Business Elevator Pitch Examples and Template

Business Elevator Template

You can take many different approaches when formulating your business elevator pitch. However, it must contain certain elements. Here is a short template which you can follow to ensure your pitch contains all of the essential information you need to convey.

1. Explain who you are

An elevator pitch must include a short sentence to tell the prospect who you are. This is typically used at the start of the pitch. It only needs to be as simple as:

“Hi, my name David. I’m a small business consultant working in the tech sector.”

2. Explain what you do

Include another short sentence which explains what you do. This will give the prospect an immediate sense of what you are offering and what your capabilities might be. This explanation is usually 1 to 2 sentences long, however, you could extend it slightly to build more cred-inline-blockility.

“I help small businesses improve productivity and increase profits by providing world-class rostering software.”

3. Identify your target audience and how you help them

Explain that you primarily work with people like the prospect, helping them to improve their businesses or somehow make their lives easier. It is also important to clearly identify the problem that you can solve for the prospect or the opportunity you can help them take advantage of.

“From my many years working as a small business consultant, I discovered that business owners were struggling to find the time to manage rosters. So I decided to develop software that streamlines the entire process, enabling business owners to create rosters in a fraction of the time. This software can save you many hours each week, which you can put back into your business.”

 4. Explain why your business is different

Having some product or service differentiation is essential, so squeeze in a few sentences that mention this aspect. Differentiation could come in many forms including price, service quality, warranty, and features.

“Unlike other rostering solutions, my application is specifically tailored to suit the needs of small business owners. My experience as a small business consultant has helped me develop a product like no other.”

5. Give the prospect the opportunity to continue the conversation

The primary goal of the elevator pitch is perking the prospect’s interest and to secure a meeting or further interaction. Include a call to action to get that follow up meeting. This could be as simple as:

“I’d love to tell you more about my software, here is my card.”

6. Use a hook

A “hook” is some interesting, funny, or novel theme in your elevator pitch. It will make the pitch more memorable and improve the chances of further contact with the prospect. It could be a startling statistic, question, story, or funny anecdote. I’ll share a few hooks below in the elevator pitch examples.

Business Elevator Pitch Examples

Here are a few tried and tested business elevator pitches that are very effective. Use these examples as hooks, adding the other information outlined in the template above.

Use a startling statistic

Instead of starting the elevator pitch with an explanation of what you do, use a shocking statistic relating to a challenge faced by the prospect or their industry.

“Here is an interesting statistic for you. The average small business owner spends between 5 to 7 hours creating employee rosters each week. What if I told you I have a solution that could halve the time it takes to create a roster? Imagine what you could do with the extra time”.

This approach works because:

• The statistic gets their attention quickly
• It jumps straight into the problem/solution
• It’s straightforward (no jargon)
• The prospect thinks about the potential benefits of having more time (thanks to your offer)

Ask a question

Questions are an engaging way to kick off an elevator pitch and can help you learn more about the prospect including any concerns or challenges they have. Try opening with something like:

“Let me ask you something. Do you ever feel frustrated or annoyed about the time it takes to complete complex employee rosters? (They answer). I often hear that from small business owners. That’s why our team developed roster software specifically made for small business owners…”

This approach works because:

• The prospect will enter into a conversation (conversational approaches convert better)
• It is a very attention-grabbing opener
• You can learn more about their challenges
• It’s easy to transition from the answer to the benefits of your offer

Boost your cred-inline-blockility

If you are meeting a prospect for the first time, you can expect to have limited cred-inline-blockility and rapport. Fortunately, it’s simple to tailor your elevator pitch to boost both by focussing on yourself and your team with this type of elevator pitch:

“I have spent 20 years of my life working as a business consultant for companies like McDonalds and Subway. During that time, I often heard managers complaining about the time it took to create employee rosters. So, I gathered a team of the industry’s best IT experts to create a new program that streamlines the roster-making experience.”

This approach works because:

• The prospect immediately knows you are a capable person and will listen attentively
• You are explaining the reason why your solution is superior (made by experts)
• It quickly identifies the problem/solution

Share a customer story

Stories can be a compelling way to highlight the benefits of a product or service. You could use a case study for your story, which highlights the benefits of your offer:

“McDonalds was one of the largest companies I consulted for. One day, I was talking to the manager of the McDonalds store in Canterbury and he told me that writing employee rosters were one of his most hated tasks. I found this curious, so I asked other store managers. It turned out that everyone hated it!

Working in conjunction with these managers, I developed a new employee roster tool that is designed to be user friendly. I trialed it at four McDonalds branches in 2018 and found that the managers saved an average of 2 hours each week. I’d love to explain how the software works if you have time.”

 This approach works because:

• The prospect may identify with the challenges faced by people in the story
• It provides “proof” that your solution works with a compelling before and after
• It is easy to see the value of your offer
• It’s simple to boost your cred-inline-blockility during the story

Keep it simple

If you are pitching to busy people, it’s important to be as concise as possible. Build your elevator pitch around brevity by shortening it to a few lines and enticing the prospect to learn more.

“During my career as a business consultant, virtually every business owner I worked with hated completing employee rosters. That’s why I developed an innovative new tool for completing employee rosters. It helps you create employee rosters in a few minutes. I know your time is short, but I’d love to schedule an appointment so I can tell you more about it.”

This approach works because:

• Quick and simple
• The prospect will appreciate the brevity of the pitch