At this point in your life or career, I’m sure that you’ve heard the scenario (and maybe you’ve already experienced it yourself): You have a one-on-one opportunity with a very important person or decision-maker, a small window of time and one shot to impress them — what are you going to say?
That thirty second “I’m A Boss” speech you wrote and rehearsed in the mirror is known as an elevator pitch (the millennial equivalent of a tweet). The term elevator pitch comes from the idea that these opportunities formerly only came on an elevator riding between floors. The reality today is that they can happen anywhere.
But let’s get back to the question: what are you going to say? Ideally, your elevator pitch should be a business pitch telling someone who you are, what you do, what you can offer, and why they would want to work with you. The goal is to craft a unique and comprehensive, yet memorable and digestible statement about yourself (again like Twitter, every character and word counts!). For some, developing an elevator pitch might be as simple as — name + company + job title. But in today’s side hustle and gig culture, the full spectrum of what you can offer might be more than your current job title — a lesson learned from former ”Cosby Show” star, Geoffrey Owens.
This is why embracing the multi-hyphenate in you has its advantages. A multi-hyphenate is a person with a hyphenated profession, like singer-songwriter or actor-director. Although a common practice in certain industries, the concept of a multi-hyphenate is not reserved only for entertainers or entrepreneurs. Every day, regular folks are multi-hyphenates, too with skills and interests that extend beyond the 9 to 5. For example, the term “working mom” is a de facto multi-hyphenate, encompassing a mother and working professional.
Keep this in mind while you craft and develop your pitch. However you decide to describe yourself in your elevator pitch might include for example your interests, passions, side hustles, and maybe one fun quirk (ie foreign language, recent travels, etc.). Use the hyphenates as a high-level outline to later elaborate on. These are the types of details that make you stand-out and memorable. Think Twitter and own your narrative.
Enjoyed this read? You’ll love these suggested articles below!
- How to Craft Your Personal Mission Statement
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