An elevator pitch is one of the first lessons in business school, but the question remains why do I need one? This is one of those questions that have many answers, instead I will give you 3 reasons for why they are important and very helpful. Afterwards, let me know how it helped you having developed an elevator speech!
Elevator Pitch While Job Searching
You’re in the process of looking for a new job and start attending to various networking events to meet recruiters and potential employers, but have a limited amount of time to speak to them because there are others in the room with your same intentions.
It’s the moment of truth, you have identified the target person and have approached to introduce yourself. Now, what do you say? You know you only have at most 5 minutes, what do you tell them to make a lasting impression?
You don’t want to introduce yourself and not have a topic of discussion or engage in small talk that will lose their interest in you. BOOM! Your 30 second elevator pitch just saved you and now you have triggered their interest to either, continue talking to you so you or offer you an interview. WIN.
Elevator Pitch During a Job Interview
This is probably my favorite one. If you read our other post about how to answer the “Tell Me About Yourself Question” during an interview, this would come in very handy. Usually when an interviewer asks to tell him/her about yourself, candidates tend to panic and give irrelevant life stories.
An elevator pitch is great in these situations because it will give your response better structure, and direction that will keep the interviewer more engaged. If you can tell them in 30 seconds, what got you interested in the industry, what you have done to be where you are and what you want for your future in that career, you just showed them you are prepared and really interested in the position at hand.
Elevator Pitch While Networking
You know it already, whatever industry you are in, networking and strengthening those relationships is one of the best tools you will have for career success. You may be networking for various reasons, meet potential employers, investors, mentors, etc…
When you are networking for career development, it is crucial to communicate your message in an efficient way so you can connect with all these prospects. You also want to make sure that your goals and interests align so you can build those relationships.
A well-structured elevator pitch will do just that, ensure that your core values and interests align with that of the prospect you are speaking with. If you can successfully create interest from both parties, you have succeeded and your elevator pitch was a success!
Even if you are a very shy person, having an elevator pitch will help you overcome that barrier. It is not going to be easy but being prepared will help you tremendously and you can also check out our article with networking tips for introverts.
