Lasting Impression Elevator Pitch

What's a Lasting Impression Elevator Pitch?

A lasting impression elevator pitch is a brief presentation that sums up what you do in as little time as it takes to ride up on an elevator. The concept of an elevator pitch has been around for decades. It has been frequently used by executives, sales people, presenters, and motivational speakers.

Flow

Brief the participants. Discuss the importance of always being prepared to explain what you do and making a lasting impression. Explain what a lasting impression elevator pitch does.

Ask the participants to prepare their pitch. Ask them to use the pitch form to write down what they do (see attached handout). Give 5 minutes for this task. Warn all participants to be ready to make their individual presentations.

Pair up the participants. After participants have completed writing their pitch, ask them to pair up and present the pitch to each other. Ask the participants to give feedback to each other using this three-part rating system:

• Believability: Does participant make you feel that he or she is able to perform the job as described in the pitch?
  
• Clarity: Is the pitch clear and easy to understand?
  
• Delivery: Does the participant speak well?
  

Repeat the process. Pair up with another participant and share the Lasting Impression Elevator Pitch. Give and receive feedback as before.

Debriefing

To maximize the learning outcomes from this activity, conduct a debriefing discussion using these types of questions:

• How did you feel about your Lasting Impression Elevator Pitch?
  
• What happened when you presented your pitch to others?
  
• What changes did you make to your pitch on the basis of feedback from the others?
  
• What did you learn about yourself?
  
• What final changes will you make to your pitch before using it in the real world?