Elevator Pitch – Everything You Need To Know

If you are trying to find your dream job, you will need a CV and cover letter that stand out from the crowd, a good interview technique and a kick ass elevator pitch.

Don’t under estimate the power of an elevator pitch in a job interview.

Having a great one can be the difference between a recruiter sitting up and taking notice of (and remembering) you, or going through the motions.

What Is An Elevator Pitch?

An elevator pitch is a short, to the point speech about why (in this scenario) you are the right candidate for the job.

It is usually expected to be about 30 seconds – 1 minute in length. It gets it’s name, elevator pitch, from the reasoning it should be short enough for you to convey your message if you were riding one floor in an elevator with someone.

What Should You Include?

You should use this time to tell the recruiters why you are perfect for this role.

A lot of this is dependant on the job you are applying for.

Sit down with the job description and person specification and ask yourself what you would be looking for if you were hiring someone to do this job.

Once you have a list of what you think they are looking for, choose three things that you are good at, and have a proven track record of.

This is your chance to shine – don’t hold back and don’t be vague.

An Example Of An Elevator Pitch.

Ok, as an example, let’s say the job you are applying for is a sales manager, and the 3 things you have chosen to highlight are:

• The candidate must have strong leadership skills
• The candidate must have a proven sales record
• The candidate must be able to confidently pitch products face to face

Obviously, you will need to tailor the speech to you and your skills and achievements, this is just an example.

“In my current role, I manage a team of 15 sales people, which is a 33% increase in staffing since I took on the role 12 months ago due to an increased geographical sales location. In my year running the team, we beat our monthly sales target by an average of 8% per month, with my personal sales beating my individual target by an average of 10%. In July, I pitched our product to a potential new customer who placed an order in excess of £10,000, which was double the order size we were aiming to get.”

The increased staffing and the team beating their sales targets demonstrates strong leadership.

The individual target being beaten shows a proven sales record, and the pitch that brought in the greater than expected revenue not only demonstrates the ability to pitch, it also adds to the proven sales record.

Make sure to use statistics not just vague “I am good at…” style sweeping statements.

Make sure you know the facts and figures, and the main points you want to make by heart, but don’t learn the pitch word for word or it will sound like you are reciting something you’ve read rather than talking about something you’ve done.

When To Use Your Elevator Pitch

Some recruiters will open with “Give me your elevator pitch.” If not, then this is the perfect answer to “Why should we give you this job?”

It’s also useful to have a similar spiel for your hobbies and interests so when the recruiter asks you to tell them a little something about yourself outside of work you’re not left stumped.

Do you have an elevator pitch? Do you have any tips on how to write one? Let me know in the comments 🙂

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