The “Elevator Pitch” In class you selected teams for a challenging part of this course – the Enterprise Development Project. The first order of business will be to come up with ideas for the focus of the enterprise- the business you’ll be starting. One technique that professionals often use is called an “Elevator Pitch.” This is a practiced sales pitch designed to be delivered in a short period of time – a minute or two at the most (the theoretical length of an elevator ride). Think about the rhetorical situation – you have a very brief period of time to convince someone (an investor, say, or a producer) to finance your enterprise. They will only do that if you make a convincing case. A famous sales trainer once said, “Tell ‘em what you’re gonna tell ‘em. Tell ‘em. Then tell ‘em what you told ‘em.” Remember that the person to whom you’re speaking is a potential money source – you need to make clear to them the “WIIFM” (What’s In It For Me??) – the potential profitability of the venture, or if it’s a non-profit, the positive good will it contributes to their own brand. Therefore. You need to state not only what it is, but how it can succeed. Write out an elevator pitch that presents the compelling features and benefits of your idea, and submit that to Moodle. Format your document as a memorandum, and title it “Elevator Pitch.” Upload it to the link provided. Practice your pitch and be prepared to make it to your team members next week.
