Thing 22. Creating an Elevator Pitch

Getting Started

An elevator pitch is a short, compelling overview of a topic given in a timeframe that’s shorter than an elevator ride (that is, under one minute). While they are often used for networking or job searching, creating an elevator pitch for new projects or methods can help us better understand the big picture and explain them in a way that gets people’s attention.

Your elevator pitch should be personalized to what you want to do with linked data. Are you looking for project support? Or explaining the value of training to your boss? The details of your pitch should be adaptable so you can tailor it as needed to your audience and goals. If you’re not at the point where you can think about a specific plan for your own institution, approach these activities by thinking about it more broadly, about why cultural heritage institutions should invest in linked data technologies.

Activities

• Read the article 13 (Really) Good Elevator Pitch Examples & Templates (+How to Write Yours). Most of these are oriented towards for-profit businesses, but the concepts for library metadata work will be similar in many ways. This article provides multiple approaches to talking about your topic, which might spark ideas for talking about your own work in interesting ways.
• Succinctly answer these questions:
  • What are your goals? Or, what is the problem you’re looking to solve? Do you want to highlight your institution’s collections? Are you looking to better connect with your patrons? Are you trying to move past the limitations of MARC? 
  • How could linked data (or a specific linked data project) help you reach your goals or solve that problem?
  • What’s your plan for implementing linked data in your institution?
• Based on those answers, write your elevator pitch! As you work on refining your pitch, think about how you can adjust the vocabulary you use to your audience, and how your work will fit in with larger institutional goals.
• Practice your pitch. Time yourself to check that you’re keeping your pitch under one minute. If possible, find a buddy (even a pet!) to practice keeping your tone light and engaging.

Reflection

How did it feel to try to summarize what you’ve learned about linked data in such a short amount of time? Can you picture yourself advocating for linked data solutions in the future?

Consider sharing your elevator pitch or your reflections in the Comments section at the bottom of the page.

Claim Credit

Need a certificate of completion? Answer the questions below, submit them, and you’ll receive an email confirmation with a link to download your certificate.