In one line: Thirty seconds, about forty words: who you are, how you came to this person, what you’re interested in and why your background fits, and what you’d like from them.
Core idea
Many useful conversations start with a stranger who doesn’t owe you their time. An elevator pitch is a short, rehearsed introduction that earns the next five minutes. The course asks for it written down. That forces every word to count, and a written script can be rehearsed until it sounds natural rather than recited.
How it works
The course’s 30-second structure:
- Who you are: your name, plus one detail that gives a picture, such as your employer, program or degree.
- The connection: who referred you, or how you found them. A shared contact, a talk they gave, or an article they wrote all work.
- Your interest: the area you want to learn about, and how your background relates to it.
- The ask: what you’d like, such as fifteen minutes of advice, an introduction, or a visit to their lab.
Example: Hi, I’m Sam, a test engineer at a medical-device company and a fellow in an engineering leadership program. I enjoyed your conference talk on wearable sensors. I’m moving into system-level work and would value fifteen minutes of your advice on how you made that transition.
In practice
- End with a specific, small ask. People can say yes to fifteen minutes. They can’t say yes to “any opportunities”.
- Have two or three versions: one for a conference, one for a senior leader in your own company, one for an alumnus.
- Practice it until it is conversational (see Perfect Practice). The course picks people at random to deliver their pitch during the semester, a good reason to be ready.
The same discipline drives a quad chart: a very small space, a non-specialist listener, and one goal, which is earning a longer conversation.
Questions to ask yourself
- Could I introduce myself and my interest in under thirty seconds right now?
- What is the specific ask I would make of the person I most want to meet?
- Does my pitch say why this person, rather than anyone?
Connections
- Where it’s used: Networking, Informational Interviews, Bagging the Elephant.
- The one-slide equivalent: Quad Charts. Making it natural: Perfect Practice.
- Capabilities exercised: Communicating and Advocacy, Initiative, Courage.
Sources
- Course networking assignment; no public source.