Ask the Talent Team: How Do I Perfect My Elevator Pitch?
Whether you are hoping to break into the job market or a seasoned professional looking for a career change, having an elevator pitch at the ready can help you take advantage of chance encounters.
Freddie Mac recently spoke with Tarah Van Deursen, senior talent advisor, to learn more about perfecting the art of the elevator pitch.
What is an elevator pitch? Why do I need one?
An elevator pitch is a quick summary to sell yourself as a professional. It’s called an elevator pitch for the time it should take to deliver, which is comparable to that of a short elevator ride.
It’s important to have an elevator pitch so you’re able to share a quick summary of your expertise, skills and strengths. Having one prepared can help you in many scenarios, such as interviews, career fairs, professional networking and membership events.
What essential information should I include in my pitch?
When working on your elevator pitch be sure to include the following:
- An introduction.
- Your story: An engaging summary of what makes you, you, and what makes you different—make sure to include a snapshot of the career journey you have been on.
- An explanation of what you want: networking opportunity, interview or new career.
- A conclusion with any action items: sending an email or meeting invite.
What are the advantages of an elevator pitch over other types of introductions?
An elevator pitch is a concise way of presenting your story in a way that can be applied to multiple scenarios, which makes it more useful than a traditional introduction. Although it’s a good idea to craft a general pitch you can use with a variety of audiences, the format allows you to quickly customize it depending on who you are speaking with.
How can I make my pitch compelling?
To make sure your pitch is compelling, keep it short, easy to understand and authentic to you. Remember that less is more and be sure to avoid any technical jargon and industry terms that only those in your field would understand.
Should I practice my elevator pitch? How long should it be?
As with most things, practice makes perfect. However, you want to strike a delicate balance between sounding natural and rehearsed. The more you practice your pitch and the more authentic your words are to your own experiences, the more comfortable and confident you will be in your execution. Ideally you should aim for an elevator pitch length between 30 to 60 seconds.
What can I do after giving an elevator pitch?
Remember to wrap up your elevator pitch with any clear follow-up or action items that you want to happen after the meeting. Perhaps this is a future informational interview request, a coffee chat, a follow-up email or introduction to another connection. But no matter your goal, concluding with a call to action will make it easier for you to continue the conversation in the future.
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