elevator pitch

American  

[el-uh-vey-ter pich] / ˈɛl əˌveɪ tər ˌpɪtʃ /

Also elevator speech

noun

1. a brief talk or pitch intended to sell or win approval for something, as a product or business proposal.

   a two-minute elevator pitch to a prospective investor.

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Etymology

Origin of elevator pitch

First recorded in 1995–2000; from the idea of persuading someone while on an elevator moving between floors

Example Sentences

Even before I first saw the film during last year’s Sundance Film Festival, this one-line elevator pitch was taking up all the space in my prefrontal cortex.

From Salon • Feb. 18, 2026

That Pritzker doesn’t have a natural feel for such material is a bit surprising given his history in venture capital, a cultural space that celebrates the visionary elevator pitch.

From Slate • Sep. 18, 2025

Asked to describe the sport in which he is a double world champion, Tomas Woods has it down to an elevator pitch: "It's basically BMX in a wheelchair."

From BBC • Sep. 10, 2025

So walk us through what Bluesky is, where it came from, and what the basic elevator pitch is.

From New York Times • May 5, 2023

“People will say if it’s older, it’s better, but that’s not necessarily true,” says Lickliter, who gets asked often for an elevator pitch of the bar’s concept.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 22, 2022