# Elevator Pitch

Teams brainstorm components across seven key categories, then draft and test concise statements using a structured formula. The session produces clear agreement on core claims, audience, and differentiators for an initiative.

**Time:** 90 minutes. 90 minutes aligns with the full Gamestorming generating and forming session.
**People:** 4 to 24. Small groups of 3 to 4 participants (for 5 participants, form one group of 3 and one pair; for other numbers, form groups of 3 to 5)

## Choose this exercise

**Purpose:** Draft and compare structured positioning statements to identify agreed benefits, target audiences, and differentiators.
**Use it when:** Use when launching a project, product, or internal initiative that lacks a concise shared identity.
**Skip it when:** Skip when the core offering, scope, or audience is entirely undefined, or when the team already has an approved message framework.

## Materials and tools

- 7 flipchart pads or designated wall zones labeled with the 7 categories
- Self-adhesive sticky notes (3 pads per small group)
- Fine-tip dry-erase or permanent markers (1 per person)
- Self-adhesive dot stickers (6 dots per person)
- Pre-printed pitch formula worksheets (1 per group)
- Digital whiteboard platform for remote participants
- Countdown timer

## Before participants arrive

1. Mount 7 flipcharts in sequence across the room: 1. Target Customer, 2. Customer Need, 3. Product Name, 4. Market Category, 5. Key Benefit, 6. Competition, 7. Unique Differentiator.
2. Place pads of sticky notes and markers on all tables.
3. Write the pitch formula on a central display for shared reference during whole-room discussion and plenary debrief.

## Say this to open

A crisp elevator pitch tells people what an initiative does, who it serves, and why it differs from alternatives. Today we will break the pitch into seven pieces, brainstorm options, and draft working versions in small groups. Our goal is not polished corporate copywriting, but clear alignment on what belongs in our core message and what does not.

## How to run it

### 1. Introduce formula and categories (10 minutes)

Display the seven flipcharts and explain the pitch formula. Neutral example: 'For regional warehouse managers who struggle with delayed freight data, YardTracker is a mobile logistics dashboard that alerts teams to yard bottlenecks in real time. Unlike manual spreadsheets, it updates vehicle locations automatically.' Give participants 2 minutes to ask clarifying questions about the seven category definitions.

### 2. Silent idea generation (15 minutes)

Instruct participants to work individually. Everyone writes sticky notes for as many categories as they can, one clear thought per note. At the 10-minute mark, direct everyone to walk to the flipcharts and post their notes under the corresponding category headings.

### 3. Review and prioritize components (20 minutes)

Cluster duplicate notes on each chart as a full room. Discuss where gaps or tensions appear, especially around the unique differentiator and customer need. Give each participant 6 dot stickers to vote on the most compelling or accurate ideas across the charts.

### 4. Draft small group pitches (20 minutes)

Form groups of 3 to 4 (or 2 to 5 depending on total attendance). Each group selects top-voted ideas from the charts and writes a completed pitch statement using the provided formula worksheet. Groups must select exactly one target customer and one primary benefit to keep the statement focused.

### 5. Present, role-play, and debrief (25 minutes)

Each group reads their pitch in under 60 seconds. For each turn, designate the next presenting group to provide one volunteer who role-plays as the target customer and asks one clarifying question. Spend the final 10 minutes discussing which elements earned room consensus and assign one owner to finalize wording.


## Debrief questions

- Which core benefit felt most credible and distinct to you?
- Where did different groups disagree on who the primary customer is?
- What claims or buzzwords did we agree to leave out of the pitch?

**Finished output:** Two to six drafted pitch statements using the standard formula, with dot-voted component flipcharts recording consensus elements.

## Remote

Create seven designated frames on a digital whiteboard for the categories. Use individual sticky-note colors during silent generation. Move participants to breakout rooms of 3 to 4 with a pre-formatted slide containing the pitch template. Bring everyone back to the main room for 60-second audio reads and text chat reactions.

## Hybrid

Form hybrid groups by pairing in-person participants together and remote participants in their own online breakout rooms. In-person facilitators or designated runners transcribe digital sticky notes to physical boards, or all participants use the shared digital canvas directly from laptops.

## Access and participation choices

- Participants may draft notes in written text, speak ideas to a partner, or paste digital notes directly.
- Anyone may opt to serve as a pitch listener and feedback recorder instead of presenting aloud.

## If the session gets stuck

**Groups cram multiple customer profiles and several benefits into one sentence, making the statement unwieldy.**

Enforce a strict limit of one target customer and one primary benefit per draft. Remind the group that other audiences can receive separate, dedicated pitches later.

**The differentiator sounds identical to the competition or relies on generic claims like 'faster and better.'**

Prompt the team to identify what the alternative literally is (such as existing manual workarounds or prior failed projects) and state one concrete operational difference.


## Terms used here

- Elevator pitch: A concise explanation of an idea, product, or project that can be delivered and understood within 30 to 60 seconds.
- Market category: The general classification or frame of reference that tells an audience what type of product or initiative you are offering.

## Participant material: Elevator Pitch Worksheet

Fill in each bracket to complete your group pitch statement:

For [target customer: who specifically is this for?]
Who has [customer need: what specific problem or friction do they face?],
[Product/Initiative Name] is a [market category: what general type of thing is it?]
That [one key benefit: what is the single most compelling reason to use it?].
Unlike [competition: what alternative, rival tool, or current workaround exists?],
Our product [unique differentiator: what concrete capability sets it apart?].

## Sources and adaptation

Observed in Gamestorming (attributed on page to James Macanufo). SessionLab records an educational variation.

Retained the seven-category sequence, formula, 90-minute generative-forming structure, and customer role-play from the Gamestorming source. Added explicit group sizing rules for 4 to 24 participants, listener assignment mechanics for role-play, step timing, a printable worksheet, and hybrid participation mechanics.

[Gamestorming](https://gamestorming.com/elevator-pitch)

[Gamestorming](https://gamestorming.com/elevator-pitch/)

Current run sheet: https://unitedwetransform.com/exercises/elevator-pitch/