My Elevator Pitch Experience

Imagine with me for a moment, two scenarios;

Scenario one: Say you meet or you run into a mentor of yours who you’ve admired from a distance at a party you’ve been invited to. He’s the guest of honour, surrounded by a retinue. He’s busy. You have a chance to introduce yourself. What would you say?

Scenario two: You run into a potential employer who you’ve always wanted to work with in the parking lot, as he is on his way out, and you have an opportunity to say something that will cement the memory of you in his mind. What would you say?

Both of the above scenarios have two things in common, unexpectedness and a sense of limited time in which you have to say something important that will leave a positive and hopefully lasting impression. Thus, I present the concept of an Elevator Pitch. An elevator pitch is a short memorable description of who you are, what you do and/or what you offer or sell. The aim of an elevator pitch is to get a second conversation. Hence, the information offered has to be relevant, concise and interesting enough to pique the interest of the audience in question and cause them to want to talk to you later.

My personal observation of myself was this. The sense of unexpectedness shook me a bit. I knew I was supposed to pitch myself and I certainly know myself better than anyone else. But I had never, prior to that class exercise, had to structure the bits and pieces about to myself into a concise flow of relevant information that can be spoken at the drop of a hat, within such a short amount of time. This was a first for me. I do see the value would have in today’s fast paced business world; where important opportunities and connections can present themselves at a moment’s notice. You do want to put your best foot forward and maximise those moments.

One thing of note in an elevator pitch is that the recipient will determine what information is relevant at that time; what may be relevant to one may not make much sense to another. You want to present something about you that would align with his/her personal interests. The information given also depends on what you hope to get out of that potential connection. Thus, not every piece of information about your background, as rich and comprehensive as it may be, may be relevant then. If the pitch is successful, subsequent meetings can bring needed clarification.

That said, my first mock elevator experience was rewarding. I got to see specific areas I can work on, with respect to my communication skills and the ability to sell myself in such scenarios in the future.