The Original Elevator Pitch

Why is it called an elevator pitch?

It's not because you deliver it in the time it takes to go from the lobby to the office -- which is highly variable, not very private, and is a last second affair. Do you really want to put yourself under that much pressure to deliver? I thought not.

So here's where it comes from:

At the 1853 World's Fair, held in New York City, once doll maker Elisha Otis demonstrated the remarkable level of confidence he had in his new invention, the elevator safety brake. Up until then, elevators were dangerous affairs; should the rope holding the platform up fail, the occupants were not likely to survive any modicum of a fall. As such, elevators were relegated mostly to hauling freight up and down the shafts of buildings, and even then, it was a costly affair should goods be destroyed due to a plummet down the shaft.

What Otis did was create a way to ensure the safety of people and goods in the cramped space of an elevator cabin. In a demonstration model, Otis was hoisted up well above the onlooking spectators, to a height that would be disastrous for the inventor should the suspending rope be cut. And cut it was!

Yet nothing happened. Perhaps a jolt, perhaps just the cur-chunk of the braking mechanism — these were the only things that came out of the demonstration. Otis did not fall, no one was hurt, and I'm sure that the audience gasped in delightful surprise.

So now you have the story (or at least one) of how the elevator pitch came to be. There's are lessons to be learned from Otis about your own elevator pitches.

First, it should be short. Otis didn't waste time proving the value of his invention. He was hoisted up, the rope was cut, and demonstration of safety was made. You should do the same; get to the point quickly.

Second, Otis was demonstrating safety and he kept the audience safe, both physically and proverbially. When you deliver your pitch, keep in mind that your listener should be expecting the pitch. Don't drop it unannounced on the person; you end up creating an unsafe mental space for your listener and they will be suspicious of your actual motives.

Adding to that second point, make sure that your idea, your product, or your service is something that will help that person or the community they are part of at large. Don't make it about all about you.

Lastly, be punchy. Otis could have just shown his audience the 19th century equivalent of a slide deck to make his point, but it wouldn't have been as awe inspiring as a live demonstration. Don't go overboard with this, though, as melodrama can push people's buttons the wrong way.

The elevator isn't specifically about cramming as much as you can into a tiny box of information as the traditional business version of an elevator pitch implies. It's about getting your message across so the listener clearly understands the essential points. Who are you, what are you offering, and how will it help the listener? Here's what I imagine Mr. Otis said, just before the rope was cut

"I'm Elisha Otis; I invented safety brakes for elevators; you will never have to fear riding one ever again."

Now that's an elevator pitch.