Elevator pitches work.

When people hear “elevator pitch,” some people think of an assignment they had to do for class. Some people shrug because it feels fake or rehearsed. But for me, one short introduction literally changed my career trajectory.

The Story

It was the semester after I graduated from college – I was interning for an organization I was very involved with as a college student. The internship was centered around planning and executing a large conference, so I spent a lot of time working on visuals that participants would see. Some of these visuals included PowerPoints with the organization’s Board members in it, listing each person’s name, position, and company next to their headshot. I became very familiar with those people’s faces as I worked on presentations with their names and faces in them for weeks.

Before and during the conference, I was searching for a full-time job after my internship. I had my mind made up that I wanted to pursue a sales and marketing development program because I wanted someone to teach me about those functions, and I thought it would be a great career launchpad. There were a few companies who had what I was looking for, and they would be at the conference, so I was ready to make an introduction when the chance came.

At the event, I got onto an elevator and was headed up one floor. After I hit the button, someone got onto the elevator with me. I turned and looked at him, and noticed it was a man whose name and face I became very familiar with from the presentations I had been creating. I realized this was a company I was very interested in, and knew I had to act quickly. I blurted out, “Are you Scott?” He responded, “Yes, I am.”

“I am Elizabeth Galbreath. I’m very interested in helping farmers solve problems on their operations, and I would love to learn more about your company’s Professional Development Program,” I said, cognizant of our short ride up one floor.

He smiled, nodded, and invited me to visit with his team at the career fair going on that afternoon. I told him I would. When I did, I secured an interview that I had to fly cross-country for 2 days later. That interview got me the job. And today, I manage the development program that I started my career in, working closely with Scott.

I quite literally would not be where I am if I wasn’t prepared to “make a move” and introduce myself confidently in that short amount of time. It wasn’t just luck to be in an elevator with a leader at a company I was interested in, but it was I had put in the time to know what made a strong introduction and how I could make it my own.

So often, we think about building networks, searching for jobs, and making connections as something that will happen to us. In reality, we have to take a more proactive approach.

I compare it to a wide receiver on a football team running down the field, watching the quarterback and waiting for the ball to be thrown to him. But instead of having his arms and hands ready to catch the ball, he’s just looking and running. That’s how we typically move through life and careers – watching opportunities pass by, and sometimes even running past them without realizing where we are.

But when a receiver has his arms and hands ready (and has practice under his belt), he is much more likely to be successful and make a catch. That is what we have to do – we must be ready to take advantage of every opportunity, meaning we have to do a little bit of prep work before we can be successful in implementing it.

Whether you’re a student, early-career professional, or someone navigating a transition, having a clear introduction ready matters.

The Framework

The reason I believe in elevator pitches – aside from my personal experience – is because they are an outward reflection of you knowing yourself and what’s important to you, and they communicate those things clearly to another person. It requires you to do some reflection internally, which means you’ve put effort into it.  So what reflection can you do to build an effective pitch or introduction?

Questions to consider in writing a strong introduction:

• What is important for them to know about me? (Job title, area of study, year in school, employer, your role at the event, etc.)
• What do I care most about? Or what problem am I passionate about solving? (Being a voice for ____, learning about ____, etc.)
• How can I connect to my audience? Or why should they care? (What you have in common, how they can help you, etc.)
• What is my call-to-action for the other person? (Set-up a follow-up meeting, exchange contact information, plan to visit later at the event, etc.)

Important notes about elevator pitches:

• Like your resume, your elevator pitch should be tailored to the audience every single time. They’re human, and want to know what’s in it for them. As you share more about who you are, they might have specific things they want to know about you based on their perspective. For example, if someone tells me they’re interested in a job, I need to know their year in school and major before talking further.
• You do not need to memorize this word for word. I highly recommend writing it down and saying it a few times out loud to work out any kinks, and to give yourself confidence. My general speaking advice is to practice more than you think you need to because when you’re not focused on what you’re saying, you can focus more on the “how” you’re saying it.
• An elevator pitch should be no more than 15-30 seconds. It should be a door into a deeper conversation, not the whole thing. If you struggle to cut it down, consider ending it with a specific question to continue the discussion and touch on important topics, rather than trying to put everything into your introduction.
• Pairing an elevator pitch with a firm handshake and smile while making eye contact makes an even stronger first impression.

You never know when you need to be ready for a connection that could change your life. Do your future self a favor by reflecting for just 10 minutes on the above questions and preparing for “what could be” today.