Crafting a Winning Elevator Pitch

Few months ago, I was on a flight and the person next to me asked, “what do you do for work?” The old me would’ve awkwardly engaged in small talk, such as thinking: what do I say? How do I say it? Is it even interesting? However, over the years I’ve discovered one of the best ways to engage is to make it relatable. Instead of saying I work for this company, with this title, and I do ABC, I learned the better structure is actually this: 🔵 Talk about the issues you solve 🔵 The solutions you offer 🔵 Name drop proof You can even use this formula, “You know how (state issue)? So what I do is (share solution). For example (give proof).” Personally, this is what I said: “You know how communicating clearly and confidently is one of the most important workplace skills, but so many people and teams struggle with it? I have a communication book coming out and I speak at conferences about developing leadership communication skills for business growth. It’s where I’m headed to now.” Suddenly, he had so many questions about the book and the work because he could relate. Next time you have to think about crafting a compelling introduction or talk about your work, follow this easy structure. How would you fill in the blank? Let me know below 👇🏻 #smartnotloud #book #communication #smalltalk #elevatorpitch

Here's how to simplify your pitch and 10x your sales: 1. Talk less, sell more. Short sentences = more sales. Hemingway once bet he could write a story in 6 words that'd make you feel something: "For sale: baby shoes, never worn." Your pitch should pack the same punch. 2. Complexity is for people who want to feel smart, not be effective. The worst salespeople make simple things sound complicated. The best make the complex simple. 3. Complexity says, "I want to feel needed." Simplicity limits to only what is needed. 4. Read your pitch out loud. I remember when I'd asked my COO to read the manuscript of my book. He chose to do it aloud. All 258 pages. Ears catch what eyes miss. The final version reads like butter. 5. "Be good, be seen, be gone." This was the best sales advice I ever got. - Good: Deliver value - Seen: Make an impression - Gone: Don't overstay your welcome People buy from those they remember, not those who linger. 7. Speak like your customer, not a textbook. We like to sound sophisticated. "We create impactful bottom-line solutions." But we like to listen to simple. "We help small businesses explode their sales." Which one would you buy? 8. Every word earns its place. Your pitch should be lean and mean. - Be specific - Avoid cliches - Check for redundancy - If it doesn't add value, cut it out 9. Abstract concepts bore. Concrete examples excite. ❌ "We'll increase your efficiency." ✅ "We'll save you 10 hours a week." Paint a picture. 10. People buy on emotion & justify with logic So tap into their feelings: - Fear of missing out - Desire for success - Need for security Then back it up with facts. 11. The "Grandma Test" never fails. If your grandma wouldn't get your pitch, simplify it. No jargon. No buzzwords. Just plain English. 12. Benefits > features. Dreams > benefits. ❌ "Our group hosts 10+ events per year." ✅ "Our program helps you close deals." 🚀 "Let's take back Main Street through ownership." 13. Use power words: - You - Free - Because - Instantly - New These words grab attention and drive action. Two final things to keep in mind... Simplicity isn't just for sales. Apply these principles to: - your business operations - your thinking processes - your next investment - your relationships - your to do list Sales isn't just for car dealerships. You pitch when you: - Negotiate a raise - Interview for a job - Post on social media - Hire someone for a job - Talk to an owner about buying their biz If you found this useful, feel free to share for others ♻️

7 Claude AI Prompts To Help You Craft The Perfect Elevator Pitch: 1. Start With Your Foundation Upload your resume and ask: "Help me write a 60-second elevator pitch about my career. Include specific metrics and achievements that showcase my growth." This prompt gives you a solid foundation that you can build on and tweak. It’s also value-driven instead of summary-focused. 2. Create Industry-Specific Hooks Copy your pitch foundation, then ask: "Write 3 opening lines for my elevator pitch targeting [Specific Industry]. Each hook should address a major pain point that industry faces right now." Test these with people in your target field to see which resonates most. The right hook makes decision-makers lean in instead of tune out. 3. Build Your Unique Value Proposition Share your resume, your pitch, and your list of target industries: "Analyze my resume and create unique value propositions for each of the following industries: [Industry A], [Industry B]. Include measurable metrics in each." Your UVP should answer: "Why should they care about meeting me?" Most professionals can't articulate what makes them different in a tangible way. 4. Clarify Your Close Now share your pitch and ask Claude: "Write 5 different closing lines that aim to create a two way dialogue and offer opportunities to build rapport with this contact." Your pitch needs a call-to-action if you want it to get results. Don’t just ask for a referral though. Try something like: "I'd love to hear about your experience with [relevant topic]." The best closings shift focus from you to them. 5. Personalize For A Contact If you know who you’re pitching ahead of time? Screenshot their LinkedIn profile, upload to Claude, and ask: “I’m meeting with [Contact Name] today. Here is a screenshot of their LinkedIn profile. Please tailor my elevator pitch to maximize my chances of building a rapport with them and selling them on my value.” Now you can come prepared! 6. Personalize For A Contact Nobody wants to hear a robotic resume recital. The best pitches feel like natural dialogue, not presentations. Record a video of yourself delivering your pitch. Upload that video to Claude and ask: “Please review this recording of my elevator pitch. Provide feedback on how I could make it sound more natural, confident, and compelling.” 7. Refine Based On Reactions As you deliver your pitch, gauge the reactions and outcomes. If you’re not getting bites, you can ask Claude to help: “My pitch isn’t landing. I’ve tried it with X people in the last week and no one has engaged with me outside of a polite sentence or two. Please analyze why it’s not working and provide some suggestions for new angles I can test.” It may take a few rounds of revision to find the pitch that resonates. —— 🔵 Ready to land your dream job? Click here to learn more about how we help people land amazing jobs in ~15.5 weeks with a $44k raise: https://lnkd.in/gdysHr-r

Selling to leadership is tough. Learn to speak finance, and everything changes. (This works for both B2B sales and internal pitches.) Speak the language of financial metrics and business impact, and you’ll earn buy-in. Whether you’re pitching a product, service, or internal idea, this skill makes you a trusted partner to decision-makers. Want to dive deeper? Download my free guide “10 Levels of Profitability” here: https://bit.ly/40pY3CQ Here’s why: Executives don’t want fluff. They need to know *how* your solution or proposal will impact their business financially. Here’s how to make your pitch resonate: 1️⃣ Talk Margins, Not Just Savings ↳ Show how your solution improves gross, operating, or net profit margins. Make it clear how it improves topline or streamlines processes to ultimately add value to the bottom line. 2️⃣ Connect to Cash Flow ↳ Highlight how your solution will boost cash flow, not just the bottom-line. Smart executives prioritize cash flow over simple revenue increases or cost savings because it keeps the business stable and flexible. 3️⃣ Show ROI and Payback Period ↳ Present clear numbers on return on investment (ROI) and how quickly they’ll see a payback. Executives need to know when their investment will yield results. 4️⃣ Impact Key Financial Ratios ↳ Explain how your proposal enhances key metrics like ROE (Return on Equity), ROA (Return on Assets), or EBITDA. This demonstrates that you understand their financial framework and how your solution strengthens it. 5️⃣ Talk Risk Management ↳ Show that you’ve considered potential downsides. Demonstrate how your proposal mitigates financial risk and supports long-term stability—not just quick gains. Why this matters: 1️⃣ You Stand Out ↳ Most sales pitches and internal proposals focus on benefits. When you speak in terms of financial strategy and impact, you differentiate yourself. 2️⃣ You Build Trust ↳ Speaking their language shows you understand their challenges, priorities, and goals. 3️⃣ You Become Indispensable ↳ When you can prove your solution impacts key business metrics, you shift from being just another vendor or team member to a trusted advisor. If you want to learn finance strategy to elevate your pitch and proposals, join 3,000 learning with me here: https://bit.ly/famcol Remember: Learn to speak finance, and you’ll open doors that most can’t. ♻️ 𝐋𝐢𝐤𝐞, 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭, 𝐑𝐞𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐭 to help someone else. And follow Oana Labes, MBA, CPA for more  

I had a moment the other week where I gave a literal "elevator pitch." On-site with a big account, and a 6-figure deal in my pipeline. (Sidenote: it's always worth the travel to go see a big account.) I spent the day meeting with VP Sales, RevOps, Enablement, a whole group. But the one key person I hadn't yet met was their CRO. Until I was on my way to catch an Uber back to the airport, and he steps into the elevator. (He has no clue who I am or why I'm there at this point.) I say hi, he says hi. Then I mention he's built a sharp team, and I got a chance to meet them all. So naturally, he asks the old, "So what do you do?" question. This is my favorite way to answer that, with a simple framework you can use for your own "elevator pitch." (It's still comical to me we were in an actual elevator.) ______ (1) You know how ___________? ^ setup the situation / problem you focus on. (2) Well, you’re probably doing X, and it works really well. But it can’t Y. ^ you want them to feel like, "Oh man, you're so right" after sharing this. (3) So we let you do X and Y. How are you thinking about this? ^ you did a good job here if you get some version of "tell me more" after, and personally, I like ending with a question. _____ For me, that sounded like: (1) You know how buying teams have to sell you to their own execs, when your reps aren't in the room? (2) Well, you already have a Value Team writing business cases to help buyers in $1M+ deals, which works. But it's hard to scale downmarket. (3) So we let Commercial / MM reps generate these, with exec summaries not just ROI models. Which means you get the win rate you do upmarket — in a process that keeps pace with higher velocity deals. How are you thinking about business cases in MM? _____ Works just as well outside of an elevator too. Give it a shot this week.

I blew 20 VC meetings before I realized I didn’t need a perfect pitch; I needed to show investors how I'd make them money. Here’s how I did it by focusing on milestones 👇🏾 REGULAR PITCH: I thought my pitch was smooth: "Our product is in market and we’ve gotten 7 customers and $100K in ARR. We’re raising $750K to hire engineers to move off of no-code" Sounds solid, right? Nope. 20 meetings and 0 checks in, I realized I was making a big mistake. I was telling investors how I'd use their money, not how they'd make money. MILESTONE-FOCUSED PITCH: Once I understood venture math, everything changed. My new pitch: "We're at $100K ARR with seven customers, and our product is a no-code MVP. With $750K, we'll grow to $1M ARR in 15 months - which will allow us to raise our seed round at 2-3x our current valuation." WHY THIS WORKS: Pre-seed investors aren’t investing in today’s version of your company. They’re investing in what your company can become. They need to believe that in 12-18 months, you can raise another round at a 2-3x valuation. That means if you’re raising at a $6M valuation today, your job is to convince investors that you’ll be able to raise at (at least) a $12M valuation down the road. Why do you have to double your valuation? Because VCs need to show their LPs (limited partners; the people who give them money to invest) that they're picking good companies. Happy LPs = more money for the next fund. TAKEAWAY: When fundraising, your job as a founder isn't to show investors your great company. Your only job is to convince them you'll hit the milestones to raise your next round at a higher valuation. The other parts of your pitch (team, product, GTM, etc.) are just there to support the story. What’s your biggest challenge with fundraising? Drop a comment and I’ll try to help! Save and repost this to help a first-time founder 🤝🏾

The worst cold email I received this month started with: "I'd love 15 minutes to introduce myself and show you what we do." Nobody cares about your introduction. Nobody has time for a generic pitch. After analyzing thousands of outreach sequences, I've discovered a psychological shift that's doubling meeting rates for innovative sellers. The best performers aren't focusing on their product. They're focusing on buyer psychology. Here's what's actually working in 2025: 1. The Curiosity Gap When you write "Other VPs in your space are seeing X trend" instead of "We help companies do Y," you create an information gap buyers want to fill. Our brains hate incomplete information. Use this. 2. Relevance Triggers Generic outreach gets generic results. When you mention a buyer's LinkedIn post or recent initiative, you're bypassing their "sales defense system." Relevance is required. 3. Specificity Signals "This could help you grow revenue" gets ignored. "Companies like yours are seeing 22% reduction in CAC" gets attention. Specific numbers signal you actually know what you're talking about. 4. Miniature Commitments Don't ask for 30 minutes. Ask for feedback on one specific insight. Small asks lead to bigger conversations. 5. Value-First Mindset Position yourself as a resource, not a vendor. Share insights without expecting anything in return. Reciprocity is powerful. The old playbook of "smile and dial" is dead. Meeting quotas in 2025 requires understanding human psychology. What psychological principle has worked best in your outreach?

Listen up. I’ve coached thousands of sales calls and most reps sabotage their own deals without realizing it. When I started in 2007, I nearly got fired for not understanding how language impacts buyer psychology. Now, after helping teams double revenue in 90 days, I can spot the hidden mistakes instantly. You're probably killing your win rate with these “harmless” phrases. Here are 6 phrases that are absolutely DESTROYING your deals (and what to say instead): 1) "Sorry to bother you..." Starting with an apology tells the prospect, “I’m not worth your time.” You’ve lost before you’ve begun. Top 1% performers NEVER apologize for delivering value. They command attention through absolute certainty. ✅ POWER MOVE: "Hey Alice, Marcus here from Venli. I'm reaching out because we helped Company X increase their pipeline by 37% last quarter, and I noticed your team might be facing similar challenges..." 2) "Just following up..." This lazy phrase screams, “I’ve got nothing to offer, but want your money.” Total momentum killer. Elite reps are wildly precise with their words and always reference specific commitments made in previous conversations. ✅ POWER MOVE: "Alice, you mentioned you were going to discuss our proposal with Charles during your leadership meeting yesterday. I'm curious … what feedback did you receive that we should address?" 3) "I know you're really busy..." Say this, and you’ve just made yourself irrelevant. Game over. Remember: YOUR time matters. Top performers signal status through subtle positioning every time. ✅ POWER MOVE: "I was just wrapping up a strategy session with Lisa, the CEO over at Company X, and wanted to quickly connect about next steps before my afternoon gets packed..." 4) "What are the next steps?" This signals poor process control - no system, no playbook, no real method. The sales machines I build don’t ask for direction - they GIVE it. They own the process. ✅ POWER MOVE: "Based on what we've discussed, here's what typically happens next: First, we'll schedule a technical review with your team for next Tuesday. Then, we'll deliver a customized implementation plan by Friday. How does that sound?" 5) "To be honest..." Wait, Wait... so everything before this wasn’t true? Nothing kills credibility faster. When I turn around failing sales teams, eliminating this phrase is always one of the first habits we break. ✅ POWER MOVE: "That's an excellent question, Alice. Here's exactly how our solution addresses that challenge..." 6) "What do I have to do to get your business?" Is this 1988? This pushy close screams desperation and kills trust instantly. The best reps I've coached understand that closing isn't an event. It's the natural outcome of a well-executed sales process. ✅ POWER MOVE: "It seems like you're hesitating about X. I'm curious … what specific concerns do you have that we haven't fully addressed yet?" Which of these six phrases have YOU been using without realizing it? 

Cold calling lesson: Don’t pitch. Poke. Let’s say I’m selling software that filters out fake AI-generated job applications. I could open the call like this: “Hey, we help talent teams eliminate AI-generated applications before they hit your ATS. We use advanced detection to save hours of recruiter time. The purpose of my call is to schedule time to show you how it works.” That’s a pitch. And when people feel pitched, they brace themselves. They get quiet. Guarded. Distrustful. Now let’s try poking the bear instead: “Not sure if you’re seeing this, but a bunch of companies are getting flooded with AI-generated job apps that look totally legit. How are you spotting those before they hit your ATS?” That’s not a pitch. That’s an illumination question. It surfaces a blind spot. It creates a little tension. It invites someone to think, not defend. Here’s the psychology: When you pitch, you’re telling them what their problem is. When you poke the bear, you’re letting them recognize it for themselves. That moment of recognition is where curiosity begins. And curiosity opens the door to conversation. So next time you’re on a cold call, ditch the pitch. Poke the bear. Buyers have the answers. Sellers have the questions.

Let's talk about the elephant in the room: if you're 50+ and interviewing, you're fighting age bias, whether anyone admits it or not. I've seen brilliant, experienced professionals stumble in interviews because they're using strategies designed for 25-year-olds. That approach doesn't work when you have decades of experience. Here's the reality: age bias exists despite legal protections. The key is reframing your experience as a competitive advantage, not a liability. Your strategic preparation framework: 1. Research your interviewers - Look up their backgrounds and company demographics. Find potential advocates and cultural alignment opportunities. 2. Demonstrate technology fluency - Show current technical competencies and familiarity with modern tools. Don't let them assume you're behind the times. 3. Project energy and enthusiasm - Combat assumptions about engagement levels through forward-looking discussions and genuine excitement about the role. 4. Lead with recent wins - Start conversations with current achievements and capabilities, not a chronological career history that spans decades. 5. Show adaptability - Provide specific examples of successfully adapting to new systems, methodologies, or market conditions. Prove you're not stuck in the past. Position your experience strategically: Your decades of experience aren't just nice-to-have - they're business risk mitigation. You bring relationship assets, seasoned judgment, and capabilities that create immediate value. Your industry knowledge and professional networks are competitive advantages that reduce onboarding time and accelerate contribution timelines. Stop competing with younger candidates on identical terms. Emphasize the unique value propositions that justify your investment level. What strategies have you found most effective for positioning senior-level experience during competitive interview processes? Sign up to my newsletter for more corporate insights and truths here: https://vist.ly/3z9fc #deepalivyas #eliterecruiter #recruiter #recruitment #jobsearch #corporate #seniorprofessionals #interviewstrategy #careerstrategist