The elevator pitch as a research tool
Or proof that even the dumbest of rules can have some usefulness
Flashback some years. I was working at an agency, had several years of writing under my belt, and I was still incredibly impressionable.
This was the opportunity of my career. The opportunity to work with prestigious clients, build my portfolio, learn from the best in content, and set myself up for success.
Early on, during my meet-and-greet calls, I spoke with someone high up in the org, who had tons of “advice” to dish out. They began to school me on the importance of the elevator pitch—the act of quickly and succinctly covering any and every topic.
And then they said something that I will never forget:
"Anyone that can't get to the point of a subject in three to four sentences doesn't know what they're talking about."
I quickly recalled dozens of conversations and calls I'd led where I rambled on for minutes about a topic. And what about all those articles I wrote that were thousands of words long? Did I know nothing about anything? Was I failing to get to the point? (Maybe. And maybe.)
Then it hit me — this person is wrong, I'm not a total fraud, and their rule is stupid.
The limits of the elevator pitch (and why you should question everyone’s advice)
Expecting someone to get to a point in three to four sentences is fair if you're asking for a summary, or even an elevator pitch. I ask people for those all the time. Hell, I challenge myself to create an elevator pitch when I'm struggling to understand the general gist of an article I'm writing.
All this being said, I've realized that person's rule is not only unfair, but also potentially damaging for newer writers.
There are plenty of instances where a deeper dive is needed to get to the point.
Telling less-experienced writers they need to get to the point in a few sentences, at most, is dooming them to fail. Not only this, this “rule” is limiting how writers approach research and think about whether a topic is properly covered or not.
For example, I can tell you what a quality management system is used for in a handful of sentences. (Quality management systems are used to track the development of a product, tool, solution, etc. as it goes through the entire dev, launch, and post-launch process.)
Ask me to write a piece about the importance of quality management systems in the medical device industry? I need several hundred words to even begin scratching the surface. And several thousand more to fully explore the topic, let alone pitch any kind of product or software offering. There’s no “few sentence” workaround for such a nuanced topic that wouldn’t grossly oversimplify things.
That being said, there's a great use for the three-to-four sentence rule.
Using the elevator pitch as a gut check
When you’re a professional writer, you often don't have the luxury of covering something you fully understand. Or at least, covering something you fully understand yet.
While the elevator pitch rule mentioned earlier is poor advice, especially for newer writers, there’s some gold in them hills.
Challenging yourself to distill the topic down to a few sentences is a great way to gut check whether you understand the subject matter.
Think about your favorite show, beloved hobby, or some weird niche thing you know a bunch about. You can probably go on about that subject for hours, but also deliver a few-sentence elevator pitch on it as well.
When you can talk about an article topic in the same manner you talk about your favorite show or hobby etc., you can confidently say you understand it.
In other words, when you reach the elevator pitch, you establish foundational knowledge on which to build the rest of the article.
Crafting your elevator pitch
If you're struggling to come up with an elevator pitch or summary, don’t panic! This just means you need to dive back into research and understanding the world of this topic.
Google the topic or term again. Have you read every front-page article on the topic? If not, read the ones you missed.
Lose yourself in the communities of this topic. Run two search queries for the topic. Search “topic + reddit” and “topic + forum.” See what people are talking about in the respective communities and take note of recurring themes, questions, and so on. (Don’t limit yourself to Reddit, either! Reddit’s just a great jumping off point.)
Speak with subject matter experts (SMEs) when possible. If this work is for a client, ask if there’s a SME you can interview. If you don’t have access to a SME, tap your own network and see if anyone knows a SME that’s happy to share a little time with you.
Watch product videos and demos. If this piece is for a business, watch their product videos and customer testimonials. If it’s a general, informative piece, search for that topic and “solutions” and see how companies talk about this topic in their product videos. (Home page videos are almost always succinct and speak with authority about a topic.)
Most of all, don’t get discouraged. Some topics are easier to grasp than others, while others are simply tough.
If you agreed to a freelance piece and you’re struggling to deliver the goods, a little honesty never hurts either. Talk to the client and tell them what’s giving you trouble. If the client’s worth a damn, they’ll gladly help you fill in those knowledge gaps.
Acing interviews with the elevator pitch
Layoffs are commonplace in today’s economy, especially where content roles are concerned. (I’d know, I just went through this myself.)
The elevator pitch was a lifesaver for me during countless interviews.
Take the aforementioned approach to research and apply it to jobs you’re interested in. Research the company, their products, their blog, and even their social media. Then, challenge yourself to deliver an elevator pitch about them.
Next, prep for the inevitable “tell us about yourself” question by thinking about your own elevator pitch. How would you describe yourself in 60 seconds or less? What are your career highlights? Things you’re most proud of? Things that really grab someone’s attention? (This is a great time to plug that hobby or weird niche thing that makes you, YOU.)
With both of these elevator pitches cemented in your brain, you can confidently stroll into (or log onto) every interview in your path.
P.S. Don’t ever, for a moment, believe your inability to be succinct says anything about whether or not you know what you’re talking about. Passion about a topic often translates to rambling, and that’s a beautiful thing.