Mastering the Elevator Pitch: Explaining Your Campaign in 30 Seconds


In politics, first impressions matter. Whether you’re meeting a voter, a donor, or the press, you need to explain your campaign quickly and persuasively. That’s where the “elevator pitch” comes in. 

What is an “Elevator Pitch?”

The term “elevator pitch” gets its name from the concept that you should always be prepared to make your pitch for whatever is important to you because you never know when you will have a chance encounter on the elevator with someone who can change your life.  An elevator pitch is a 30-second (or brief) summary of your campaign that answers: 

1.      Who you are

2.      What office you’re running for

3.      Why you’re running (your campaign message part 1)

4.      What makes you different (your campaign message part 2)

While running for political office, you will use your elevator speech when answering questions from the media, going door-to-door, meeting people at community events and during chance encounters.

Formula

Let’s quickly put it together:

"Hi, I’m <<YOUR NAME>>, and I’m running for <<OFFICE SOUGHT>>. I’m running because <<ISSUE IN WHICH YOU ARE STRONG, YOUR OPPONENT IS WEEK, AND VOTERS CARE>>. My experience as <<YOUR STRATEGIC DIFFERENCE>> has shown me that we need <<THE SOLUTION>>. If elected, I will <<VISION>>."

 

Remember the SWIP exercise from last week’s blog post?  This is where you will put that to use for yourself.  You will employ your strengths in regard to what issue that interests voters in an area where your opponent is weak.  You will refer to your SWIP analysis many times during your campaign.  Here is a link to last week’s blog post: Should I go negative on my campaign? How do I do that?

 

Example

"Hi, I’m Jane Smith, and I’m running for city council. Our roads and public safety are being neglected, and career politicians aren’t solving the problem. As a small business owner, I know how to manage budgets responsibly. If elected, I’ll make sure tax dollars are spent wisely to fix roads and support first responders."

 

Final Thoughts

Your elevator pitch should be clear, concise, and compelling. Use the information you have gathered and put together in previous exercises.  There are links below for The Political Campaign Desk Reference and the companion Workbook.  Use those resources to hone these elements of your campaign.  Practice it until it feels natural—you never know when you’ll need it! 

Additional Reading:

·       The Political Campaign Desk Reference

·       Workbook: Companion to The Political Campaign Desk Reference

·       Political Campaigns and Artificial Intelligence: Using ChatGPT and other tools to enhance your election

·       The Declaration, Constitution and America's Founding Documents: (with document images and illustrations)

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