5 Elevator Pitch Examples + Templates

Writing a successful elevator pitch can help you make a positive impression in just 30 or 60 seconds—the length of time you might share an elevator with someone. While elevator pitches can occur in many settings, they’re always brief, attention-getting, and clear. Explore examples and a template below to help you craft your elevator pitch. 

Creating an elevator pitch

A well-crafted elevator pitch is short and focused, so discuss your key points clearly and confidently. An ideal pitch is typically less than a minute and fewer than 75 words. 

Your elevator pitch should answer three main questions for your listener:

• Who are you? Yes, you’ll introduce yourself, but think bigger. You want to convey important things about you or your business that make you memorable. For example, a petite woman pitching her wrestling expertise might say, “I’m Lena. I may not look like a pro wrestler, but I’ve been winning belts for my in-ring performance for three years now.”

• What do you do? When meeting a career connection, think of this question in terms of what skills and experience you offer to make you a good fit for a role. If you’re pitching a business or entrepreneurial idea, talk about how your organization or idea will benefit the listener or a larger audience. Consider your listener's problem and share how you can solve it. This moment might also be a prime opportunity to mention your target audience and competitive advantage or what differentiates you from the rest.

• What’s your ask? Close your pitch by stating your objective. You might ask for an interview, an internship, a promotion, an introduction to the organization’s decision-makers, an investment, a connection, or a follow-up meeting.

Once you craft a good elevator pitch, you can use it in many professional or personal situations. You might include portions of the pitch’s language in a social media profile or About Us page, ad copy, emails, mission statements, landing pages, or blog post profiles.

Read more: Practice Interview Questions: How to Tell Your Story

Elevator pitch template

You’ll need to start with some brainstorming to write your best elevator pitch. A structured outline like the template below can be helpful, particularly as you’re in the early phases of creating your pitch. The third column is for your thoughts and notes.

Elevator pitch examples to inspire you

These examples of elevator speeches tackle different scenarios to show you how to craft this pitch. The following sections also explain why each of these examples works well.

Trying to get an internship

"Hi, my name is Sarah, and I recently earned my bachelor’s degree in marketing. I'm excited to explore opportunities in the field and gain experience through an internship. I have honed my market research, content creation, and social media management skills throughout my academic journey. I'm a quick learner, a team player, and passionate about helping businesses thrive. I would love to discuss internship opportunities with your team.”

Why this pitch works: Sarah effectively communicates critical information so a potential employer understands her search. She says her name, education level, and field of interest. Sarah next shares relevant skills and qualities that could make her a good intern. She closes by asking to discuss internship opportunities with the organization.

Pitching a product

"Are you tired of juggling multiple calendars and missing important appointments? Hi, I'm John, and my mobile app, Align, makes it easy for busy professionals to manage their work and personal schedules. Our app syncs your calendars and sends you reminders for upcoming events. Our user-friendly interface and affordable prices make it easy to operate, so you don’t have to worry about missing another meeting. Try our app today, and simplify your life.”

Why this pitch works: This concise and well-structured pitch grabs attention and communicates the product in an easy-to-understand way. Listeners quickly learn how John’s product can benefit them. The pitch also highlights the app’s unique features and specific audience. After building credibility and trust, John asks you to try the app.

Seeking a promotion

“I’m Javier, and I’ve been a sales manager here at Symcom for three years. I’m here to talk about the possibility of a promotion. In my time with Symcom, I've consistently exceeded my sales targets by 10 to 20 percent and built multi-year relationships with my clients. I've also mentored and trained junior sales representatives and am proud to have seen them grow and succeed. In a more senior role, I can inspire more team members and drive even more results for our company. Could we schedule a conversation about this?”

Why this pitch works: Javier introduces his name, position, and time spent with the company. He then highlights his achievements and contributions to prove his success while demonstrating his care for those he works with (e.g., “I’m proud to have seen them grow and succeed). Javier discusses his willingness to meet new challenges and commitment to the company. Finally, he asks for more responsibility while expressing confidence that he can make a positive impact.

Connecting during a networking event

"Hi, my name is Lin, and I'm a software engineer specializing in artificial intelligence. I'm passionate about pushing the boundaries of what's possible in AI, and I'm excited to connect with all of you at this event. I have worked on everything from natural language processing to computer vision. If anyone is working on exciting AI projects or would like to discuss AI trends and best practices, I would love to chat and potentially collaborate."

Why this pitch works: Lin’s pitch effectively communicates her goals, interests, and experience while inviting others to engage in a conversation. After introducing herself and her passion for AI, she discusses why she’s networking and her industry experience. She ends with a clear ask, an open invitation for the listener to connect with her and potentially collaborate.

Pitching a policy 

“Many of our community’s most vulnerable deal with limited transportation options, making it challenging to get to work quickly. I'm Shauna, and I propose free public transportation to low-income families in our community. It would relieve their financial burden for transportation and reduce the number of cars on the road. Government grants and private donations would fund the program, and we’ll partner with local transportation agencies to implement it. I would love to discuss it further with you. Can we set up a time to meet?”

Why this pitch works: Shauna sets a positive tone by focusing on the goal of making a difference in the community. She briefly outlines the problem, how the solution will work, and where its funding will come from. She highlights the potential benefits of the program and how it would run. Then, she ends with a clear call to action, which is to discuss the proposal further. 

Read more: 21 Key Behavioral Interview Questions to Help You Prepare

Learn more with Coursera.

An elevator pitch is a fast way to grab people’s attention and present an idea in a manner that entices them to want to learn more. Excellent public speaking skills can help you deliver a persuasive elevator pitch, especially since you may simultaneously give your pitch to many people. 

Continue learning about elevator pitches and refining your skill set with online courses. For example, Introduction to Public Speaking from the University of Washington on Coursera can help you become more confident about giving speeches and presentations. If your pitch lands you an interview, you may also want to prepare with Advanced Interviewing Techniques.