Whether you have an established business or are trying to start a new one, everyone needs an investor. One of the top ways to score the opportunity to work with a potential investor is through an elevator pitch. 

However, chances are that investor has heard dozens, if not hundreds or even thousands of pitches from other eager entrepreneurs. What’s the best way to get an investor’s attention? Stand out from the rest, of course. And believe it or not, this is not a difficult thing to achieve. Let us show you a few ways you can successfully deliver an elevator pitch.

What Is an Elevator Pitch?

An elevator pitch is a concise and compelling summary of yourself, a product, or a business that is sharable in 30-60 seconds or roughly the length of an elevator ride. Hence the name elevator pitch. This summary is used to sell anyone, including a potential investor, employer, or business partner, on the idea of working with you. It is up to you to identify what makes your business valuable and worth investing in over others. 

Your elevator pitch should break down your business idea in such a way that it leaves investors curious and wanting more. Having a solid elevator pitch shows the listener that you are capable of taking the lead. An investor pitch should always answer these key questions:

-Who are you?

-What do you do?

-What do you want?

-What does your business opportunity offer?

Let’s take a look at a few ways you can make your elevator pitch more impactful.

Always Be Prepared

Luck favors the prepared, and you never know when the opportunity to pitch yourself or your business may present itself. So, to increase your chances of successfully snagging an investor, it is paramount that you have talking points about your hot business venture ready. 

Despite what its name suggests, elevator pitches aren’t just limited to elevator meetings. They are also beneficial at networking events or unsuspecting chance meetings, making for even more reason to have your pitch mapped out.

Have a Strong Pitch

This tip is a given. Whenever you encounter potential investors, you always want to put your best foot forward, whether it’s with your clothes or your elevator pitch. The secret to crafting a strong pitch begins with jotting down the most important details about your business, service, or product. 

Define your goals, what audience you serve, and what your company has accomplished. Next, narrow those facts down to the essentials. Lastly, include an attention-getter such as a fascinating fact or statistic to help engage your listener and invite them to inquire more. 

Use an Emotional Appeal

Every entrepreneur starts their pitch by introducing themselves and explaining what they do. One alternative to a straightforward introduction is to opt for an emotional appeal. Think about what needs and pain points your company addresses and incorporate those emotions into your opening. 

If you can inspire your listener to reflect on their desires and stressors, you can keep them listening longer. Additionally, if you’re more comfortable with the standard introduction, it doesn’t hurt to weave an emotional appeal into your overall pitch.

Slow It Down

A natural reaction to getting the opportunity to pitch your idea is to be nervous. However, nerves and the limited time you have to make an impact can cause you to speak too fast and unclearly. In doing so, you may appear unprepared, too eager, or worse, they have a hard time understanding you and miss crucial details regarding what you’re trying to offer. 

When delivering an elevator pitch, something to consider is making a conscious effort to deliver your pitch at a slower speed. Try taking relaxed, deep breaths before introducing yourself and asking if it’s ok to deliver your pitch. Another strategy is to practice your pitch and write it down in abbreviated bullet points. This enables you to get more comfortable with your pitch, resulting in a more natural tone and delivery.

Communicate Your USP

Another way to make yourself stand out when delivering your elevator pitch is to highlight what’s different and unique about your product or company. We call this your USP or unique selling proposition. There is an “it” factor that exists for each business, and we highly recommend discovering what that is for your company. Including this in your elevator pitch sets you apart from other entrepreneurs vying for the attention of a potential investor or influencer.

Use Plain Language

Many entrepreneurs think that the best way to impress a potential investor is to load up their pitch with a bunch of jargon. It is quite the opposite! When crafting your elevator pitch, try tailoring your language and word use. It can help with better connecting with your intended audience. Consider this: your investor may not be as knowledgeable as you are in your industry. 

A good rule of thumb for having an engaging and potentially successful pitch is to ensure that the average person with no industry knowledge can easily grasp your goals. This means zeroing in on and enhancing the good facts to provide numbers and context in a digestible way. For example, “We just enrolled 75,000 new users last quarter, which was more than (comparable company)’s pace.”

Create Multiple Versions of Your Pitch

Every investor or influencer you encounter won’t be in the same industry or have the same reach. Because of this, it is crucial that you create multiple versions of your pitch and make it specific to each audience. Everyone you meet plays a significant role in your journey to successfully land an investor or gain visibility for your product or service. 

Fahad Alrajhi

Delivering a successful elevator pitch is possible; the secret is to stand out from the crowd of fellow eager entrepreneurs. With these tips, you can strengthen your elevator pitch into one that successfully engages potential investors and earns you the funding you desire. 

Fahad Alrajhi is a holding group that invests in companies from around the globe. We connect startups and growing companies with funding sources. We also partner with companies to help them with local support to expand to the MENA region via joint ventures or licensing agreements.

For more information, contact our team today.

© 2020 Fahad Alrajhi Group.