Lesson 2.6

Create an Elevator Pitch

Now that you can explain your business in plain English, you need a short, spoken version you can use when someone asks what you do.

Purpose

By the end of this lesson, you will have a short, natural explanation of your business that you can use in conversation.

An elevator pitch should help someone quickly understand:

who you help
what you do
what problem you solve
what makes your approach useful or different

The goal is not to sound rehearsed, flashy, or sales-heavy. The goal is to make your business easy to understand and easy to remember.

Use This When

Use this lesson when:

Someone asks, “What do you do?”
You attend a networking event or local business gathering.
You introduce your business during a phone call, meeting, or video.
You need a short description for a presentation or interview.
You want a spoken version of your business description.
Your current explanation is too long, too vague, or too technical.
You tend to list everything your business offers instead of explaining the main value.
You want different versions for different situations.

Before You Start

Have the following available:

Your Business Profile from Lesson 2.1
Your Ideal Customer Profile from Lesson 2.2
Your Business Difference Profile from Lesson 2.3
Your Unique Selling Proposition from Lesson 2.4
Your Plain-English Business Description from Lesson 2.5
Your Brand Voice Profile from Module 1
Any current introduction or elevator pitch you already use, if available

Paste or upload this information before using the conversation prompt. AI cannot create a natural, accurate elevator pitch from a business name or industry label alone.

Conversation Prompt

I want to create an elevator pitch that explains my business clearly and sounds natural when spoken aloud.

I will provide my Business Profile, Ideal Customer Profile, Business Difference Profile, Unique Selling Proposition, Plain-English Business Description, Brand Voice Profile, and any current introduction I use.

Review the information before writing. Do not fill gaps with assumptions about my business, customers, services, or industry. If anything is unclear, ask me before proceeding.

Please do the following:

Identify the most important information someone needs to understand my business quickly.
Create a short elevator pitch that explains: o who I help o what I help them do or solve o how I help o what makes my approach useful or different
Keep the pitch conversational and easy to say aloud.
Do not make it sound like a slogan, commercial, or formal mission statement.
Do not include every product, service, feature, or credential.
Do not exaggerate, invent claims, or make promises the information I provide does not support.
Avoid jargon, buzzwords, and vague phrases.
Create these versions: o A 10-second version o A 20-second version

o A 30-second version o A casual networking version o A more professional version o A version for someone outside my industry

End each version in a way that allows the conversation to continue naturally.
Tell me which version best matches my Brand Voice Profile and explain why.
Point out any line that may sound awkward, overly rehearsed, or unclear when spoken aloud.
Ask follow-up questions if you need more information.

Make the result sound like a real person explaining their work, not a sales script.

Dobie Tip

A good elevator pitch is not a miniature brochure. You do not need to explain everything. Your job is to give the other person enough information to understand the business and ask the next question.

A natural elevator pitch often follows this simple structure:

I help [type of customer] with [problem or goal] by [what you provide or do]. What makes my approach different is [meaningful difference].

That structure is a starting point, not a cage. Your final version should sound like something you would actually say.

Read it aloud. If you trip over a phrase, shorten it. If it sounds like a stranger wrote it for you, revise it. If it takes a full minute to explain, it is no longer an elevator pitch. It has become an elevator documentary.

Follow-Up Questions

After AI responds, continue the conversation with questions such as:

“Which version sounds most natural when spoken aloud?”
“Rewrite this so it sounds more like my normal speaking voice.”
“Make this less formal.”
“Remove anything that sounds sales-heavy.”
“Make the customer’s problem clearer.”
“Shorten this without making it vague.”
“Give me a version for a local networking event.”
“Give me a version for someone who asks casually what I do.”
“Give me a version for a potential client.”
“Give me a version for a podcast or video introduction.”
“What question is someone most likely to ask after hearing this?”
“Help me create a natural response to that follow-up question.”
“Which parts of this pitch sound generic?”
“What information can I remove without losing clarity?”
“Make this easier to remember.”
“Turn this into talking points instead of a script.”
“Read this as a skeptical listener. What still feels unclear?”
“Create a version that does not begin with ‘I help.’”

Expected Result

By the end of this lesson, you should have:

A clear 10-second elevator pitch
A 20-second version
A 30-second version
A casual networking version
A professional version
A version for people outside your industry
A natural answer to “What do you do?”
Talking points you can adapt without memorizing a script
A clear next sentence for common follow-up questions

Your elevator pitch should be short enough to remember and flexible enough to adjust for different conversations.

Save This

Elevator Pitch Toolkit

Natural introductions you can use in conversation.

Your preferred 10-second pitch
Your preferred 20-second pitch
Your preferred 30-second pitch
Your casual version
Your professional version
Your plain-language version
Your main talking points
Common follow-up questions
Your preferred responses to those questions
Any phrases that feel unnatural or should be avoided
Date or version reviewed
Evidence label for each claim: Confirmed / Observed / Inferred / Unknown

You can reuse this toolkit for:

Networking events
Client meetings
Phone calls
Video introductions
Podcasts
Presentations
Business groups
Interviews
Social media videos
Community events
Referral conversations
AI-assisted marketing work

Practice the ideas, not just the exact wording. The goal is to know your message well enough that it can bend without breaking.

Why This Matters

A clear elevator pitch helps people understand your business quickly. Without one, business owners often fall into one of two traps: giving a vague answer that explains almost nothing, or giving a long explanation that includes too much.

A useful elevator pitch creates clarity without overwhelming the listener. It can help someone recognize:

whether your business is relevant to them
whether they know someone who needs your help
what makes your business memorable
what question they should ask next

It also helps you speak about your business with more confidence. When you know the core message, you do not have to rebuild your explanation every time someone asks what you do. That same clarity also improves website copy, sales conversations, videos, presentations, and AI- generated content.

Common Mistakes

Trying to include every service. An elevator pitch is not a service menu. Choose the central problem, customer, and result. Additional services can come up later in the conversation.

Sounding memorized. A pitch should feel practiced, not recited. Use talking points and natural language rather than forcing yourself to repeat every word exactly.

Starting with a vague industry label. Saying “I’m a consultant,” “I work in marketing,” or “I own a technology company” may be accurate, but it does not explain what you actually do. Add the customer, problem, or result.

Using too much jargon. A pitch loses its value if the listener needs a glossary. Use the language your customers use.

Making unsupported claims. Avoid claims such as best, fastest, leading, revolutionary, or guaranteed unless you can prove them. Specific, believable language is stronger.

Making it all about the business owner. Your experience and credentials may matter, but the listener first needs to understand the value of the business. Start with the customer and the problem.

Ending without room for conversation. A pitch should open a door, not close a sale. Leave space for the listener to ask a question, share a related experience, or explain what they need.

Using the same version everywhere. A casual conversation, business presentation, and client meeting may need different levels of detail. Keep the core message consistent while adjusting the delivery.

Coming Up Next

Lesson 2.7: Identify Customer Pain Points

Now that you can explain your business clearly and introduce it naturally, the next lesson will help you understand your customer’s problems more deeply. You will identify the frustrations, obstacles, risks, and unmet needs that influence their decisions. This will help you create more relevant services, clearer marketing, and stronger customer communication.