Elevator pitch examples
Most elevator pitches fail for the same reason: they describe the business. "We are a full-service agency delivering innovative solutions" is a description, and the person listening has no way to respond to it except politely.
A pitch that works ends somewhere the other person can pick up — a problem they recognise, a number they want to query, a group they might belong to. The eight below are eight different ways to do that, and each says when it is the right one. If your trade is listed further down, use that version: what earns a second question from a plumber’s listener is not what earns one from a therapist’s.
The one-liner
We are [plural role] in [your town] — we [what you do] for [who your customers are].
When you have one sentence and no idea who you are talking to.
Problem first
The thing people worry about with [plural role] is [the worry, named plainly]. That is the part we deal with. We are [plural role], and [your commercial promise].
Where the problem is instantly recognisable and the service is not.
Names who it is for
We work for [who your customers are]. Mostly [your two main services]. If that is not you, you probably know someone.
At an event where most people are not your customer.
The contrast
Most [plural role] [what the default does]. We are the one that [the basic thing your trade is bad at]. That is more or less the whole difference.
When your market has a clear default and you are not it.
With a number in it
We are [a/an] [role] — [number] years, [number] [jobs/clients/projects], and [your strongest proof point].
Only when you have a real one. Do not invent it.
Ten seconds
[Role]. [Your main service], mostly. [Your town].
When someone asks what you do and is already half-turned away.
Ends with the ask
We are [plural role] doing [your two main services]. If you ever hear someone say [the thing your customers say], that is us.
When the point of the conversation is a referral, not a sale.
The warm version
[Answer their question first] — we are [plural role]. The part people usually ask about is [your one distinguishing standard].
Where a pitch would land badly and a conversation would not.
Written for your trade instead
The examples above are the shapes. These are the same page written from what each trade’s customers actually check before they get in touch.
Trades
Health & wellness
- Therapist elevator pitch examples
- Chiropractor elevator pitch examples
- Massage Therapist elevator pitch examples
- Personal Trainer elevator pitch examples
- Dentist elevator pitch examples
- Nutritionist elevator pitch examples
- Acupuncturist elevator pitch examples
- Optometrist elevator pitch examples
- Nurse elevator pitch examples
Professional services
- Accountant elevator pitch examples
- Lawyer elevator pitch examples
- Real Estate Agent elevator pitch examples
- Insurance Agent elevator pitch examples
- Financial Advisor elevator pitch examples
- Marketing Consultant elevator pitch examples
- Virtual Assistant elevator pitch examples
- IT Consultant elevator pitch examples
- Realtor elevator pitch examples
- Coach elevator pitch examples
Personal care
Creative
Food & events
Education
Home & property
Common questions
How long should an elevator pitch be?
Two sentences, or about fifteen seconds. The name comes from the length of a lift ride, and the constraint is the point: anything longer stops being a pitch and becomes a presentation, which is a thing people endure rather than answer. Write the fifteen-second version first and let the longer ones grow out of it if you ever need them.
What makes an elevator pitch actually work?
Leaving the other person somewhere to go. A description invites "oh, nice"; a recognisable problem, a specific number, or a named group invites a question. If you have never been asked a follow-up after saying it, the pitch is doing nothing, however polished it sounds.
Should I have more than one?
Two is usually right: one for people who might buy, and one for people who might refer. They are different jobs. The referral version should be easy to repeat second-hand, which means it needs a phrase the listener can carry — "they are the ones who show you the part they replaced" travels; "full-service provider" does not.
What should I leave out?
Your job title if the work is clearer than the title, your company history, and every adjective that a competitor could use unchanged. "Passionate", "dedicated", "innovative" and "results-driven" carry no information because everyone claims them, so they cost you seconds and buy nothing.