Adapted from How to develop a creative ‘elevator pitch’ that captures attention and interest
To sell our big ideas, we need elevator pitches that stand out, are unique and stimulate a response. Clearly, some creativity is what is needed to design such a pitch.
An “elevator pitch” (think water cooler tango) is a short, self promotional statement which you can deliver when time is limited. The term came to prominence during the dot-com boom when every other person seemed to be starting up an Internet company and looking for venture capital funding. It comes from the scenario of finding yourself in a lift – or elevator, as Americans call it – with someone who can help you out professionally, such as an investor, business partner or potential employer. In a minute, the lift will reach its destination and the other person will leave, so you only have a few seconds to say something to capture that person’s interest.
The aim of an elevator pitch should not be to make a sale, get a job or nab a sack full of money from a venture capitalist. Rather, it is to start a conversation. The ideal outcome of an elevator pitch is for the other person to look at her watch and say, “I’ve got a free hour. Let’s go have a coffee and talk about this.”
Most often, however, we are not so lucky and must craft our own lift pitches. Moreover, with the exception of people with very specific expert knowledge (my life partner, for instance, specializes in a very specific area of scientific research. Either people understand what she does or they do not. If they do not, she probably doesn’t need to connect to them professionally), most of us are competing with others for the attention of clients, business partners, investors or employers. So we need elevator pitches that stand out, are unique and stimulate a response. Clearly, some creativity is what is needed to design such a pitch.
What do you wish to achieve?
Of course you might have multiple needs. For instance, an entrepreneur might be looking to build a business relationship with a mobile marketing specialist, negotiate a deal with the purchasing manager of a chain of clothing shops and get some investment from a venture capitalist. If this is the case, you will need either to come up with a single multifunctional pitch, which would be ideal, or several pitches which you can select from depending on circumstances. Once you are clear in your mind about your elevator pitch goal, write it down.
What is so special about your idea?
Spend some time on this and draw up a list of at least 10 ideas. Brainstorm! Just write down every thought that comes to mind. Indeed, follow usual idea generation protocol: no squelching, no criticism and write down everything. In particular, do not be afraid to note attributes which you are striving to achieve even if you have not actually achieved them yet.Ask friends, family, colleagues and associates for their suggestions and add them to the list.
Rate the ideas
Now you should have at least 10 ideas and possibly many more. Feel free to go through the list now and cross out any ideas that are unsuitable. But don’t cross out ridiculous ideas. Sometimes the ridiculous notions prove to be the most creative and hence most effective!
Once you have cleaned up your list, call on a couple of friends or family members to help you with the next step. Ask them to go through the list once to ensure they understand everything. If any ideas are not clear, they should ask you for clarification. After this is done, ask your friends to rate each idea on a scale of 0-5 points for each of these three criteria:
- Impact
- Memorability
- Uniqueness
You should also do the same. Once you are all finished, select the one, two or three top ideas based on the number of points received. These are your strongest attributes.
Putting it all together
Using these top attributes, try and craft them into a short, sweet and intriguing elevator pitch. You may need to write down several variations until you get it right. Remember, you don’t need to provide a comprehensive self-promotional speech. You just want to start a conversation!