Elevator pitch

An elevator pitch is a short, powerful presentation designed to quickly and enthousiastically convince the listener about a product, idea or concept the student is presenting. You can use it as a test and to help students develop their communication skills and ability to convey a message quickly and effectively. For example, have them give an elevator pitch about an idea, topic they researched or product they developed. Give a maximum number of minutes for the duration of the pitch, usually between one and five minutes. In an elevator pitch, you can evaluate students on aspects such as presentation skills, persuasiveness, clarity and the quality of the message.

Some examples:

  1. Have a business administration student, who has developed a new app for managing finances, give an elevator pitch on how the app can help users get a better grip on their spending and savings.
  2. Have an environmental science student, who conducted a research project on the impact of plastic waste on oceans, give an elevator pitch on the results and findings of the research and the need to continue working on solving the problem.
  3. Have an architecture student, who has designed a new way to make buildings more sustainable, give an elevator pitch on the benefits of the technology and how it contributes to a better environment.
  4. Have a psychology student, who has conducted research on the effects of stress on mental health, give an elevator pitch on the results and how the findings can be used to help people manage stress better.

Tip: for variation, have your students make a video pitch or a pechakucha. Or let them make use of an argument diagram to structure their story and be able to put forward the main arguments.

Want to know more?

See also: Presentation, Defence, Oral, Argument mapping.

VU Taxonomy?

Oral communication
Written communication

What total group size?

More than three hundred

What activity group size?

Individual
Small group (2-4 pers)
Scroll to Top