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How to Write A Great Elevator Speech

This page explains what an elevator speech or pitch is and shows you how write and deliver it in a way that will engage and arouse interest in your coaching.

Quick Links

1. What is an Elevator Speech?

2. What should an elevator speech include?

3. Examples of elevator pitches

4. How do I make an elevator pitch engaging?

What Is An Elevator Speech?

The Elevator Speech or Pitch takes it's name from the goal of being able to get your message across in the time it can take to ride a few flors in an elevator or lift - about 30 to 60 seconds.

It is simply a shortcut explanation that authentically defines the benefits of your coaching and captures the interest of the person or people you are addressing whether in person or on social media.

A good elevator speech should be without fluff or too much information, but worded in a way that creates interest and encourages people to ask for more details.

However, getting your message across briefly can be a challenge. Through experiences, as I made the networking rounds, I discovered the only way to be heard and understood in that brief time-frame was to create an elevator pitch in a format that tells:

What Should An Elevator Speech Include?

You should aim to include just enough information to get across your message in a way that will engage your audience in what you do and encourage them to seek more information from you. Whether in person or as a promotion on social media it should include....

Who you are - a brief introduction
Who you help (your niche or specialty)
How you help them achieve their goals or outcomes
A call to ask your more

What Are Some Examples of Elevator Pitches to Learn From?

Let's look at example of a typical elevator speech you might hear from a life coach.

I’m a certified life coach and I help people get more out of life. Let me give you some information about my services and the programs I offer.

Do you think this will work to engage most people? Chances are it won’t, and here’s why

The focus of this approach is on services, titles, and processes. Your potential clients aren’t interested in these things.

They don’t care about your industry or your qualifications as this stage (important though they are) or how you run your business. What they care about is how you are going to help them.

Words. What they care about is how you are going to help them.

This means that, even if you’re an amazing coach, people aren’t interested in buying your coaching per se. What they want to buy are solutions and results for the particular challenges they have.

So here are a couple of elevator speech examples that would work much better to engage and attract your ideal potential client or an alliance with another coach or professional.

I coach/help mothers who have been at home raising a family to have the confidence to re-define their careers and re-enter the workforce. If this is you I’d love to chat."

"I coach/help people who want to start their own business, get clear on their direction and put a workable plan in place towards a profitable and rewarding future. If this is you I'd love the opportunity to chat and tell you how I do this".

Get the picture!

Of course, if you are a generalist life coach, as I was, you can create an elevator speech to match the focus of your current audience. You can craft your pitch in the same basic format but customise it to the person, or audience you are addressing.

How Do I Make An Elevator Pitch Engaging?

How your elevator speech comes across and engages your audience will also depend on how relaxed and confident you are in standing up and speaking to your audience - even very briefly.

And this confidence and speaking skill is something it is well worth while taking the time to practice and develop. You never know when you may be asked to make a presentation about your coaching or be asked "what do you do?"

Here are six of my pet tips from years of attending networking functions and givinh and being on the receiving end of elevator pitches. You can use them where appropriate, whether you are literally delivering your message in a lift, in a public group, on social media or even in a queue at the airport checkin😀.

1. keep to time

If the networking function host asks everyone to give a brief introduction - stick to the recommended length of 30 to 60 seconds. Don’t go rambling over time with lots of detail. It’s not fair on the other networkers, or your host who is working to a schedule. And you may loose your impact.

2. Start with a Smile!

When you stand up at an in person function, or it's your turn online, start with a "Hi" and a smile. It set's the tone that you are friendly and approachable.

Girl grabbing a man and yelling with megaphone

The Do's and Don'ts of a great elevator speech.

3. NO Hard Sell

This is not the time to launch into a full sales pitch without pausing for breath. This can be a real turnoff. The elevator speech should be a brief engaging taster of what you offer that make people want to know more.

4. end your elevator speech with a call to action

No not a hard sell! Something like "let's chat if you'd like to know more" or "catch up with me later if you'd life to know more".

5. A Thank you is always nice

At the end of your elevator speech a simply "thank you", and another smile 😀 comes over really well and completes the process.

6. reciprocate

When you’ve given your elevator speech to someone one-on-one, and answered any questions, remember to show interest in them. Ask what they do. You never know there could be an opportunity for an alliance. Successful elevator speech in networking is a two-way street. It's not just a chance to promote yourself and move on.

In conclusion, the way to get fluent and confidence with your elevator speech is practice, practice, practice until it just rolls of your tongue and you feel really comfortable and authentic with it. Practice on your friends, in the mirror, with a video.

It doesn't have to be word perfect each time (it's not a script) but work on it until it flow easily in a way that invites interest.

What may also be helpful for your speaking confidence in delivering your message is my eBook "How to Use Speaking to Promote Your Coaching" which you can preview and gain from some of the content.

Happy elevating!

Do You Have A Great Elevator Speech Tip?

Creating a great elevator speech is often about trial and error. So please share your experiences and suggestions and assist other life coaches wanting to learn how to sell themselves.

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