15 Perfect Elevator Pitches
Explaining the value of your product or service can be difficult, especially when you only have a few minutes (like that fictional 30 second elevator ride you have to pitch a buyer before reaching your floor). These 15 videos nail the pitch in two minutes or less.
AirBnB
Why it works: The pitch effectively teaches the viewer how the product works and what they can expect, all while throwing in simple value statements (eg: save money and earn money). The conversational tone also makes it feel like the pitch is coming from a friend instead of a glossy advertisement.
What you can do: Before you jump into specialized features, start with a simple step-by-step guide on how it works to make sure your prospect is following along.
Mozilla
Why it works: The pitch immediately sets Mozilla up as different (“odd”) and explains what you shouldn’t like, but likely haven’t considered, about other web browsers (focused on profit margins, high profile personalities, etc.). It then introduces a social purpose for web browsers to set apart what is a fairly commoditized product. Candid photos of real employees throughout the video help to prove the point and personalize the message.
What you can do: Include your company’s origin story in your pitch to humanize your organization.
ZenCash
Why it works: In the first few seconds, it gets to the problem customers need to solve (getting accounts receivables paid on time) and clearly identifies the target customer (small businesses). The fun animation is also easy to follow and helps enhance the audio.
Unfortunately ZenCash went out of business in March 2015, but we still think the pitch was solid.
What you can do: Get to the problem and solution quickly. Don’t bury the lede.
Apple
Why it works: Also focusing on the company mission, Apple highlights its approach to product design by starting with a series of questions and short statements that ask the viewer to think differently about how they want to solve their technology problems. The graphics are also simple enough that they don’t pull focus from the main message in the text.
What you can do: Share how your company approaches product innovation with prospects.
DollarShaveClub.com
Why it works: Humor can be tricky to pull off successfully, and the absurdist humor in this video definitely would not work in most B2B settings. But what does work is a quick, enthusiastic pace and constant reinforcement of the value (save money and time) and call to action (visit the website).
What you can do: Add a touch more enthusiasm into your pitch. People like listening to people who are excited about their message.
Mintt
Why it works: Within 12 seconds, you know the who they are. Within 30 seconds you have a general idea of what they do and how. The rest of the video is clear, concise and supportive of what you learn at the very beginning. After seeing this video, the viewer has a great, overall picture of how Mintt differentiates themselves from the competition and how it helps you.
What you can do: Make your message clear from the beginning. Trying to be too expansive or "cute" can dilute your message and even lose the interest of the viewer.
IT-Man
Why it works: While it might be a bit of a stereotype, it’s likely the target buyer of this product – someone managing an IT service department – will appreciate the style of this video, which references 8-bit video games. Even if they are not a video game aficionado, the pitch clearly identifies what a typical day is like in IT support and how the product helps reduce the workload.
What you can do: Adjust your pitch for each buyer to ensure you are delivering the message in a style and tone that will resonate with them.
Path
Why it works: This private messaging app provides a simple interface that everyone in the family will understand how to use. This video hits the right tone for the target audience by providing simple and compelling examples of the app in use with no voiceover. The application is so simple, why would you need an explanation?
What you can do: Try showing your service or product in use with real-world scenarios, rather than explaining it.
Wello
Why it works: When explaining this product – a health monitoring app – you could easily launch into complicated medial jargon or outlandish promises. Instead, the video strikes the perfect tone with a relatable person speaking to the audience like a friend. The beginning lines are compelling (How do you take a photo of your inside?), and throughout the narrator compares the device to things you are already familiar with, like a wearable step tracker.
What you can do: Talk to your buyers like a human, not a commercial. Be professional and enthusiastic, but also don’t be afraid to bring in your personality.
Duet
Why it works: This one gets a nod because of beautiful cinematography, which helps tell a powerful story. In addition to great visuals, the editing allows the stories to seamlessly connect (showing people spinning while hugging then dancers spinning, etc.), which gives a sense of continuity and ease.
What you can do: Evaluate the transitions between topics during your sales pitch. Are you smoothly moving the audience between topics?
FourSquare
Why it works: The animation is brilliant, the story is compelling, and the message is spot on: help organize the world with FourSquare. What works best in this video is the final summary of the three reasons to use FourSquare (keep up with friends, discover what’s nearby, unlock rewards) which is tucked into the end to ensure the audience got the message.
What you can do: Remember to include a short summary of your message at the end of a presentation.
Flic
Why it works: With so many ways this product can interact with your devices, this video quickly runs through many scenarios to show you how Flic can help in that situation.
What you can do: When needing to illustrate a complex solution, using a creative method to demonstrate while entertaining can keep your audience focused while educating them.
popSLATE
Why it works: This video has many of the same themes: a simple message and easy tutorial on how it works. It also uses text smartly to hook you into the video from the beginning (E-link screen on your case, super thin, low power, etc.). The personal message from the product creator at the end also adds a nice human touch.
What you can do: Include simple but compelling questions or statements at the beginning of your sales pitch deck to draw your audience in.
Thumb
Why it works: It’s unclear if this app will take off, but the video is great. It would have been easy to show the feedback messages popping up on the app, but having the feedback walking right through the front door, literally, gave a powerful idea of what the app gives you: immediate feedback from real people. Then, the feedback is shown in the app itself, which ensures the viewer still understands how the metaphor translates into the actual app.
What you can do: Use an analogy or simple story to explain what your product can do, and then show that scenario in the product itself.
Google Voice
Why it works: The graphics are great, the explanation is simple, and it focuses on the problems you need to solve with voicemail. The video also has a clear name so that you know what you’ll be learning right from the beginning (What is Google Voice?).
What you can do: Give your decisions makers a clear idea about what you’ll be showing them during a presentation, and then check in at the end to ensure they learned what you wanted to teach.