Create a Pitch

Learning Goal: Create a pitch for your specific audience.

A business pitch is often referred to as an elevator pitch. The concept is simple: communicate what you do in the time it takes to ride an elevator from ground level until the door opens and you have to leave. The idea is you have approximately 30-60 seconds to leave an impression powerful enough to get someone to continue the conversation after exiting. 

15 Second Pitch

1. Start with Twitter Statement

The headline is the one single overarching message that you want your customers to know about the product. Ask yourself, “What is the single most important thing I want my listener to know about my [product, service, brand, idea].” Draw a circle at the top of the message and insert the headline. Make sure your headline fits in a Twitter post – no more than 140 characters. If you cannot explain your product or idea in 140 characters or less, go back to the drawing board.

2. Add 3 Key Points

As I discussed in a previous article, the human mind can only process about three pieces of information in short-term memory. Specifically outline the three or, at most, four benefits of your product. Draw three arrows from the headline to each of the key supporting messages.

3. Support Your Key Points

Add bullet points to each of the three supporting messages. You don’t have to write out the entire story. Instead write a few words that will prompt you to deliver the story. Remember, the entire message map must fit on one page.

You can create a message map for any product or a brand. Lets use the example of soap. If you can sell soap, you can pitch anything. Lush is a global chain of stores that sells soaps and cosmetics. It has about 100 locations around the world. They literally stock hundreds of items. Although the brand takes the unusual step of sending new products to each of its employees, it wouldn’t be feasible, nor necessary, to create a message map about each product.

The Shark Tank Pitch

Step 1: Name and Company & Step 2: What do you want?

Part one is the 15 second pitch noted above. 

Step 3: The Problem Being Solved

Step 4: Product Offering

Step 5: Show Me

Step 6: Financials

Keys to a Good Pitch

Lesson Information

Presentation

ElevatorPitch.pdf

Vocabulary

Student Activity

Develop the best pitch for your product. 

Download and print the Pitch-Template.pdf and complete the form. 

Prepare to give both pitches to the class. You will be videotaped and asked to analyze your performance. After reviewing the film, we will repeat the process. 

Template

15Pitch-Template.pdf
SharkTankPitch-Template.pdf