Presentations: Perform professionally – effective self-presentation using the elevator pitch

29. August 2017 Uwe Freund

Presentations: Perform professionally – effective self-presentation using the elevator pitch

Achieve your goal efficiently using a pyramid structure according to the AIDA principle.

The elevator pitch is a compact and direct presentation of a result or can also be used for a self-presentation. It is built on the principle of a pyramid. As such, important, core information for the recipient is given first – instead of beginning with a lengthy introduction as with the “scientific funnel”, where details are given before the core statement.

The idea behind it is: For example, at a job interview you meet your interviewer in the elevator and only have from the first to the fourth floor to pitch yourself successfully. How do you proceed?

You work in 4 steps according to the AIDA principle, as shown here in an example:

[ A ] Attention: Drawing attention	How do you reach your goals simply and directly in written form so that you stay in the mind of your reader?
[ I ] Interest: Generating interest	If you can write well, accurately and correctly it is a deciding factor for your career.
[ D ] Desire: Evoke desire (to act)	With our online training “Written Communication”, you will learn how to present yourself in a purposeful, modern and goal-oriented fashion and appear professional. You will also get compressed, practice-oriented rules with which you can avoid common grammar and punctuation mistakes.
[ A ] Action: Prompting action = Call-to-Action	So get started with the first chapter righty away!

This is how to make your elevator pitch work:

Plan all of your steps precisely:

Start off strong: The first sentence has to reach the audience and draw attention – as a question, claim or interesting fact.
Emphasise the important: get directly to the point and concentrate on the core message.
Emphasise the benefits for your counterpart: Put yourself in their place. What do they need? Which additional value do you offer?
Emphasize the outstanding: What makes you stand out from the crowd? What can you offer that is special?
Put it compactly and clearly: Would someone with no previous knowledge understand what you are talking about?
End strongly: You can only persuade others if you are convinced of what you’re saying and can show it. The call to action has to be convincing!