From the first line to the closing sentence, your elevator pitch must convey a coherent message in easy-to-understand language. This important message is about you, what makes you unique, and why people may want to work with you. How you deliver your pitch is as important as your content. 

Remember, this is an elevator pitch to pique curiosity, not a full sales demo or presentation. Be relatable, engaging, and real so that others can know what it would be like working with you or your organization. 59 seconds isn't much time, so your message will need to be concise and to the point.

Scripting your elevator pitch before recording will help ensure your message is clear, coherent, relevant, and effective. If you decide to wing it, you'll still want to make sure your pitch resonates with your target audience, because people hire people they know, like, and trust.

Here are some ideas that will help you organize your thoughts, create a suitable recording environment and key in on the most important things people want and need to hear in your pitch.

Writing Your Pitch

1. Write Down the Goal for Your Elevator Pitch
   In just a few words record what you want people to understand or take away from your pitch. How do you want them to feel, what do you want them to do and what do you need them to know? After you’re done writing down your pitch, come back and reference your goal to make sure the content of your pitch matches your overall objective.
2. Write a Script
   In general, 59 seconds will allow you to say between 160 - 180 words. It may be a few more or a few less depending on how quickly you speak. After you script your pitch, do a timed rehearsal to ensure it’s within the 59-second time limit (all pitches get cut off at 59.4 seconds). That's not a lot of time or words to convey your message and persuade viewers to follow a specific call to action, so keep your thoughts well organized and concise.
3. Become Knowable/Likeable
   Introduce yourself, your background, and identify a couple of things that make you unique, interesting, or relatable. These can be beliefs, likes/dislikes, experiences, personality or physical traits, lessons learned, or circumstances that make you empathetic, down to earth, or relatable. Sharing background, education, obstacles overcome, etc... can help to make you more relatable (40-60 words or 20-25 seconds).
4. Become Trustworthy
   What are some frustrations or pain points that concern your target audience/market in your industry? What are a couple of things you do differently and how do you resolve those pain points? What are some practices/products/services that you offer to help your target audience, or what makes you uniquely qualified to help solve their problems (40-60 words or 20-25 seconds)?
5. Give a Call to Action
   Clearly explain what action you want your target audience to take and what the next steps are. If you were talking to a potential client/employer/investor/etc… in person, what would you want them to do? Remember, the CONTACT button on your PitchCard will have all of the different methods to get in touch with you (15-25 words or 10-15 seconds). Remember, you can re-record your pitch at any time. There’s no such thing as a perfect pitch. The things you say and do will resonate differently depending on the viewer. Your goal should be to deliver a pitch that will resonate with the audience you want to work with. Your pitch will also change and be refined over time. We recommend changing or updating your pitch at least every 6-12 months to keep it fresh and relevant. We also strongly recommend hiring a videographer to help you record your pitch.
   
   The more you like your pitch video, the more you and your network will feel comfortable sharing your PitchCard!

Recording Your Pitch

1. Lighting
   Make sure you're in a space that has adequate, soft lighting. Avoid harsh light and angles that cast shadows on different parts of your face. Use natural light, lamps, and other light sources to improve your lighting. 
2. Sound
   Avoid rooms that have background noise or echo. Record with a device that picks up good audio. If you choose to use your phone, it may be a good idea to use an external mic if you have one. If you have an older phone it may be a good idea to borrow one from a friend or family member that is newer and will record better audio/video.
3. Background
   Pay attention to your background. Make sure your backdrop enhances your pitch and doesn't distract from it. Be sure to record in settings that would make sense for your industry and try to include colors, plants, or other objects that look good.
4. Dress/Grooming
   A lot of people will be watching your pitch. Make sure you're dressed and groomed in a way you’d be proud of and that will inspire your target audience to know, like, and trust you. Remember, Pitch59 is a G-Rated platform, your outfit needs to be appropriate for people of all backgrounds and ages. Pitch59 reserves the right to remove any PitchCard we deem inappropriate.
5. Recording
   Avoid holding/shaking the camera while recording. If possible, steady the camera on a desk, table, or tripod. Try to keep your camera at eye level so that you're not looking down or up at the camera. Clean the lens of your camera before recording to remove dust, oil, and debris. While recording, try to look directly at the camera lens so the viewers will feel like you're maintaining eye contact with them. Speak in an even but energetic tone, stand/sit up straight, smile, and look directly at the camera lens. Speak clearly enough and slowly enough that the masses won't have difficulty understanding you.
6. B-Roll
   Feel free to include B-Roll (picture/video footage that is overlayed on top of your original video) that will accentuate your message and help viewers better understand the details and message of your pitch.
7. Music
   Adding background music can enhance the emotional appeal of your pitch. Select music that matches the energy and feel you want to convey to your audience. Make sure it isn't distracting and doesn’t overpower your voice. Adjust the volume of the background music to be noticeable but not overwhelming.

If you need further assistance or have any questions, feel free to reach out to help@pitch59.com.
We look forward to watching your pitch!