"How to perfect your elevator pitch" by Kathy O' Brien

1. How To Perfect Your
Elevator Pitch
Sasin Entrepreneurship Centre
19 August 2015

2. Background: Elevator Pitch
2
• Coined by Ilene Rosenzweig and Michael Caruso
• Scenario: meeting someone important in the lift
• Delivers the WOW factor
Bill Reichert, CEO,
Garage Technology Ventures
© 2015
“In the real world,
your basically have
20 seconds to get
someone engaged
or you might as
well go home.”

3. Your ‘Elevator Pitch’
3
• Imagine someone steps into the lift and asks:
What do you do?
• You respond with an Elevator Pitch:
• Concise
• Professional, yet sounds like a human being
• Targeted to the audience
• Delivered in 30 seconds
© 2015

4. Exhibit A
4© 2015

5. Elevator Pitch Exercise
5
• In pairs
• Person A is audience
• Person B must address that person’s mindset while
answering the question:
Ø What do you do?
• … in 30 seconds!
• Then swap roles
© 2015

6. Discussion
6
• What was challenging?
• What worked?
• Why?
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7. Structuring Your Elevator Pitch
7© 2015
Now
How
Wow
Summary
Bottom-line message
How we got to the Now
Key factors
Background
Where next
Future benefit

8. Exhibit B
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9. Breaking Down Exhibit B
9© 2015
Now Day to Night
Convertible Heels
Patent pending
• 50m women wear heels
• Hurt their feet
• 5 heel heights
• Pre-sold 500 pairs
• 10x return upon
$250,000 investment
How
Wow
è
è
ç

10. Universal Usefulness
• Organise your thoughts in the simplest form
• The audience can follow
• You zoom in on the crucial facts
• If they want more, they ask. In fact you leave
them wanting more!
© 2015 10

11. Elevator Pitch Exercise ‘Take 2’
11
• In pairs once again
• Person A is audience
• Person B must address that person’s mindset while
answering the question:
Ø What do you do?
Ø Apply the NOW HOW WOW
• … in 20 seconds!
• Then swap roles
© 2015

12. Discussion
12
• What worked?
• Why?
• How did the NOW HOW WOW technique help?
© 2015

13. 12 Tips for a Winning Elevator Pitch*
• Start off
strong
• Tell what
you do, not
what you are
• Repeat key
information
© 2015 13
• Be interesting
but authentic
• Prioritise your
pitch
• Know your
audience
*Fallon, N. (2015). 12 Tips for
a Winning Elevator Pitch.
Business News Daily.

14. 12 Tips For a Winning Elevator Pitch*
• Focus on what
matters
• Keep it
conversational
• Think about your
end goal
© 2015 14
• Make a
connection
• Tell, don’t sell
• Open the door to
continue the
conversation
*Fallon, N. (2015). 12 Tips for
a Winning Elevator Pitch.
Business News Daily.

15. Elevator Pitch Exercise ‘Take 3’
15
• In pairs once again
• Person A is audience
• Person B must address that person’s mindset while
answering the question:
Ø What do you do?
Ø Apply the NOW HOW WOW
• … in 20 seconds!
• Then swap roles
© 2015

16. Discussion
16
• Tell your partner what he/she did well
• Give one pointer to what he/she could have done to
take the Elevator Pitch up one floor
© 2015

17. Boundless Possibilities
• Your update in a meeting
• Email
• Opening statement for a conference call
• Instant speech
• Not-so-instant speech
• Corridor conversations
© 2015 17

18. Exhibit C(omical)
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19. Bring it to Your World
What are several opportunities in your life where you’ll
apply the Elevator Pitch?
© 2015 19