let's grab a coffee and discuss how I can help accelerate your company's sales trajectory.
Members of nonprofit organizations also need good elevator pitches like the one in the example below.
Nonprofit Sample Elevator Pitch—Donor Luncheon
Good afternoon, everyone. I'm Sarah, representing HopeWorks, a nonprofit dedicated to providing educational resources to underprivileged youth. With our innovative after-school programs, we've empowered over 500 students to excel academically and pursue higher education. By investing in HopeWorks, you're not just changing lives; you're investing in the future of our community. Would you like to partner with us in making a difference?
Finally, here’s the elevator pitch I launch whenever someone asks me, “So what do you do?”
Elevator Pitch Sample from Zety’s Career Advice Writer
Do you know anyone who genuinely enjoys the job search? I don’t. And it doesn’t surprise me. It’s super stressful and, worse than that, feels like you’re playing a game against recruiters. That’s because recruitment is a game. And I’m on a mission to help job seekers win that game every time they play. I write career advice based on hard data and insights from actual HR pros. Thanks to my help, thousands of job seekers from all over the globe find and land careers they’ve always dreamt about: quickly and with no fuss. So tell me—what’s your dream career?
Plus, a great cover letter that matches your resume will give you an advantage over other candidates. You can write it in our cover letter builder here. Here's what it may look like:
See more cover letter templates and start writing.
Key Takeaway
Here’s how to make an elevator pitch:
- Start your elevator pitch with something that grabs attention and builds rapport, like a common problem in your industry everyone will be familiar with.
- Spark curiosity by saying that you solve this problem.
- Say who you are and what you do.
- Explain how you do it and what the results are.
- Be ready to answer questions: you need to keep the conversation going.
- Always have a business card at hand.
- Don’t get upset if your elevator speech doesn’t get you what you want immediately.
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