Elevator pitch ideas for small UK businesses.

What is an elevator pitch?

Elevator pitches are short presentations designed to capture the attention of your desired audience. The name comes from the concept of explaining your idea in the time it takes to ride in an elevator – or lift.

A classic elevator pitch example might look like this:

You have a great idea for the company you work for, but you’d need permission to action it. You get into a lift and find yourself standing next to the CEO. In the time it takes to reach the top floor, you pitch your idea succinctly and convincingly. They love it so much, they decide to make your plan a reality.

You might have seen scenes like this in films or on TV, but you don’t always have to make an elevator pitch in an “elevator”. Instead, the idea focuses on being able to present effectively and efficiently in a time-limited scenario – but not always in the typical office environment.

If you have an idea you’d like to pitch, remember that you might not always be able to control where or when you do it. Because of this, it’s important that your pitch is short, and that you have a rehearsed idea of what you want to say before jumping in.

How long should an elevator pitch be?

An elevator pitch should be about 30-60 seconds – about 50-200 words at most. Anything longer than that and you’ll be taking a second ride on the lift – the more rides, the more your audience’s attention wains.

Consider your setting and audience too – for example, you may get away with introducing a bit more detail over dinner than in an organised meeting slot. Your aim is to deliver a convincing pitch that is short, informational and intriguing.

While your elevator pitch should be snappy, you need to be prepared for additional questions and to discuss your idea at length. Try not to act surprised when someone asks to know more – that means you did a great job. You need to know your idea inside and out.

When to use an elevator pitch.

There are many scenarios when you might use an elevator pitch – and only one of them involves a lift.

• Meetings. If you’ve got an idea to share during a meeting, an elevator pitch can help the session continue as planned while providing insight into your idea. This goes for both one-on-one and larger-scale meetings.
• Networking/Socials. Networking events are a great place to find collaborators and discuss your projects with like-minded people. It’s important to ask questions and talk about more than just yourself or your plans. To avoid making everything about you, a short and interesting elevator pitch is a great way to share your project ideas. If all goes well, maybe they’ll ask to learn more.
• Introductions. Introducing yourself? Whether it’s a writing club or your first day at work, giving an elevator pitch on yourself or your goals is a great way to begin introductions. Keep things succinct, snappy and interesting – without taking any anecdotal detours.
• Cover Letters/Emails/Team Chats. If you’re looking to start an initiative, sell someone on a book idea, or hunting a promotion, cover letters and emails can be a great place to use personal elevator pitches. Here, give a succinct explanation of yourself and your ideas in text format, which can then be expanded on down the line.
• Dinners. During work or professional dinners, people will likely ask about you – well, now’s a great time to tell them about that project you’re working on. Elevator pitches are a short answer, ideal for giving people an overview of your plans between bites.
• Elevators. This doesn’t have to be literal, but all those little moments of travel between places can provide great opportunities to introduce an idea to someone. This also doesn’t take up any intentional time. If things go well, maybe schedule a larger, more official meeting.

How to create an elevator pitch.

Giving an elevator pitch on the fly can be difficult. You need to be confident in what you’re pitching, which makes preparation even more crucial. But, knowing where to begin with an elevator pitch can be tricky.

One of the best things to do is to break your pitch into sections. Think of these as the building blocks of your 30-60-second pitch.

1. Start your elevator pitch with the hook. This draws your listener in. It can help to present the hook as a problem that you’re providing a solution to. Some people prefer to start with a personal experience or use statistics to back up statements.
2. Next, discuss the value proposition. This is your broader solution to the problem, and what you’re bringing to the table. Think about who you’re speaking to when you plan this but follow it up with some evidence.
3. Evidence uses your past experiences and proven knowledge to provide reassurance that you can deliver what you’re promising. If you’ve already had success with a small-scale version of your idea, now would be a good time to say. You can also include something that helps you stand out from the crowd. The person you’re pitching to is probably used to hearing ideas all day, every day – how are you different?
4. Finally, you should include your call to action. You’ve laid the groundwork with your elevator pitch, but what does the listener need to do if they’re interested? You can offer to talk about your idea in more detail when they’re free, follow up over email, or even connect on LinkedIn. Whatever you suggest, try to actively continue the conversation.

If you’re still struggling, why not check out these elevator pitch examples?

Elevator pitch examples for small businesses.

The best way to pitch an idea will depend on who’s involved and where you’re pitching. For example, a networking pitch among a group of professionals will be different to pitches you make as a start-up.

While they all involve presenting an idea succinctly and convincingly, there are several ways to pitch. We explore some common variations below.

Basic elevator pitch.

Your basic elevator pitch is designed for quick, impromptu idea sharing. While it has ‘elevator’ in the title, you can give one of these pitches almost anywhere – though it’s best to pick a suitable moment.

It’s important to remember that time is limited in an elevator pitch. Think 30 to 60 seconds long. If the person listening is interested, be prepared to continue the conversation, either at a later stage or right there and then.

Things to cover in your elevator pitch include:

• An introduction. Talk about yourself, your company (if relevant) and provide a brief explanation.
• The hook. This should grab their attention and keep them listening.
• USPs. What are your unique selling points and why should they listen to you?
• Value proposition. Explain the value you bring with your expertise/idea.
• CTA (call to action). How do you continue this conversation after the pitch? Could you share a business card? Think about what you want from the quick pitch.

Start-up pitch.

One of the toughest parts of creating a start-up is finding investors. Some potential investors will hold opportunities for would-be start-ups to pitch their ideas, or you might meet someone through networking.

Whatever the circumstances, you can use our elevator pitch template to help finetune your idea:

• An introduction. When running introductions, briefly talk about yourself and provide a simple summary of your professional bio.
• The hook. Focus on a problem that businesses or consumers may experience.
• USPs and value. You may find it easier to combine the USPs and your value proposition into one section. Here, you can discuss your solution to the problem/hook and how your start-up is best equipped to tackle it.
• CTA. Use this to remind them of your brand’s idea, how they can get involved, and the benefits of doing so. You could forward them to your website to investigate things further.

Sales pitch.

Sales pitches are common and may even be part of your day-to-day, depending on your career. It’s likely you’ve heard your fair share of sales pitches. Whether it’s from cold-callers selling you double-glazed windows or an in-store salesperson talking you through their showroom – you probably already know what a bad sales pitch sounds like.

A good sales pitch, on the other hand, will include:

• A hook. If you’re selling something, you probably won’t need to introduce yourself. Instead, focus on something your idea can solve.
• Value. What’s the benefit of your product or proposition?
• USPs. What does your product do that others don’t? Explain or show why someone ought to purchase or invest.
• Differentiator. Why should someone buy from you or the company you represent? How are you different from your competitors?
• CTA. Explain the next steps for the customer, encouraging them to continue with the sales process.

Product launch pitch.

Product launch pitches are a way to announce a new product or service. For example, you may have seen product launch pitches by tech brands such as Apple or Nintendo announcing their upcoming releases.

A product pitch focuses on the idea and what it offers, rather than the company behind the launch. You’ll want to include:

• A hook. In a product launch pitch, the opener should portray the product as the next big thing. Highlight the evolution of similar products and show how this latest version improves upon those.
• Value. Here, explain how this product is powerful, unique and useful, including images and videos of the product in use.
• USPs. Use this as an opportunity to give greater detail on what makes this product unique.
• Differentiator. Explain how your idea will improve people’s lives, how it can make tasks easier, and compare it to competitor offerings.
• CTA. Finally, confirm how and when customers can get this product. If you’re running an event, you could share leaflets or flyers for further reading.

Networking pitch.

Networking can be a great opportunity to meet professionals and build industry connections. People at all stages of their careers, whether junior or senior, can benefit from networking.

But, before you develop your pitch, it can help to have an idea of why you want to network. Are you looking for a new role, or hoping for advice on a business decision? Whatever your needs, this can help inform how you approach your networking pitch.

• Value. Where you might normally start with a hook, a large part of a networking pitch is introducing yourself and what you have to offer. When networking, people are generally happy to talk to new and interesting individuals, so don’t feel like you need to push anything.
• The hook. If it’s relevant to what you want to discuss, mention something enticing that you’d like to circle back to.
• Evidence. Offer some insight on why they should speak to you.
• USPs. Clarify what you want to talk about, and why.
• CTA. If the conversation flows naturally, you might not need this. But, at the end of your chat, you can suggest swapping contact details or connecting on LinkedIn. It can also help to carry business cards or share your social media.

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Tips for elevator pitches.

Is your elevator pitch slowing things down? Give your pitch some momentum and ensure you get people hooked with these five simple tips:

• Keep things concise. Talk comes easy when you’re passionate – but rambling can bury your idea and your audience’s attention span. When you’re preparing an elevator pitch, try to concentrate on the key elements of your idea to build interest without overwhelming (or worse – boring) people.
• Stay positive. Don’t focus on why other ideas or businesses are bad. Instead, demonstrate your value proposition on its own merit. You don’t need to bring others down to boost your brand.
• Add a hook. Even 60 seconds can feel like an eternity when you’re not invested in a conversation. Giving your elevator pitch an enticing hook can solve that problem and catch initial interest.
• Know your goal. Don’t think of this as the goal of your overall product or idea – instead, consider the intent behind your elevator pitch. Are you drumming excitement? Looking for a collaborator? Maybe you’re just introducing yourself. Either way, how you pitch something will depend on what you want to get out of it.
• Finish with a flourish. You don’t need streamers and a confetti cannon to wrap up a pitch – but a strong conclusion can help you go out with a bang. Consider questions or thought-provoking statements that add value and circle back to the main points. This could help to start a larger conversation, or ensure you remain in their minds.