# What is an elevator pitch? Definition and example script

An elevator pitch is a short spoken introduction of yourself, an idea or a product, brief enough to finish during a lift ride: usually 30 to 60 seconds, or roughly 65 to 150 words. It says who you are, what you do or offer, why it matters to the listener and what you'd like to happen next.

By the Speaking Coach team at Sodhera Intelligence. Updated 2026-10-22. Source: https://www.orecci.com/speaking-coach/glossary/elevator-pitch/

## What goes in one

Most elevator pitches have four parts, in this order:

1. **Who you are,** in one line: name and role, or the name of the idea.
2. **What you do or offer,** described as a result for someone, not a job title.
3. **One piece of proof:** a project, a number, a customer.
4. **The ask:** a next step that is easy to say yes to.

## How long is it?

At a typical conversational pace of about 130 to 150 words per minute, these are rough targets:

| Where you'll use it | Length | Words, roughly |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Meeting someone at an event | 20–30 seconds | 45–75 |
| Career fair or recruiter call | 30–45 seconds | 65–110 |
| Introducing a startup or product | 45–60 seconds | 100–150 |

Use the [speech length calculator](/speaking-coach/tools/speech-length-calculator/) to check yours.

## Example script

Example for a graduate at a career fair, with made-up details (about 70 words, 30 seconds):

> "Hi, I'm Lena. I just finished a degree in statistics, and I like turning messy data into decisions people can act on. For my final project I analysed two years of bike-share trips for the city and found three stations that were empty every morning; they've since added bikes there. I'm looking for analyst roles. Could you tell me which of your teams works most with data?"

## Elevator pitch or "tell me about yourself"?

They overlap, but the pitch is shorter and ends with an ask. An interview answer to "Tell me about yourself" runs one to two minutes and ends by linking you to the job. How to write your own, step by step, is in the [elevator pitch guide](/speaking-coach/guides/elevator-pitch/).

## Questions people ask

### Why is it called an elevator pitch?

The idea is that you could deliver it to someone in the time a short lift ride takes, if you happened to meet them there.

### How many words is a 30-second elevator pitch?

About 65 to 75 words at a typical speaking pace. Nerves speed most people up, so time it out loud.

### Should I memorise my elevator pitch?

Memorise the opening line and the four points, not every word. A word-perfect script tends to sound recited.

### Do I need more than one pitch?

Usually yes: a 20-second version for casual events and a longer one for recruiters or investors.

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