Boost Your Career in 60 Seconds or Less: Elements of a Great Elevator Pitch

After earning your business degree and landing your dream job, having a great elevator pitch can further boost your confidence while making a great impression. An elevator pitch is a quick 60-second synopsis of your work, which is essentially short enough to get your point across in the time between floors in an elevator. Elevator pitches can vary in content, and sometimes length (exceeding a minute), and can be used to develop new business leads, build your network, and more.

Regardless of your intent, a common goal in the world of business management is to have your audience understand what your company is about and what you do for them. There are many ways to approach drafting a great elevator pitch. Here are some important elements you may want to incorporate:

• Who you work for: Your pitch should include the name of your company, a brief explanation of what its services are, and the target market your company serves. Make sure there is no industry jargon, which can be off-putting and confusing to those who may not be in the know.
• What your role is: More than just providing a title, this is an opportunity for you to communicate how you contribute value to the business. Sometimes a question or a metaphor can work well here.
• Why your company is different: Describe the problem the company or its products or services attempt to solve. Try incorporating a tangible example so your audience can understand and relate to the solution your company offers. It’s OK to include competitors if that helps your audience easily assimilate your message.
• What results have been achieved: Use this opportunity to communicate successes your company has had, such as high sales or a positive impact on the community. Don’t be afraid to use testimonials, data, case studies, or milestones that will help reinforce the results.

In addition to promoting your company, you can also develop an elevator pitch to promote your personal brand, which is an increasingly important element in today’s competitive global workforce. Being prepared to talk about yourself in a way that would interest a potential future employer in a short amount of time can result in an invitation for an interview. Similar to promoting your company, here are some important elements you may want to include:

• What you do: Explain what problem you solve and how you get things done and for whom.
• What you are passionate about: Describe what fascinates, inspires, or energizes you. Just be sure to make the connection for how these passions translate to your work.
• What your strengths are: Include three or four of your top skills that uniquely define you. You can reflect on some of the skills and knowledge that you gained while earning your business degree and during your past work or volunteering experiences.
• Why you are great at what you do: Differentiate yourself here from any potential job competitors, such as by having a business or management degree. Clearly define what you can do that no one else can.

Whether you’re promoting your company and its services or your personal brand and all you can offer, it’s very important to be authentic and practice your pitch. You never know who will be standing next to you or how long you’ll have to make a first impression, so be prepared to adjust your pitch for your audience as well as for the time allotted for this quick but crucial sell.

Walden University is an accredited institution offering a BS in Business Administration degree as well as other online business management degrees at the bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral levels. Expand your career options and earn your degree in a convenient, flexible format that fits your busy life.

Walden University is accredited by The Higher Learning Commission, www.hlcommission.org.