It’s frustratingly common for many first time entrepreneurs to have trouble expressing exactly what it is they do. Having braved the business world for several years, all I can say is that your elevator pitch really needs to become an instinct.

What’s an Elevator Pitch?

An elevator pitch is a 60 second high level overview of you and/or your project. The theory goes that if you suddenly found yourself in an elevator with a business luminary who could potentially take your career to the next level, would you be prepared to present your ideas compellingly? You never know when this could happen, or who it could happen with, so it’s probably a good idea to get some practice to avoid fumbling your way through.

Before going any further, check out this great elevator pitch by Tim Ferris (who just wrote a post on the same topic).

Personal Story

Marketing is all about storytelling, and your elevator pitch should be too. Identify the parts of your personal story that others find most appealing and amplify them, all the while emphasizing how those things put you in the position to offer something unique and valuable (you are offering something of value, right?).

When I think about personal stories, a few obvious ones come to mind: Steve Jobs, the counter-culture icon who once traveled to India on a path to personal discovery; Mark Zuckerberg, the shy 24-year-old who began one of the hottest sites on the internet from his Harvard dorm room; and Larry Ellison; billionaire playboy founder of Oracle, and a man who possesses no shortage of creativity in finding ways to spend all that money.

I realize you might not think that all those stories are good ones, and sure, yours might not even compare. The point is you need to find what it is about yourself that other people find memorable and embrace it. At a meeting where 20 people give their own elevator pitches, how do you stand out?

Explain Your Idea Simply and Coherently

Now that you’ve devised a memorable personal story, it’s time to focus on what you do.

First, check all your technical jargon at the door. When presenting an elevator pitch you should assume that your audience knows nothing about your industry, because many won’t. Rather, invest the time in coming up with three or four sentences–no more–that bypass all the distractions and get to the absolute core of what you’re building. In other words, skip the part where you explain color options or addon modules.

Speak clearly and from the beginning. Your elevator pitch should harness a clear, lucid train of thought–chipping away like a sculptor to marble, molding and shaping the idea until a complete picture is formed.

Demonstrate Value

Finally, how does your project add value? This may not be immediately obvious, and it’s up to you to put it front and center. Without that aha! moment where a person finally gets why your thingamajig is important, the only thing you’ve convinced them of is that they have something better to do with their time.

Practice

You can’t just wing an elevator pitch and expect it to be great. Like all things, it takes practice–the more you say it, the better it gets. An easy first step is to write it down and read it aloud, memorizing it in the process. Then practice on your friends and family, taking note when you seem to lose their attention.

It sure isn’t easy, and the practicing part is embarrassing and surprisingly horrid, but the warm fuzzy feeling you get after reciting your masterfully crafted elevator pitch will be worth all the effort. May the force be with you.