Elevator pitch

The definition of an elevator pitch is a very short speech that enables entrepreneurs or professionals in any sector to quickly present the broad outlines of a project or activity.

The concept is simple: a person finds themselves in an elevator with the big boss of a company or a very important investor. It's the chance of a lifetime. The person wishing to develop their project or product must use this very short time to present their activity and convince the investor to schedule a meeting to work together.

In practice, this presentation technique shouldn’t exceed 10 minutes. The elevator pitch isn’t designed to present all the details of a project but rather its broad outlines and main ideas, while being interesting enough to turn this short encounter into a meeting for the future. The elevator pitch is a very difficult exercise, born in an increasingly hurried society: time is money.

The target investor or professional must want to know more about the project presented. What's more, if the entrepreneur isn't able to interest their interlocutor in less than 10 minutes, the implication is that they will not be able to interest potential future customers.

This concise marketing pitch evaluates the oral and commercial skills of a future entrepreneur in just a few minutes. This format is very popular with investors, as it can help them to quickly identify the future gems of tomorrow.

Entrepreneurs readily engage in the elevator pitch exercise at, for example, trade shows, corporate cocktail parties, or even chance meetings with potential investors.

The main aim of the elevator pitch is to get a meeting and/or share your business plan with the investor you're meeting. Once again, it's not a question of revealing the entirety of your idea or concept during this first short meeting, but rather of piquing the curiosity of the interviewer with a view to a future meeting.

As the entrepreneur begins to draw up their business plan and establish themselves in their sector of activity, it's best to prepare an elevator pitch in advance, in the event of meeting someone important to their future. It's an exercise that must be prepared beforehand: to attract attention, you need to be yourself, know your audience well, prioritize the content you want to present, and remember your business card to close the meeting!