“What do you do?” Think of all the recent times this commonly asked question has been posed to you --- the last social event you attended; or the visit to the mall, where you bumped into an old time buddy; or in the elevator when you met your new neighbours?

Little wonder, a well-rehearsed brief description of your business, commonly referred to as an ‘Elevator Pitch,’ is considered imperative to be able to skilfully and succinctly articulate your core business concept. You may live and breathe your business, but you must also be able to concisely and compellingly describe your business.

As the name suggests, the premise is simple: in the time it takes for you to reach the 10^th floor from ground level of a building, you should be able to convey your business concept to a potential investor, client, customer or partner. Because, let’s face it, in the fast paced real world, more often than not, that is precisely the amount of time you have to make an impression and present your business idea.

In less than a minute, an elevator pitch must captivate the attention of its audience. Here’s how:

1. Describe what you do
   Begin your pitch by describing what your company does. Focus on what problem you solve and how you add value in the lives of your target audience. If possible, add an interesting fact or statistic that immediately hooks the person before you.
   
   
   
2. Define your target audience
   In this section of the pitch, you must define your target audience – the people for who you are creating a product or service.
   
   
   
3. Convey your USP
   Your elevator pitch should communicate your unique selling proposition, or USP. It must convey what makes your company unique and what sets you apart from your competition.
   
   
   
4. String it together convincingly
   After articulating each section of your pitch, it’s time to put it all together. Use short crisp sentences. Include questions and statistics to make your pitch engrossing. Most importantly, time your pitch. It should not exceed a minute.
   
   
   
5. Practice your Elevator Pitch
   Remember, practice makes it perfect. It’s important to memorise the pitch and practice until it sounds natural and not rehearsed. Aim to make your speech conversational and not an aggressive sales pitch. Ensure that your body language while speaking is relaxed and not rigid or nervous. The idea is to sounds as natural as possible, even though the pitch maybe pre-prepared!

Watch a video of ‘Elevator Pitch’ winner Josh Light, CEO of Coffee Cup Advertising presenting his business concept with passion and conviction.