The Art of the Elevator Pitch

Hollywood screenwriters typically get three to five minutes to pitch their movie ideas, but it takes only around 45 seconds for producers to know if they want to invest. Specifically, producers are listening for a logline: one or two sentences that explain what the movie is about. If there is no logline, more often than not, there is no sale. This is a valuable lesson for innovators in any field. Business leaders are often asked: What does your startup or product do? What’s your idea? If they can answer in one compelling sentence, they can hook their audience and influence people to invest in their work. Though mastering the art of the logline is challenging, there are steps leaders can take to do so: (1) Keep it short. (2) Identify the one thing you want your audience to remember. (3) Make sure your team is on the same page.