Do you freeze up when asked, “Tell me a little bit about yourself?” Your first instinct may be to say whatever comes to mind, which could turn into worrying about rambling on for too long. We’ve all been there!

At interviews, conferences, and other networking opportunities, you will need to be able to quickly convey key points about yourself, your background, and the work that you do to someone you’ve just met. Having a solid elevator pitch can help.

An elevator pitch is a succinct and persuasive sales pitch — usually done in 30 seconds or less. Its purpose is not to sell yourself and your ideas, but rather to make other people want to know more about you and engage in further dialogue or collaboration.

Follow the steps below to craft an elevator pitch that you can use the next time you meet someone new.

1. Open with a relatable question.

Make your pitch personal to the person with whom you are speaking by opening with a question relevant to them. You do this by directly or indirectly making them identify with a problem that you may be able to solve. You can identify a relatable question by asking yourself:

• Who are you talking to?

• What do you want from them?

• What problem do they have that you may solve?

2. Describe what you do.

Keeping your audience in mind, you don’t need to describe everything you do. Keep it short by providing your solution to the problem raised in your opening question.

3. Speak to your value.

Explain the outcome that your solution provides and the impact that it will have. Connect this to the value of what you do and how it will be beneficial in solving your audience’s problem.

4. Highlight an achievement.

Pick one achievement that showcases the value of your expertise in solving the problem at hand. You can use a recent publication, a testimonial, an award you received or one you’re in the running for, or an impact that you have made.

5. Convey your passion.

Add enthusiasm and demonstrate your drive in what you say and how you say it. Express why you do what you do. This step is key in sparking curiosity in your listener and making people want to know more about you and engage in further conversation.

6. Practice.

Finally, practicing your elevator pitch allows you to recall it more easily in the moment and helps you to appear more articulate (no “ummms” needed to fill the air, here!). Practice, practice, practice!

Adapted from How to Create a Perfect Elevator Pitch video tutorial from Learning (formerly Lynda.com) by Careercake (2018, July 20).