Elevator Pitches: How to Write and Deliver Pitches that Work

You never know when you'll have the perfect opportunity to impress a potential client, colleague, or investor. That's the idea behind an elevator pitch — you want to be ready with a compelling statement about your product, your brand, or yourself at all times.

Experienced salespeople will tell you they've given sales pitches to prospects on trains, planes, or even on an actual elevator. That's why it's so important to proactively craft a great elevator pitch well before you expect to need it.

An elevator pitch is a short, well-rehearsed summary of what you or your organization offers your audience. It generally takes the length of an elevator ride — about 30 to 90 seconds — and covers your story, what you or your product does, and why it matters to the person you're talking to. A solid elevator pitch should provide enough information to grab the listener's attention and make them want to learn more.

Sales can be challenging — and it's becoming even more so. According to the Salesforce State of Sales report, 57% of salespeople say marketplace competition has become more difficult compared to a year ago. Plus, most sales reps spend only 30% of their time actively selling. When your time with prospects is so limited, you need to make every moment count. A strong elevator pitch provides an efficient way to get your foot in the door, start a new relationship, and, hopefully, impress the person you want to win over.

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Much of what makes an effective elevator pitch occurs during the preparation stage. Whether you're preparing an elevator pitch to promote yourself or your company's product, you don't want to wing it. Here are a few good guidelines to follow:

Keep your elevator pitch between 30 and 90 seconds long. If you do a run-through and it takes longer, trim it down. Consider writing a couple versions of your pitch at different lengths within that range. You'll find some scenarios benefit from a pitch that's less than a minute, while others allow for a slightly longer version.

A good elevator pitch usually starts with introducing yourself. You want to cover who you are, what you value, and how you got to where you are. Writing your elevator pitch is a great chance to define your core values and how they relate to your current situation.

Ideally, find something you have in common with your audience that can create a connection. That could be as simple as commenting on something at the event you're both attending ("Isn't the Wi-Fi here the worst?"). Or if you've researched your prospect, you may be able to go deeper, such as drawing attention to how you're both veterans or have the same alma mater.

Once you get past the introduction, the best elements to include in your elevator pitch depend on the context. Are you pitching yourself, a brand, or a particular product? And what do you know about the person you're pitching and their priorities? Consider how to represent what you're selling in the best possible light while tailoring your focus to what matters most to your audience.

• For a networking pitch about yourself: Show up as your authentic self in the pitch. Be sure to highlight your business experience and skills, but also remain genuine and relatable. Share your core values, how you've demonstrated them in your current and past roles, and how that information benefits your audience.
• For a product pitch: Give a quick background on how and why the product was created. Then discuss the key benefits it offers to customers like them — such as ROI, time savings, or solving a particular problem they find frustrating.

If you're wondering how to cover that much ground in less than 90 seconds, that's where customizing your pitch comes in. You don't need to mention every feature and benefit or tell your whole life story. Focus on the parts of your product or story that are most relevant to the person you're speaking with and leave out the rest. You may want to develop several variations of your elevator pitch to use in different scenarios.

No matter what your elevator pitch is for, your main goal should be to keep the conversation going. It might feel right to end your pitch with a polite, common phrase like "Have a great day" or "Thanks for stopping by," but those are actually conversation enders.

Instead, choose an open-ended question that encourages ongoing interaction. Something like, "What brought you here today?" or "What sparked your interest in this product?" Ending on a strong note can determine whether the relationship continues beyond that first introduction.

To give you an idea of what elevator pitches can look like in practice, here are some examples for different scenarios after you’ve gotten through your introduction.

A B2B founder has the opportunity to give a sales pitch to a promising prospect:

• "I struggled for years to prevent burnout on my team. Trying to find the balance between keeping employees happy and meeting deadlines often felt impossible. I looked for products that could help but found nothing worthwhile. So, I decided to build the product I needed: an incentives platform that rewards my employees with tangible benefits for good performance. With StaffRewards, I've seen a huge uptick in employee satisfaction and retention, which has also led to strengthened customer loyalty. What are some of the challenges your employees face?"

An experienced salesperson spots a fellow professional they admire at an event and wants to make a positive impression:

• "I'm so pleased to have bumped into you! Could I share with you why I think I could be a great asset for your business? I’ve been working at Acme Software for 12 years and lead a sales team with a $100 million book of business. My core values are customer advocacy, AI obsession, and seeking out fun. I’ve consistently grown my business 15% year-over-year through leading metrics and coaching. Having read your article on women in tech, I think we share a similar approach to business. I’d love to explore a potential role with you. Could we meet sometime to talk more about that?"

An IT service professional meets a fellow veteran from a company on their prospect list at an industry conference:

• "I'm a senior director of sales at Conversion Consulting, which is a Salesforce implementation partner. I've been with Salesforce for 11 years and have worked with a lot of IT service veterans like you. I've helped a lot of great companies transition into the Salesforce ecosystem, setting them up with products like Agentforce and Sales Cloud, along with professional services. What brings you to this event today?"

An ambitious young graduate seeking his first entry-level role meets a recruiter at a booth during a job fair:

• "I recently graduated from Jones University with a marketing degree. I've spent the last year shadowing at the Premier Brand marketing firm and helped the brand decrease its cost-per-lead by 27%. I'm seeking a position that will allow me to apply my experience and reach my career goals. Here's my resume and cover letter. Could you tell me a bit about what makes New Day Marketing unique?"

A B2C salesperson for home cleaning supplies could pitch a promising prospect:

• "Seventy-five percent of homeowners say they struggle to keep their house as clean as they'd like. It's embarrassing when guests come over and you can’t help but notice stains you missed or crumbs that you failed to clean up. Our SqueakyKleen products were developed to make performing a more thorough clean easier. Eighty-two percent of our customers agree that it's better than the store brands they were using before. Would you like to take home a free sample today?"

A founder has the chance to pitch angel investors to help support their new startup:

• "Interest in home gardens is up 40% in the past five years, but many consumers worry about their ability to grow produce at home. We created our indoor garden to address that need. Our system has smart sensors that automatically adjust light, water, and nutrient levels to meet the specific needs of every crop. As a self-contained ecosystem, our product allows all crops to grow indoors regardless of climate, making home gardening more affordable and realistic for consumers. Initial users report a 97% success rate with their planted crops. We're the first of our kind and ready to expand our product globally — ideally with your support. What would you like to know about how the system works?"

Writing the perfect elevator pitch is only part of the challenge; delivering it effectively is equally important. Here are a few tips to help you master the delivery when the time comes.

Knowing your audience is key to crafting a pitch that highlights how you or your product can benefit them specifically. 86% of business buyers say they're more likely to buy when their goals are understood. The right sales software, like Salesforce, can help you research each prospect so you can tailor your message to their needs and values. You can also train AI agents to perform prospect research for you, so you can go into every pitch prepared, while spending much less time to get to that point.

Hope for the best, but try to imagine all the ways your pitch can go wrong. Brainstorm likely objections and prepare responses for each one. Consider how you'll respond if you offend your audience or if they try to cut you off. You can't control how they'll react, but you can prepare for as many possible scenarios as you can think of. You can also use Sales Cloud’s AI-powered coaching to help with this step. When practicing your pitch, prompt it to come up with objections, so you can get practice responding.

You want to be confident, but you don't want your elevator pitch to feel like an imposition. Ask for permission to start the conversation to ensure you're not interrupting them during something important. If they decline, be ready with a follow-up question, like, "I understand. Is there a time next week we could talk instead?"

While your elevator pitch should be concise, its purpose is to launch a conversation and a relationship that lasts beyond the initial 30 to 90 seconds. Try to end on a note that keeps the conversation going. You always want there to be a clear next step.

Your elevator pitch is your best opportunity to make a strong impression on someone who could influence your career or help you secure a major sale. It's worth dedicating time to refining it. Consider your core values, your product's most compelling benefits, and what you know about your audience. Combine all of these into a brief, persuasive pitch. When done well, an elevator pitch can transform your career path in less than 90 seconds.