This fill-in-the-blanks worksheet is based on the Elevator Speech Framework, a structured approach that enables you to master any speaking situation with confidence.

When you submit this form (by clicking the blue submit button on the bottom of this page), we will email you a copy of the script you will have built on this page, plus a Word doc version of the framework, so that you will have them in your inbox for future use.

If you have scheduled an Elevator Speech Training session, we strongly recommend that you fill out the worksheet below no later than 12 hours before your appointment to create a 3-minute draft pitch about your project or organization.

If you're not a client, you're still welcome to use this page at no cost to generate your pitch. Please know that we'll get a copy of it (and we may not be able to resist contacting you with improvement suggestions).

You can read an example pitch here.

If you start filling in the blanks below and then need to pause and resume later, please scroll down to the bottom of this form and click the "save and continue later" button. Saving and submitting the worksheet will work whether or not you stay within the suggested word count limits.

7 – Personalization

The goal of this segment is to trust your listeners with an unexpectedly candid piece of personal information, causing them to “trust you back” (which will make them more receptive to your “asks” in the final step, #8).

Use a signpost phrase so your listeners know you’re shifting to talking about why what you do is personal to you. For example: “This work is personal to me [pause].”

This is NOT about talking about successes and good fortune. The critical thing here is to share something that is genuinely candid, requiring a bit of courage to share because it makes you a bit vulnerable. Apart from regret, candor can also come in the form admitting ignorance, or having had to learn something the hard way. Try to begin a sentence with "To be frank..." and it may lead you to genuine frankness.

It’s essential to keep this short and focused on just one point.

Here is an example:

"This works is personal. I used to be a vice president at a hedge fund. The job made me a lot of money. To be frank, it also made me profoundly unhappy. I saw my therapist at least twice a week. When a friend helped me find my calling here, my life was transformed."

Click here to hear an audio recording of another example in which the speaker achieves candor by talking about something she regrets.

Wrap up the personalization segment by saying something like: “So yes, it’s deeply personal.” Then, self-deprecate and pivot away by saying something like: “But it’s not about me. What’s really at stake, as I said, is…” and re-invoke the larger stakes you stated in the Urgency Segment above.

8 - Action

Use a signpost phrase like “So here’s what you can do [pause].”

Suggest specific and actionable things to do. Don’t force your audience to have to translate your directives into action.

Explain concrete next steps with an uncommon level of detail to convey your earnestness of wanting to engage. For example, actually say your phone number out loud, slowly, extra clearly, and twice as if it is a code for saving the world.

Be confident and direct. Avoid conditional phrases like “If you’re interested, then….”

Know in advance the forward-looking sentence you will say right after “thank you.” Make it count. Make it strong.

For example: “Thank you. And I’m looking forward to what we will do together.”

Having that forward-looking sentence at the very end makes for a more confident ending, as opposed to just saying "thank you" followed by an awkward silence.