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©2016 Speaking Science, LLC www.speakingscience.com 425.518.2081 / nick@speakingscience.com
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Your elevator pitch will be one minute, maybe three, if you are lucky. This is a very short time, so what do you include that is impactful?
Keep this in mind: the purpose of any pitch is to get your audience’s attention and score a follow up conversation with them. Here
are 5 ½ rules for nailing your elevator pitch and getting that follow up conversation. The rules are presented as questions so you can
evaluate your pitch as you practice and refine the message.
Rules 1 & 2: What are you doing & why are you doing it?
Rules 1 & 2 go together and are the most basic part of an elevator pitch. Get this part right and you can use it for a standard 10 minute
investor pitch and any other presentation! You really nailed it when listeners repeat it to others well after you have spoken.
Rule 3: What is interesting about it?
Your ultimate goal is to commercialize your innovation. What is interesting about it to potential investors is success on the way to
commercialization. Examples include favorable test results, completed prototypes, patents, funding from others, interest from potential
customers, or sales. What is interesting will change over time –this is a good sign!
Rule 4: What is my body saying?
Our bodies communicate when we speak. Appear fidgety or move randomly during your pitch, suggests nervousness, low confidence, or
lack of preparation. Conversely, crisp and deliberate movements communicate confidence. Your listeners will pick up on both of these, but
only the latter will help potential investors have confidence in you. See General Recommendations for suggestions to develop your body
language and gestures.
Rule 5: What is my voice saying?
Your voice will be the difference-maker. I cannot emphasize this enough. Sounding excited, not hyper, communicates energy, passion,
and enthusiasm. They suggest that you have the energy and determination to make your venture a success. These are vital qualities
which investors definitely look for. If you are normally low key or monotone, I provide a very effective suggestion below for upping your
energy before a pitch. See General Recommendations.
Rule 5 1/2. Did I practice enough?
Whether you are speaking for an hour or a short, 60 second elevator pitch: PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE!
Crafting a great script and thinking up good ideas to spice up your elevator pitch are important. This work will be wasted without
PRACTICE. Great words and ideas will look good on paper, but reality doesn’t always agree. You already realize this from making your
idea into a commercial reality. Practicing will allow you to make the valuable adjustments that will get your audience’s attention.
5 ½ Rules for Nailing Your Elevator Pitch

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©2016 Speaking Science, LLC www.speakingscience.com 425.518.2081 / nick@speakingscience.com
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Structuring Your Elevator Pitch
After answering Rules 1-3, place them into the classic opening, body, and closing structure. Here are some details and recommendations.
OPENING
Answer what you are doing and why you are doing it here. It is critical to grab your audience’s attention at the very beginning and be clear
about the problem and your solution. State these in ‘civilian’ terms, not highly technical terms, and skip the details.
An effective technique for introducing the problem is to paint a picture for the audience of when the problem arises by telling a story. The
story can be real or hypothetical. Put the audience in the situation by saying something like, “Imagine when you…” Remember to keep the
story VERY short. You only have one minute.
If a very short story or scenario won’t work, then grab the audience’s attention with a question or a very firm, emphatic statement, then
pause momentarily. The pause will be essential to the effect, so don’t neglect it.
Do NOT start with your name and company. These will not grab a listener’s attention. However, definitely include your name and
company in the intro. If you motivated listeners to pursue a follow up conversation, then they need to know who to look for. A good place
to include name and company is right after the grabber. For example, introduce yourself and your company as the ones who will solve the
problem you just described.
BODY
Tell the audience what is interesting about your project or company here. A lot of things could qualify as interesting. See Rule 3 for
examples. When possible, quantify these successes whenever possible for more impact.
It is okay to mention more than one interesting aspect of your project or company, but don’t just rattle off a list. Instead, choose fewer
items and elaborate. Remember, you are trying to motivate someone to want more information. You can cover interesting items later.
If you have many interesting things to choose from, go by this rule of thumb (which I just made up): reality beats forward thinking, overly
optimistic projections. In other words, you will interest your audience more with something that is scheduled to happen or is happening
rather than something that you hope will happen.
CLOSING
The audience remembers this part the most. It’s the last thing they hear, so prep a strong close. Close your pitch by reiterating your
opening, but avoid repeating it verbatim. Also, do NOT introduce new information here. This will confuse listeners.
A common ending is to ask the audience if they have questions or that you will be happy to talk to them later. Do NOT close this way –it’s
a flat ending. Again, the audience remember what they hear last, so end strong. Leave them with the impression that you are making
progress towards solving an important problem.

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©2016 Speaking Science, LLC www.speakingscience.com 425.518.2081 / nick@speakingscience.com
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General Recommendations
As you prep your pitch, think about how your listeners will respond to what you say and how you say it. Here are couple of essentials to
remember.
Avoid specialized terms/jargon and acronyms.
Do not assume your audience has the same technical background as you. It’s also possible they don’t have one at all. If you absolutely
can’t avoid using a specialized term or an acronym, then limit yourself to only one term and define it. For example, if you want to use the
acronym PCR, first say polymerase chain reaction, then the acronym. Also, if you are speaking and say “…polymerase chain reaction, or
PCR…” slow down your speaking pace when you introduce the acronym. This will allow the new term to register in your audience’s brains.
Use the “civilian” version for a technical term.
An example of this is to say kidney failure instead of renal failure, say cancer instead of carcinoma, etc. More people will understand what
you are saying and doing if you use the civilian version.
Enhance your voice, gestures, and energy by reading children’s stories OUT LOUD.
Speaking is not only about the words you use, it’s also about how you say it. For example, if you look and sound excited when you speak,
listeners will definitely sense this and respond favorably to you. Conversely, being still or monotone causes listeners to question your
commitment to your venture. If obvious energy does not come naturally to you, then I recommend reading children’s story out loud on the
day of the pitch. Make sure to read it like you mean it. The energy you get from this exercise can last for hours. Dr. Seuss and Roald Dahl
stories are great options.
Use simple hand and body gestures for added effect. Reading children’s stories is good for this, too. Unfortunately, involuntary body
movements and effective gestures are hard to notice when you are practicing. A couple of solutions are to video record yourself or to have
someone else watch and provide feedback. It is worth the trouble.
Use simple props and avoid demos.
A simple prop, e.g., a mock-up of your product, is a great way to communicate what you are developing. This is more impactful and
memorable than just using words. Potential investors SEE what their money will be funding. If possible, consider incorporating simple
gestures to “act out” how your product will be used.
I will emphasize that a simple prop is not a demo. Demos are too time-consuming and will fail at the worst possible time, effectively
dooming your chances of getting the follow up meeting.