How do you professionally introduce yourself to someone you’ve just met? When an interviewer asks you to describe yourself, what do you say? The answer lies in an MBA elevator pitch.
If you are on a job hunt, pursuing career advancement opportunities, or simply networking, you will find yourself pitching to potential employers now and then, and that too, in less than a minute! And an effective self-introduction can help you create a memorable first impression and open up the right employment prospects for you.
Your pitch is how you convey to others, who you are, your achievements, interests, and goals in life. The primary aim of such a pitch is to start a conversation and facilitate further professional relationships within the time it takes an elevator to cross a few floors, i.e., less than a minute. Hence, the name “elevator” pitch.
It need not say everything about you, but just enough to let the other party display some interest in hiring you — an MBA elevator pitch is essentially the demonstration of your personal brand.
Be it at any interview or cover letter, an elevator pitch is deemed very useful for business personnel, especially for potential candidates of an educational program.
In the words of the brand-builder at Walt Disney, Curtis Johnson, “Your personal brand is what you represent, what you stand for, what people think of you when they see your name. What qualities, strengths, and values does your personal brand summon in the minds of others – particularly those in a position to evaluate your candidacy for the MBA program of your dreams?”
Now comes the important question – how can you develop a stellar MBA elevator pitch?
We’ll tell you how!
Tips for Writing an MBA Elevator Pitch
Understandably, it’s no child’s play to get your pitch working at one go. It should take you several days and quite a few hits-and-miss to refine and perfect a personal pitch. However, there are a few pointers you should include in your MBA elevator pitch to maximize your chances of success:
1. Who you are
Before approaching someone with a pitch, a proper introduction to who you are is an absolute necessity. Introducing yourself using your full name can be how you begin as you lend out your hand to shake. Greetings and smiles are key to ensuring the effectiveness of an introduction speech that catches the attention of the listener.
Remember that your pitch needs to be less than a minute, so you can’t go on explaining every little detail about yourself. Only the most relevant details that are likely to interest your listener are enough.
2. What you do
Next, is a brief insight into your background that builds upon who you are – it paves the way for your principal motive. Mention only the most pertinent details like your education qualification, professional experience, and relevant strengths that set you apart from the crowd.
There is a lot you could say at this point. But once again, you must resist the temptation to say more than what is necessary – only stick to the key points.
Start with scribbling down all you can say about yourself. Once you have all of it jotted down, go ahead and scrap sections that aren’t relevant or necessary for the particular situation.
3. What you want
This segment of the pitch focuses on what you’re pitching for — whether it is an education program, an internship, at a job interview, or simply for contact information.
You must be very clear about what you can offer an organization through your skill sets, the quality of work you stand to bring, and how it is in your listener’s interest to consider you.
Suppose you’re pitching for an education program, you should focus on setting yourself apart from the crowd — anything that shows that you are a more suitable candidate. If it is for a job opportunity, then reflect on why you are the best fit for the job — what it is that you can offer that will benefit their company.
Even though it is your pitch, it should cater to the needs of your audience. He/she will never be interested in hiring you or working with you if they do not acknowledge your need in their institute or company.
Also Read: Growth statistics of MBA in each of its field
4. Conclude
The final step is as most important as any other step in delivering a successful pitch. This is where you actually take things into your hand and set the course of the conversation.
Always end your pitch with what you want to do next. If it is at an interview, conclude with confirming that you’ve answered a question completely; or if you are looking for a mentorship opportunity, clearly address it. Being straightforward shows that you are confident and fit to handle complex business situations.
Everything you have said up until that point rests on your conclusion. So, it’s a good idea to give the conversation some operational item rather than letting it hang off a cliff. But you must also remember that you’ve just met this person, so rather than asking the moon, keep it simple and to the point.
Here is an example elevator pitch:
“Hello! My name is Jane. It’s very nice to meet you! I am a business analytics professional with over ten years of experience in devising data-driven solutions for complicated business problems. I recently completed a global master’s certificate course in business analytics and have had success in strategically evaluating data analysis at the executive level. I understand you do similar work. I would love to know if there are any business analytics opportunities in your team.”
Some more tips to help you ace that MBA elevator pitch
1. Be consistent – Since you’re trying to sell yourself as a brand, you should display consistency. Think of it as a story where all the plot points are connected, and one point leads to the other. So, your pitch should be supported by your background and achievements. Based on this, you can formulate what you want.
2. Customize – It is advantageous to keep a basic pitch ready to be used anytime and anywhere, even though there’s no guarantee that the same old wine will work every time.
You have to customize your pitch to the needs of your audience, along with your objective – what you are hoping to take away from it. A resolute intention will bring out the best results. Remember that everyone values authenticity and uniqueness. These two are the most powerful weapons in your hand.
3. Maintain a balance between conversational and professional approach – You must practice your pitch until it comes naturally. You do not want it to be too professional so that it sounds rehearsed, but at the same time, you should also avoid an entirely conversational approach.
Be creative and reframe your pitch in the particular context and situation, but most of all, deliver a professional presence. It is important what you say, but how you say it also matters. This is what actually draws the listener’s interest, thus enabling them to process what you’re saying.
Final Thoughts
An MBA elevator pitch is about making an impression, a positive one. Be careful at choosing what you say. A successful pitch is short, crisp, and leaves one curious to know more about your abilities and accomplishments.
If you are a business owner, entrepreneur, or a working professional with up to 5 years of full-time work experience, you should consider acquiring a global Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree from a top university like Liverpool Business School, UK to advance in your career. An elevator pitch that highlights qualifications such as an MBA or MSc is more likely to catch the attention of your listen.
An MBA can help you pitch leadership skills, digital business innovation abilities, risk management strategies, marketing strategies, project management abilities, etc., to potential employers. Since the course is 100% online, you can pursue the degree alongside business duties. What’s more, it will also teach you how to do an MBA elevator pitch effectively since communication is an important skill to learn as an MBA student.
We hope this provides you with the necessary context for creating a successful MBA elevator pitch!
