{"id":13751,"date":"2025-10-22T08:00:00","date_gmt":"2025-10-22T12:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/progressions.prsa.org\/?p=13751"},"modified":"2025-10-22T11:10:59","modified_gmt":"2025-10-22T15:10:59","slug":"first-impressions-the-art-of-the-elevator-pitch","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/progressions.prsa.org\/index.php\/2025\/10\/22\/first-impressions-the-art-of-the-elevator-pitch\/","title":{"rendered":"First Impressions: The Art of the Elevator Pitch"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" src=\"https:\/\/progressions.prsa.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/PRSSA-Progressions-Blog-Banner-First-Impressions-The-Art-of-the-Elevator-Pitch-Alyson-Hofman-English-Version-1-1024x576.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13765\" srcset=\"https:\/\/progressions.prsa.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/PRSSA-Progressions-Blog-Banner-First-Impressions-The-Art-of-the-Elevator-Pitch-Alyson-Hofman-English-Version-1-1024x576.png 1024w, https:\/\/progressions.prsa.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/PRSSA-Progressions-Blog-Banner-First-Impressions-The-Art-of-the-Elevator-Pitch-Alyson-Hofman-English-Version-1-300x169.png 300w, https:\/\/progressions.prsa.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/PRSSA-Progressions-Blog-Banner-First-Impressions-The-Art-of-the-Elevator-Pitch-Alyson-Hofman-English-Version-1-768x432.png 768w, https:\/\/progressions.prsa.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/PRSSA-Progressions-Blog-Banner-First-Impressions-The-Art-of-the-Elevator-Pitch-Alyson-Hofman-English-Version-1-1536x864.png 1536w, https:\/\/progressions.prsa.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/PRSSA-Progressions-Blog-Banner-First-Impressions-The-Art-of-the-Elevator-Pitch-Alyson-Hofman-English-Version-1-2048x1152.png 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Networking isn\u2019t always easy, and making a good first impression can be difficult. Deciding what to include in your 30-second introduction can feel overwhelming. You want to sound authentic, confident and experienced without slipping into a rehearsed version of the pitch you\u2019ve practiced countless times in front of the mirror. So, how can you truly master your elevator pitch?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Alyson Hoffman, marketing professional at Cardinal Health, Vice President of Communications for the Central Ohio PRSA Board, and former PRSSA National President, shares her insights on how to craft a strong elevator pitch and use it to make a memorable impact.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What elements make a strong elevator pitch?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>A strong elevator pitch includes four main parts:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li>Who \u2013 Start with your name, university, major\/minor, and graduation date.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Why \u2013 Share why you chose your major or area of interest. This can include your passion or the impact you hope to make.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>What \u2013 Highlight relevant experiences, skills, or projects that set you apart.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Next \u2013 End with your current goal, such as an internship you\u2019re seeking or your post-graduation plans.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How do you make an elevator pitch sound natural and genuine?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Authenticity looks different for everyone, so focus on what feels natural for you. I recommend speaking slowly with intentional pauses, making eye contact, using natural inflection, and smiling. Remember, your pitch is your own story\u2014it doesn\u2019t need to sound like anyone else\u2019s.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What are the benefits of giving an elevator pitch?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>An elevator pitch is a tool you can lean on in many settings, and it evolves as you grow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Short-term benefits:<\/strong> it helps you practice concise communication, builds confidence, and reduces nerves when meeting new people.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Long-term benefits: <\/strong>as your career develops, your pitch adapts to showcase new experiences. It also prepares you for interviews and professional networking conversations.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How can an elevator pitch help you connect with professionals at large events like ICON?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Conferences can feel intimidating, but a well-rehearsed 30\u201360 second pitch makes it easier to start conversations. Once you share your pitch, you can learn about the other person\u2019s career path, ask questions, and follow up with a LinkedIn connection. This turns a quick introduction into a lasting professional relationship.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What advice do you have for students preparing their elevator pitch?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>My biggest advice is to add personality\u2014share what excites you about PR, communications, or the industry you\u2019re interested in. Remember, your pitch is just the start of a conversation, so always have a follow-up question ready, such as:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li>\u201cWhat does your day-to-day look like?\u201d<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>\u201cHow long have you been involved in PRSA\/PRSSA?\u201d<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>\u201cIs this your first time attending this event?\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Your pitch doesn\u2019t need to be perfect\u2014it just needs to open the door to connection.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-media-text is-stacked-on-mobile\"><figure class=\"wp-block-media-text__media\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"819\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/progressions.prsa.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Alyson-Hofman-Headshot-819x1024.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13753 size-full\" srcset=\"https:\/\/progressions.prsa.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Alyson-Hofman-Headshot-819x1024.jpeg 819w, https:\/\/progressions.prsa.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Alyson-Hofman-Headshot-240x300.jpeg 240w, https:\/\/progressions.prsa.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Alyson-Hofman-Headshot-768x960.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/progressions.prsa.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Alyson-Hofman-Headshot-1229x1536.jpeg 1229w, https:\/\/progressions.prsa.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Alyson-Hofman-Headshot-1638x2048.jpeg 1638w, https:\/\/progressions.prsa.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Alyson-Hofman-Headshot.jpeg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 819px) 100vw, 819px\" \/><\/figure><div class=\"wp-block-media-text__content\">\n<p>Alyson Hoffman is a marketing professional at Cardinal Health, where she supports compression therapy portfolio as part of the global product marketing team. A former National President of PRSSA, she now serves as Vice President of Communications for the Central Ohio PRSA Board. Alyson holds a B.S. in Business Administration from Ohio Northern University, with concentrations in public relations, communications, and marketing. She is passionate about PRSSA and dedicated to supporting the next generation of public relations practitioners.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<!-- AddThis Advanced Settings generic via filter on the_content --><!-- AddThis Share Buttons generic via filter on the_content -->","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Networking isn\u2019t always easy, and making a good first impression can be difficult. Deciding what to include in your 30-second introduction can feel overwhelming.<!-- AddThis Advanced Settings generic via filter on get_the_excerpt --><!-- AddThis Share Buttons generic via filter on get_the_excerpt --><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":34,"featured_media":13765,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3512,3852,3776],"tags":[33,2752,75,41,2217,15,40,1501],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/progressions.prsa.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13751"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/progressions.prsa.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/progressions.prsa.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/progressions.prsa.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/34"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/progressions.prsa.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=13751"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/progressions.prsa.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13751\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":13766,"href":"https:\/\/progressions.prsa.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13751\/revisions\/13766"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/progressions.prsa.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/13765"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/progressions.prsa.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=13751"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/progressions.prsa.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=13751"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/progressions.prsa.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=13751"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}