How do you prepare an elevator pitch that showcases your value and interests?

Although at first it can feel uncomfortable, try to think about who you are and what you do without using your job title. The most memorable pitches usually include something clever or funny. One woman recently introduced herself saying she shoots people for a living (professional photographer) - it was a real conversation starter!

The purpose and length of your elevator pitch will vary in content and length. For example, an elevator pitch for a networking event will be geared toward introducing yourself to potential networking partners and, ideally, 30 seconds in length; whereas an elevator pitch for an interview will be specific to the job and can be as long as 90 seconds.

For a networking situation, your elevator pitch can also include the job titles/functions, industries, and companies you are targeting. You're not asking for a job from that person, but rather asking if he/she knows anyone within those industries or companies and if he/she would be willing to introduce you.

Ultimately, your success lies in understanding your customers needs and pain points. People often focus on “pitching” their product instead of seeking to understand what the prospect needs. My “pitch” generally starts with trying to know the other persons problems better. If it’s 30 seconds and I never mention the company that’s ok. But I’m sure to have them mention their problems.

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Knowing your target audience, that is, the employers who will help you meet your career goals, will help you formulate a pitch that will actually resonate. Determine what things about you, and which past contributions you've made, will be most important to those employers you want to work for. Keep the pitch short and sweet, like 2-3 sentences, and make your opening phrase meaty and personality-driven enough to help people get a feel for who you are and how you operate.

Your elevator pitch can come in handy during interviews, networking situations, or recruiter conversations - all of whom may have slightly different attention spans and areas of interest. Recruiters are curious about your background and intentions, while interviewers may pose queries such as "Tell me about yourself" that require powerful, short answers. Networking contacts might be intrigued by what you do and ask for more information. Get ready for these scenarios by mapping out the right kind of data for each recipient.

Demonstrating that you understand the requirements of the job when talking with a hiring authority is paramount to success. Failure to do this will be irrelevant and set a poor tone for the interview. If managing staff is a strict requirement of the job, mentioning how you've accomplished this will show relevance. On the other hand, talking about your achievements as an individual contributor will miss the mark. This emphasizes the importance of researching the position at hand.

Again we come back to doing your research to know what matters to your audience. More specifically, what needs does the employer have to be filled? Pain points have become a cliche, but they are real and need to be tackled. How can you show your ability to do this? That's what employers want to know.

Determine what sets you apart from others. What is your Unique Selling Proposition. Focus on one or two key features or aspects that make you unique and beneficial.

You aren’t there to solve someone else’s problem, although that is what you will ultimately do. Your intention must lie squarely on helping the prospect come to the conclusion that what you offer will solve their problem. How often in history has it worked to force feed a solution down people’s throats - Covid shots, quitting smoking, etc…

One way to consider what to communicate about your interests is to tap into your values or your "why." Ask yourself, "Why do I do what I do? Why am I passionate about it." This important exercise will help you create an emotional connection with your audience because your values and your "why" connects at a human level and makes you more memorable.

Imagine you are literally getting on an elevator, and the person riding with you asks, "What do you do?" You have 250 milliseconds to make a first impression of how you look. You'll have 45 - 90 seconds for them to pay attention and listen to what you say. Create a formula you can use and practice, such as, "I help (what audience) to (do what) so they can (achieve something)." Capture their attention so they say, "Please! Tell me more!"

The average attention span of a human is shorter than we think. Our focus on what others say intermittently lasts about eight seconds at a time. If your elevator pitch goes on and on, you'll lose the attention of your audience. Also important is using inflection in your tone to grab your listeners' attention. A monotone delivery is counterproductive.

Keep it concise by choosing the top 3 topics you’d like to cover — this also helps make your pitch more weighty and more memorable!

I encourage job-seekers to go through the job posting with a fine tooth comb. What can you share that positions you as that ideal candidate?

Your answer to the “what do you do” question should be “that depends on our customer, tell me a bit more about what you do.” You aren’t closing a deal in an elevator, but you can create a touching for further discussions by getting to know the other persons needs, wants and goals.

I suggest to my clients that they write their elevator pitch before rehearsing it. We tend to remember words if we write them. Your elevator pitch should consist of no more than four of five paragraphs. First, describe what drives you in what you do. Second and third, how have you achieved your drive. Last, what do others say about your personality. This act might seem like more work than it's worth, but delivering a great elevator pitch can make the difference between success and failure.

When you deliver your pitch, remind yourself to slow down and speak with purpose — many of us speed up when we’re nervous or uncomfortable, which makes it more likely we’ll trip up or insert filler words. You can avoid this common issue by simply slowing down.

Consider recording yourself on video delivering your pitch. This give you lets you see the length of your pitch, as well as your overall presentation. Look out for things like chewing gum, distracting body language like swiveling back and forth on your chair, or the tone of your voice trailing off at the end of your answers. You want to come across as natural and confident as possible. Your video can be another tool used to introduce yourself to potential employers, in an attempt to secure an interview.

This framework can also be very effective in a job interview to answer the “tell me about yourself” question. Practising your elevator pitch allows you to become confident when you introduce yourself and that will benefit you both when networking or interviewing for new roles.

As a former retained executive search consultant, I'd add be mindful of this: . For people to listen to you, you have to first listen to them. . In an elevator, if someone starts pitching after hello, the other person is wishing they could hit the emergency button and hop off. . Don't begin a conversation with yourself. Begin it with a version of: It's great to meet you. Sounds like you have a very interesting role. What do you enjoy the most? . . Calibrate your pitch. If they appear to be interested in a conversation, have a conversation. If not, move on. . When the conversation ends say: Could we connect on Linkedin? If they agree, do so, and follow up. Now you have a relationship on which you can build.

I often coach my clients to consider an elevator pitch in the following manner: The Past - give a brief overview of your career and achievements to date, ensuring that what you talk about is relevant to the role you are interviewing for. The Present - why are you here today? Why are you thinking about a move? What are your push factors? The Future - explain why you want to join the firm and do the role which you are interviewing for. Try to demonstrate briefly what attracts you to the role and why you are good for the job. I have found that this format works well for many people and is easy to prepare for.

When I deal with recruitment, and I do it a lot, it's kind of instinctive what are the critical points from what the candidates say - the one term so called the "elevator pitch". Usually, this resume of the resume is very structured, follows a beginning, middle, end, and most of the times gets it's purpose, but is kind of predictive and follow the norm. I believe it should be put more into the "pitch": passion, determination, what move us. Basically know and tell what you have achieved, but do it speaking more from your heart! Companies sometimes just see what candidate can deliver in technical terms, what is somehow obvious, and it's forgotten about the potential and what a person do if they drive is job with is aim in life.