30 second elevator pitch: examples of what to say to make an impact

If you've ever found yourself in a lift together with a possible investor or potential client, or even just your boss, then it's likely you've experienced the sudden loss of your oratory skills. You probably wanted to get your business idea across, promote your products or outline your ambitions, saying something with real impact that opens the door to future conversations. 

Maybe, due to insecurity, fear of failure or lack of negotiation and persuasion skills, you weren’t able to explain how amazing your project is and that you have the right competencies, products and other solutions to support you in your success. Suddenly, the lift stops, the person gets out and the opportunity is gone. You had 30 seconds of glory and you wasted them. 

This situation is used to neatly explain how project presentation speeches work. We're talking about the well-known elevator pitch, a concept increasingly used by entrepreneurs today. However, it can also be applied to any situation where you need to convince another person in a short time.

There are many 30 second elevator pitch examples, so let's look at what this technique involves, what the elevator pitch components are, how to use it and how you can craft a convincing speech using textbook examples. 

What is a 30 second elevator pitch? 

A 30 second elevator pitch is an example of one of the techniques that are used to communicate the value of your business. It's designed so that you'll always have the communication tools to hand to make the most of encounters, whether spontaneous or planned, making an impression on your listener with prowess tailored to each situation.

The concept was created around the 80s by Philip B. Crosby. It became popular in business training during the 1980s and 90s and is currently used in the corporate world as a strategic tool for new businesses.

The primary aim of a 30 second elevator pitch is to distil the key message, which has to pique someone's interest in a few seconds, in order to secure a future interview or meeting with that person. According to the article Pay attention! Here’s the new five second rule, published by The Global Marketing Alliance, sustained attention lasts an average of only five seconds. After that, the listener will disconnect unless the topic interests them.  

30 second elevator pitch: examples of its importance

The key purpose of a 30 second elevator pitch is to boil down all of your project ideas into just a few words. This exercise requires essential advance preparation for when the opportunity arises to communicate the full value of your business to your potential customers.

Proper preparation will help you to identify and define your most relevant talents and communicate these efficiently. The ability to make an impact with your words will project the image of a person who not only dominates their area of expertise, but also knows how to tailor their message to an audience in very little time. 

Conversely, if you haven't prepared your message, that's like going to a job interview or networking event with a hole in your tights or dirty shoes. The clothes are the same, but the image projected doesn't resonate with the other party. And first impressions are almost always what count.

Elevator pitch components

To structure your message, the first thing you need to be clear about is what the elevator pitch components are and what key areas you need to consider to make it sufficiently eye-catching and as brief as possible, so that it can be communicated in a few seconds.

According to Naiara Pereyra, a career advisor and professional coach for companies such as Jobarcelona, ESADE, LHH, Telefónica and EAE Business School, the idea is to craft a 30 second elevator pitch that is clear, emotional, short and impactful. To do this, according to communications and personal branding specialist Alicia Ro, creator of the course "Improve your communications by video", your speech needs to include the 7 basic elevator pitch components:

1. Begin with a surprising statement.
2. Explain who you are.
3. Specify what needs or problems you address.
4. State what solutions you provide.
5. Confirm the main benefits that someone would obtain with you.
6. Outline why you are the right person (or your project is the right project).
7. End with a call to action.

30 second elevator pitch: examples

Lastly, here are some 30 second elevator pitch examples taken from the blog of HubSpot, a multinational company based in Cambridge, Massachusetts, that develops software products for marketing, sales and customer service teams. In the speeches of these five 30 second elevator pitch examples, references to companies or apps use fictitious names.

First example - Grabbing the listener's attention 

Has your boss ever told you to hand in a report before 5pm like it’s a quick and easy task? You reply, "Of course, no problem”, but suddenly you’re overwhelmed because you know that writing a report isn't “fast". The founders of SolutionsNOW constantly came up against this situation in their previous roles in marketing. That's why they created a tool that gathers all of your data in one place to create reports in 30 seconds or less.

This example of 30 second elevator pitch is effective because it captures the attention of the message's recipient using a question, reminding you that there are plenty of annoying tasks out there that are still routine. In this way, it demonstrates empathy for the listener's situation. And it also uses simple language.

Second example - Reality check

Every day we spend an hour and a half of our time gathering information to write reports. Often, these are overlooked or straightforward ignored. SolutionsNOW harnesses the information from the various tools your business uses. Just tell us which report you need, and we'll draft it, for example, a graph plotting each information source from the last month - and your report will be ready in just 30 seconds.

This message makes you realise the true productivity that your business could achieve, and it offers you a solution with a product that uses a simple example.

Third example - Punchy and to the point

The founders of my company used to be salespeople. Can you guess what the worst part of their day was? No, it wasn't arguing with their sales managers... It was writing reports. And I can't blame them, because we all know how tedious it is to write them up. That's why they created SolutionsNOW, a tool you can use to make reports in just a few seconds.

This example of 30 second elevator pitch also works because it explains the true inspiration behind the product, it's short and includes the company origins, which has been proven to be up to 22 times more memorable.

Fourth example – Playing on emotions

As a parent working long hours, and who has children waiting at home for dinner, what causes you most stress when you get home late? The lack of time to make healthy food, right? Or the pressure of having to cook while you help your kids do homework and they tell you about their day? Our DinnerIsReady app will solve everything for you, putting all of the catering companies close to home at your fingertips, for delivery of a varied menu of freshly made, healthy food to your door. In two clicks, you can have the dinner ready and devote more quality time to your family after work.

Every marketing expert worth their salt knows that emotional engagement tends to be highly effective in advertising campaigns. So, one option to catch the attention of investors is to appeal to their emotions. 

Fifth example - Supporting digitalisation

I understand that the biggest problem facing ABC are its outdated and inefficient systems. With more than 10 years of experience managing digitisation projects, I can optimise your technological processes to streamline decision-making and obtain results. Just as I did at XYZ, on a very limited budget, where together with other colleagues we implemented a dashboard for all of the marketing teams. Thanks to that, they've identified a new segmentation and designed campaigns that have seen sales increase by 20%... 

In this case, what's being sold is a novel digital solution that focuses on the benefits it offers, a fundamental aspect in an environment such as the current one, so dependent on technology. 

Attract investors and customers with a 30 second elevator pitch 

The 30 second elevator pitch is an example of an extremely useful tool to attract investors and customers. As not all entrepreneurs innately know how to properly convey and communicate their ideas, training and experience is fundamental for improvement in any business field. It is, in short, about mastering the persuasion techniques and strategies that help you to grab the listener’s attention, no matter where or when. 

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