Creating an Elevator Pitch

Description

An elevator pitch is used to introduce you as a researcher, your study questions, and the significance of the research. Because this delivery is short, it is a great way to introduce and share your research with others at formal networking events, academic conferences, casual conversations, or even during an actual elevator ride if you want to risk it.

Ultimately, your elevator pitch should provide a hook and make your listener want to know more about your research!

Evaluative Components

1. Four evaluative criteria for a presenter
   • Adhering to the timespan
   • Ability to discuss the review conversationally
   • Completeness/thoroughness of your presentation
   • Addressing questions (if possible)
     
     
2. Two evaluative criteria for an audience member (if applicable)
   • Asking meaningful and thoughtful questions
   • Providing feedback to each participant

Delivering an Elevator Pitch

It is important to focus on your audience when delivering an elevator pitch. For instance, if you're pitching a study to a general audience, it's a good idea to define or leave out technical or disciplinary terminology. Similarly, you should also define acronyms and use everyday examples or analogies to help your audience understand key concepts that may be unfamiliar to them.

Remember that in an elevator pitch it is important to keep it simple and to the point. State your purpose, report what you need to report, and convey the significance of the work.

Practice is Key

It's a good idea to write out a draft first and read it out loud a few times to make sure it flows and is of appropriate length.

Most importantly, practice delivering your elevator pitch a lot. This will help calm your nerves so you don't freeze up when you're about to share your research with others. To make your elevator pitch not sound robotic, it's a good idea to memorize key points of your research rather than a full script.

And lastly, be enthusiastic. Recall what first sparked your interest in your research and be sure to convey that to your audience.

Difference Between an Elevator Pitch, an Elevator Speech, and an Abstract

Although all three serve to present your research and its significance in a concise manner, elevator pitches, elevator pitches, and abstracts differ in format and purpose.

	Elevator Pitch	Elevator Speech	Abstract
Delivery	Orally	Orally	Written
Purpose	Introduce researchers, intended projects, and their corresponding significance so your audience will want to learn more about it	Introduce a content area, its significance to the field; report dominant and emergine outcomes from the synthesis so your audience will learn more about the area and its connectivity to a broader picture	Explain a research project and its significance in order to apply for funding (e.g. assistantships, fellowships, scholarships, etc.), present at conferences, publish in journals, or just for kicks
Length	1 minute (+/- 10 seconds)	2 to 5 minutes	150 to 300 words

Note: In the cases where you’ve already written an abstract for a study, you can use it as a starting basis for your elevator pitch. You can think of your elevator pitch as a more condensed version of your abstract. Remember, the main purpose of the elevator pitch is to engage your listeners so they’re interested in learning about the details of your project.

Extra Help?

Videos

Resources

• Sharing Your Research - 'Academic Elevator Pitch' (Sheet)
• APA student led recommendations on successful elevator pitches (Guide)
• The Elevator Pitch: Presenting Your Research in Conversation (Presentation)

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Adapted from Deconstructing the Elevator Speech by Mary Tran (UCLA Library)