Technique of the week · Special situations
Pitching Yourself
Who you are, in sixty seconds
Not your job title — the problem you solve and the proof you've solved it.
The idea
Interviews, networking, the round of introductions at a new job: you'll describe yourself hundreds of times. A good self-pitch has a clear role, one vivid proof and a hook for the next question.
How to do it
- I help [who] with [what problem].
- One proof: a specific result or story, with a number if you have one.
- End with what you're looking for, so the other person knows how to help.
In the session
The drill
Speed-pitching: pairs, 60 seconds each, rotate three times. Refine the pitch after every round based on the questions you got.
This week
Your homework
Write your pitch on a card and say it out loud three times before your next event.
When you give feedback, ask
After 60 seconds, could you introduce them to someone else?
Source: Ethos applied to self-presentation; Schlenker & Leary (1982).