Elevator pitch ideas for small UK businesses.

Summary/Overview

If you’ve got a new and exciting idea you want to get off the ground, it can be easier if you have help. Whether you’re looking for financial investment or professional insight, reaching out to the right people can get things moving. The tricky part, however, is getting their attention.

One of the best ways to do this is to pitch your idea to them directly. Ultimately, you want to hook them and offer them the chance to get involved (while hopefully making some money along the way).

In this article, we’re going to look at elevator pitches, how to perfect yours, and more.

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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 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 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 flexibly 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.

While you should aim to limit your elevator pitch to 30-60 seconds, be prepared for additional questions and to discuss your idea at length.

Editable elevator pitch presentation examples.

How to create an elevator pitch.

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

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

1. Start with the hook. This is what you should use to draw 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. Then you want to talk about the value proposition. This is your solution to the problem, and what you’re bringing to the table. Think about who you’re speaking to when you plan this but then follow it up with some evidence.
3. Evidence involves talking about yourself and your past experiences with these sorts of problems. 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, but what does the listener need to do if they’re interested? You can offer to talk about your idea at a later stage when they’re free, you can follow up over email, or you could connect on LinkedIn. Whatever you suggest, think of this as a way to continue the conversation.

Elevator pitch examples for small businesses.

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

While they all have a running theme of 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 also 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.
• 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?

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 guide to help finetune your pitch:

• An introduction – When introducing yourself as part of a start-up pitch, briefly talk about yourself and a simple summary of your professional bio.
• 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 into one section. Here you can talk about your solution to the previously stated hook and how your start-up is best equipped to tackle it.
• CTA – Use this to remind them of your brand/start-up’s idea, and how they can get involved.

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 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, it’s unlikely you’ll need to introduce yourself. Instead focus on something your product can solve.
• Value – What’s the benefit of your product?
• USPs – What does your product do that others don’t? Explain or show why someone ought to purchase this product.
• Differentiator – Why should someone buy from you or the company you represent? How are you different to 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. In recent years, you may have seen product launch pitches by tech brands such as Apple or Nintendo where they announce their upcoming technology.

A product pitch will focus on the product and what it offers, rather than the company behind the launch:

• Hook – In a product launch pitch, the opener should portray the product as the next big thing. It should highlight the evolution of similar products and show that this latest version is an improvement.
• Value – Here you can explain the ways that this product is an improvement, including images and videos of the product in use.
• USPs – See this as an opportunity to give greater detail on what makes this product unique.
• Differentiator – Explain how this product 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.

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 networking pitch, it can help to have an idea of why you want to network. Are you looking for a new role, or are you hoping for advice on a business decision? Whatever your needs, it 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 must push anything.
• 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.

More elevator pitch samples to inspire your own.

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Useful things to know.

What are the three Cs for an elevator pitch?

In an elevator pitch, the three Cs are Confidence, Clarity and Concise. Treat these as general rules for managing your pitch. Firstly, you should be confident in what you’re pitching. It should be clear to the listener what you’re pitching, and your pitch should be concise. A typical elevator pitch should take roughly 30-60 seconds.

What should you not do in an elevator pitch?

Elevator pitches are typically time-sensitive, so as a rule of thumb it’s best to avoid waffling or repeating yourself. Likewise, don’t try to get too many points across at once, as you don’t want to overwhelm your listener. Finally, you shouldn’t jump from topic to topic. Instead, keep the conversation focused on relevant information where possible.

What’s a good ending for an elevator pitch?

A good ending for an elevator pitch will result in a meeting in a diary or an arranged call. There’s no trick to it – you just need to suggest you arrange a meeting to discuss things further. Something along the lines of: ‘Would you be open to talking about this over a cup of coffee next week?’ Use your intuition to judge the best solution.

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