How to Craft A Killer 60 Second Elevator Pitch

Accept your emotional state.Nervousness is just excitement in a different outfit.If you feel nerves, don’t try to run away from them.The best way to calm yourself down is to accept that you feel excited because you want to share what you do with this person in hopes of benefitting all parties involved.Breathe deeply and be present.

Think differently.Rather than automatically thinking of what you can get out of talking to an executive, think about what you can give.How can you connect with and serve them in a meaningful way?What’s one way you can provide amazing value for them with no ulterior motives?How can you authentically connect as humans?

Get clear on your why.What’s the big reason you do your work? Why do you wake up in the morning and go to work? What’s your driving force?When you’re clear on exactly why you do your work, you’ll be able to communicate authentically and clearly.

Identify your #1 value point.This is the most important step. You need to know exactly why executives should want to talk to you.What’s the highest specific value point you bring to the table?It’s really important to step into the executive’s shoes here and identify exactly what you have that they want. Talk in tangible terms, like numbers, wherever possible.This isn’t about talking yourself up. It’s about serving your purpose in a big way by communicating the exact contribution you can make.

Be human.Find common ground with your prospective employer. You never want to overstep boundaries or get too comfortable, but it’s really important to remember that you’re both humans.It’s easy to become robotic in your elevator speech, especially if you’ve put a lot of thought into it and memorized it.It’s more important to become grounded and steadfast in these five steps so you can talk about what you do and why it’s valuable in multiple different ways. You don’t want to come across as rehearsed or forced.