Using Your Elevator Pitch Differently

Fall semester brings with it new students, new faculty, and other new faces. Whether you're new yourself, or you're welcoming the new folks, you want to make sure that people know what you and your research are about. This is why it's a good time to prepare or revisit your research elevator pitch.

An elevator pitch is a short spiel of what your research is and more importantly what difference it can make. The elevator pitch is a short speech (1-3 minutes) that can be given in an elevator ride. Although the elevator pitch has been a staple of self-promotion tactics, we actually think it makes more sense to develop an impromptu accordion conversation. Sure, it's not as catchy as elevator pitch, but hear me out.

An impromptu accordion conversation (IAC) is a conversation you might have at a reception or meeting that can be as short as a tag line but can grow to include a substantive discussion of why your work is important. Just like the accordion can expand and contract, if you plan for a conversation that can make your case in bite-sized pieces, you can allow your conversation partner to direct how they understand your research and when and how much you draw out the accordion of explanation. 

Imagine you meet a Program Officer (not quite in your area) at a conference reception, and they ask what you do.You begin with your tagline, a single sentence that sums up your research. Example: I look at how to increase memory retention of Physics students. Your tagline should be short and communicate your research in a clear and action-oriented way.

You should use your tagline to generate interest and a question in your conversation partner. For instance, they ask you, "What sort of things do you want Physics students to retain?" You then have an opportunity to describe the problem that your research is trying to solve and give the questioner a fuller sense of you and your work.  And the bonus is that your conversation partner is an active listener at this point because they asked the question and they're interested in knowing more.  With a more traditional elevator pitch, if you rattle off your pitch, there's no telling if the person you're talking to is listening or cares about what you're trying to pitch them.

Aside from having a tag line and explanations that focus on the impact of your research, your IAC should also include a call to action. Don't forget to also ask your conversation partner what they do and if there is an opportunity for collaboration or support, find ways to continue the conversation. For example, going back to our Program Officer example, perhaps you ask, "Could I send you a copy of my concept paper to see if you could point me in the right direction with whom I should talk to about funding?" or "Would you mind connecting me with your colleague in this area?" and then follow-up with an email.

So, as you prepare for the new faces and meetings this Fall, be sure to polish off your elevator pitch, or better yet, prepare an Impromptu Accordion Conversation.

Resources:
The Elevator Pitch: Presenting Your Research in Conversation - University of Notre Dame
Elevator Pitches for Scientists - The Postdoc Way