An elevator sales pitch is more than just a monologue; it’s a short invitation to start a mutually beneficial relationship. Whether you’ve just connected with them on a cold call or you’re manning a trade booth, it’s essential to deliver your sales pitch confidently to turn conversations into conversions.
In this post, we break down how to develop your elevator sales pitch with an example to help you along the way. You’ll also learn how to adapt your message for marketing use, ensuring your value proposition stays consistent across every channel and audience.
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How to develop your elevator sales pitch
To start, it’s important to understand what an elevator sales pitch is and why it’s important to draft one. An elevator sales pitch is a short, under-30-second overview of what your product or service is, why your prospect needs it, and to invite them to learn more about your brand.
An elevator sales pitch is important because it concisely and effectively communicates your value proposition. It’s especially useful during networking events, sales calls, or chance encounters where you only have a brief moment to capture someone’s interest.
So, how do you get started on writing a pitch? Start by understanding your potential audience and what would resonate with them.
1. Understand your prospect’s challenges (the more specific, the better)
If you haven’t already, make sure to spend time developing your buyer personas: a collection of demographic, firmographic, and psychographic information that helps you define the organizational roles, needs, and goals of your prospects.
Your buyer personas should help reveal some of your prospects’ decision drivers. Then you can adjust your elevator pitch to directly address their problems, positioning yourself as a trusted partner who knows how to solve their challenges.
2. Conduct market research to understand what sets your product apart
This is more than just a competitive analysis. You’re familiarizing yourself with what is currently on the market to better position your solution to prospects.
Analyze industry trends, buyer behavior, and emerging technologies that influence purchasing decisions. Evaluate how similar products are positioned, what pain points they address, and what gaps still exist in the market. You can also review customer feedback, pricing models, and value propositions from key players to identify opportunities where your solution can stand out and meet unmet needs more effectively.
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3. Write your pitch template
A strong elevator pitch follows this simple formula:
- Start with a problem: Identify the problem your prospect is facing. By making it relatable, you can keep them engaged.
- Introduce your solution: Explain how your product or service solves that problem clearly and concisely. We recommend avoiding jargon or buzzwords.
- Highlight your differentiator: This is where your research will come in handy: by briefly sharing what makes your approach unique, you’ll build credibility.
- End with an engaging hook: Finish your pitch with a statement that invites further conversation.
4. Study up and personalize based on your prospect’s unique struggles
It is best practice to develop at least one pitch per product or service that you offer. But not just that, we recommend creating a few elevator pitch variations to appeal to as many qualified leads as possible.
For example, consider creating different pitches for various:
- Job titles
- Key challenges (e.g., cost, productivity level, etc.)
- Industries or verticals
- Company sizes
- Company maturity levels
- Sales funnel stages
Download the Ultimate Guide to the B2B Buyer’s Journey
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EBQ’s business pitch example
Now that we know how to write a sales pitch, let’s analyze an example to better understand what makes a strong pitch.
Here’s an example of what our sales development specialists would say during a cold call:
“At EBQ, we help B2B companies accelerate their revenue growth by acting as an extension of their sales and marketing teams. From prospecting and data enrichment to appointment setting and CRM support, each department at EBQ works together to build scalable, repeatable processes that drive a qualified pipeline. We make it easy for businesses to outsource any part of their sales cycle while maintaining complete visibility and control. Want to schedule a 15-minute chat to learn more?”
Keys to a strong sales pitch:
- Clear and concise
- Jargon-free
- Focus on “you” (i.e., focus on the prospect’s problems)
- Invitation to learn more at the end of the pitch
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Create your marketing elevator pitch
Your elevator sales pitch should never be set in stone. Just like everything else in your business operations, make sure you refine it as your company evolves. In every strong sales pitch, you should have:
- Start with a problem
- Introduce your solution
- Highlight your differentiator
- End with an engaging hook
Ready to turn your elevator pitch into real opportunities? EBQ’s Lead Generation services help you create a custom sales talk track that resonates with your prospects. Our dedicated BDRs handle everything from targeted outreach to appointment setting, so your sales team can focus on closing deals.
About the Author:
David is a Revenue Cycle Consultant at EBQ who leverages his experience as a former VP of Sales to align sales and marketing teams for measurable results. With expertise in B2B digital marketing and demand generation, he helps businesses optimize strategies for long-term success.