Last week, we explored how keeping a gratitude journal helps uncover stories in your everyday life. This week, we’ll dive deeper into the elevator pitch - a tool to communicate your mission or idea clearly and concisely. Whether prepared or spontaneous, an effective pitch is rooted in authenticity.
The term “elevator pitch” originated from delivering a brief, compelling summary of your idea, product, or personal value during an elevator ride. The concept comes from imagining yourself in an elevator with someone important (such as a CEO, investor or key decision-maker), and you have only that short ride to capture their attention and spark their interest.
Photo by Sara Kurfess on Unsplash
The Two Types of Elevator Pitches
There are two kinds of elevator pitches, and each serves its purpose:
1. The Prepared Pitch
This is the well-polished, pre-planned pitch you use in professional settings - networking events, interviews or client meetings. It should be concise, ideally lasting 3 to 5 minutes. If you can’t explain your idea within that time, it’s a sign that your content may need refinement. Stay tuned for next week’s post on how to do just that.
Key elements of a prepared pitch include:
The Hook: Start with a strong opening that grabs attention.
The Need: Clearly state your problem or challenge.
Your Approach: Briefly explain your unique solution or value.
The Benefit: Highlight the tangible outcomes or benefits for your listener.
Competition: the alternative, and why it is not good as your solution.
To learn more, please see my previous post: Neuroscience Insights - Enhancing Presentation Skills, Part 3: Communicating with Clarity
A well-prepared pitch ensures you make a great first impression when time is limited.
2. The Spontaneous Pitch
This pitch happens naturally and unscripted, flowing from a conversation. But spontaneous pitches only work if you’ve done the inner work, like taking time to reflect and practicing gratitude.
Why? When you regularly reflect on your achievements, you gain clarity about your value. This makes it easier to pitch your ideas authentically when the moment arises. It also helps with problem-solving because you often simply need to take a step back to see the big picture. Gratitude enables you to identify those moments of success, so your words are natural and genuine when you need to pitch on the spot.
Gratitude and Positivity: Your Secret Advantage
Have you ever been in a crowd where most people complain, yet no one is stepping up with solutions? It’s common to see negativity dominate conversations. However, offering a positive, solution-oriented perspective will instantly set you apart and open doors.
Practicing gratitude trains your mind to see solutions rather than problems. When you focus on improving things, you earn people’s attention and respect. You become the person who identifies challenges and offers a way forward. This is a powerful tool for both prepared and spontaneous pitches - it opens doors and builds trust.
When to Use Each Type of Pitch
Prepared Pitches: Perfect for formal settings where you need to communicate your value quickly and efficiently.
Spontaneous Pitches: Best for casual or impromptu conversations, like bumping into a potential client at an event. These pitches feel more personal, but they require practice and reflection.
Strengthening Your Pitch
Here are a few ways to strengthen both your prepared and spontaneous pitches:
Gratitude Journaling: Reflect regularly on your achievements and challenges. This builds a foundation of stories for your pitches.
Practice: Even for spontaneous moments, practice pitching in casual settings like dinners or chats with friends.
Stay Flexible: Be ready to adapt. A prepared pitch can always be tweaked, and a spontaneous pitch can improve with time.
The best elevator pitches, whether planned or spontaneous, are rooted in authenticity. By practicing gratitude, you gain clarity about your story and build the confidence to pitch easily in any situation as your story will naturally unfold and resonate with others.
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