How to Write an Elevator Pitch You'll Actually Use

25 September 2026·2 min read

Quick answer: An elevator pitch is a short, clear answer to 'what do you do?' that a stranger can actually understand and remember — not a list of services or an industry buzzword salad. The best ones name who you help, the specific problem you solve, and what makes your approach different, in under 20 seconds. Most business owners have never actually written theirs down. 🎤

Most small business owners can talk about their business for ten minutes but freeze up or ramble when someone asks the simple question "so what do you do?" at a networking event. Without a prepared, practiced answer, the response is usually either too vague or too detailed — both lose the listener. 💖

What most people get wrong: describing their job title or industry instead of the actual problem they solve for a specific person. "I'm a bookkeeper" tells someone your job; "I help tradies stop dreading tax time" tells them why they should care.

The Elevator Pitch Formula

Fill in the blanks:

"I help [specific type of person/business] who are struggling with [specific problem] to [specific outcome], by [the one thing that makes your approach different]."

Say it out loud, time it, and cut anything over 20 seconds.

A booking-based business with lots of no-shows: "I help beauty salons that lose money to no-shows fill their calendar with a simple text-based booking and reminder system — no more empty chairs."

A B2B firm with a long sales cycle: "I help mid-sized manufacturers who are stuck using spreadsheets get a proper inventory system running, without the six-month enterprise software rollout."

A local service business with a seasonal dip: "I help landscaping businesses that go quiet over winter build a second income stream doing snow and gutter work, using the same crew and equipment they already have."

How to actually use it

Don't recite it word-for-word like a script — know it well enough that you can say a natural, slightly different version of it every time. Practice it on a few people first and watch their reaction; if they ask a follow-up question, it worked. If they just nod politely, it didn't land.

💡 If it doesn't prompt a follow-up question, it's too vague. A good elevator pitch makes the listener curious enough to ask "how do you do that?" — if you're getting polite silence instead, the problem or outcome you named probably isn't specific enough.

Mistakes to avoid

Describing your job title or industry instead of the specific problem you solve.
Making it too long — over 20 seconds and you've lost the room.
Using internal jargon or buzzwords a stranger outside your industry wouldn't understand.
Never actually practising it out loud before you need it.

Frequently asked questions

Should it be the same every time?

The core structure should stay consistent, but adapt the specific wording slightly depending on who you're talking to and what they'd care about most.

What if I have several different types of customers?

Pick your most common or most profitable customer type for your default pitch, and have a second version ready for other audiences.

Does this only matter for networking events?

No — it's equally useful on your website's homepage headline, your LinkedIn headline, and the first line of a cold email.

Honestly, does a good pitch guarantee new business?

No — it's a door-opener, not a closer. Its job is to earn the next conversation, not to make the sale on the spot.

Keep reading 🤍

Written by

Kate, founder of Chronically Online

I help Gold Coast and Brisbane businesses grow with branding, websites and marketing that actually works.

Work with me ✦