The Elevator Pitch: A Tool All Models & Actors Must Master

Of the many hats I wear, being a coach is one of my favorites. I've seen way too many aspiring models and actors make needless mistakes and the opportunity to prevent people from that kind of stress and heartache always fills my cup.

Whether I'm coaching an actor, a model, or a pageant contestant, the concept of the "Elevator Pitch" is part of my spiel. And for good reason.

WHAT IS AN ELEVATOR PITCH?

The idea for the elevator pitch comes from the business world and basically describes a brief way to introduce yourself in order to get your message/points across in a way the other person can easily understand. And when I say "brief" I mean brief...30 seconds ideally.

Picture yourself in an elevator with someone of importance. This person can make all your dreams come true but you've only got seconds before they reach their floor and step out of the elevator. You may never get this opportunity again. So you decide to briefly introduce yourself and what you're about. If you're successful, that person of importance will either hand you their card to keep in touch or might even invite you to their office to talk more. This scenario is where the "elevator" in "elevator pitch" comes from.

However, this scenario no longer only applies to just the movers and shakers of the business world. When it comes to modeling and acting, the notion of talking about yourself boils down to one of the most commonly asked questions you'll receive from an agent, client, or casting director:

"Tell us a little bit about yourself."

For those who've never done an elevator pitch before, the response to this question is typically silence, looks of confusion, or the famous, "Uhhhhh..." It's not rocket science to say that those responses do not make for a good first impression.

For the sake of simplicity, I'm going to refer to the elevator pitch from this point on as your "Personal Intro."

THE CRITERIA FOR YOUR PERSONAL INTRO

• 30 Seconds Max: not many people have time to listen to your life story. You've gotta hook them into getting the gist of who you are relatively fast. Think about the info you're sharing as an appetizer. Give them just enough to get the point across. Don't get bogged down in the details.

• 3 Talking Points: one of the easiest ways to organize your thoughts is to have no more than 3 talking points centered around whatever it is that you want to communicate in your personal intro. This info should be tailored to the situation and who the person is that you're talking to.  Examples include (but are not limited to):

• Your grade/where you go to school (if you're in school; if you're a college student, what are you studying/majoring in?)
• What your current job is
• A favorite hobby or activity you enjoy
• A fun fact about yourself (it doesn't have to be a big huge deal like climbing Mount Everest...if it's interesting to you, share it!)
• A goal you have for the future (personal, professional, bucket list, etc.)

PERSONAL INTRO TIPS

• Deliver with Personality: the other side of the coin for a good personal intro is how you say it. Bring your energy and enthusiasm. You should be smiling genuinely when sharing your personal introduction -- if the info doesn't make you smile while talking, it's not a good intro.
• Don't Memorize: the pressure that comes with memorizing and trying to make your personal intro sound "perfect," will only open you up for mistakes and an awkward experience. Be familiar enough with your talking points that you can spit it out without thinking too hard. Saying something that's memorized will come across as inauthentic and forced. Speak from your heart...you're talking about YOU after all and who's a better expert at that?
• Create Different Versions: I have 2-3 different personal intros that I use depending on who I'm talking to. If it's a casting director, I'm going to focus on how long I've been acting and how much I enjoy it. If it's a potential client, I'll share a fun fact I feel will make me stand out from the competition, etc. Customize your personal intros and it'll help you feel prepared no matter who's asking you the question: "Tell us a little bit about yourself."

MY PERSONAL INTRO (EXAMPLE)

Hi, my name is Dania Denise and I've been modeling and acting for as long as I can remember. When I'm not in front of the camera, I'm also behind it as an indie filmmaker, and an entrepreneur with my own art business. I like to stay busy!

THE BOTTOM LINE

Don't overthink your personal intro but you should practice it. Again, the goal isn't to memorize but to become so comfortable with the info you want to share that you can do it in your sleep without hesitation, stumbling or brain farting.

The more confidently you introduce yourself, the more engaged people will be and with the right appetizer talking points, chances are they'll want to keep the conversation going and that's when you know you've done it right.