Grow Your Firm With a Great Elevator Pitch

An elevator pitch is a short, persuasive speech introducing you, your firm, and your services to potential clients. As a lawyer, your elevator pitch should be clear, concise, and memorable. It should also be tailored to your specific audience. The term 'elevator pitch' comes from those random interactions in elevators when someone asks 'what do you do?' or the like. 

Elements of the Pitch

Be sure to include each of these elements in your pitch. Here, we identify each element and provide an example.

• Start by introducing yourself and your area of practice.
  • Be sure to start with your name and your law firm's name. 
  • Then, you expand to provide a bit more information. For example, "I'm an immigration attorney with over 10 years of experience."
• Explain what you do and how you can help people.
  • Provide the next level of detail about your firm. Specify if you are a solo or if you are one of many attorneys at your firm.
  • Then, expand a bit more with the next level of specifics. For example, "I help businesses with employment authorization for foreign employees. We work with businesses of all sizes and types."
• Highlight your unique selling proposition (USP).
  • What makes you different from other lawyers in your field? Consider local competitors, too. Why would someone choose your law firm over other options?
  • For example, you could say, "I'm a passionate advocate for my clients and their employees. I'm always willing to go the extra mile."
• Give some reference to your success level. Be specific and use numbers whenever possible.
  • Does your firm take a boutique approach? How many cases or clients does the firm have? What is the success rate? Pick your most impactful and positive metric.
  • For example, you could say, "I've won over 90% of my cases."
• Keep it short and sweet.
  • Remember, this is the first-level intro. 
  • Your elevator pitch should be no more than 30 seconds long.
• Practice your pitch until you can deliver it confidently.

Here is an example of an elevator pitch for a lawyer who specializes in personal injury law:

"My name is Jane Doe. I'm with the law firm of Doe Law Group, a firm with 5 attorneys. I'm a personal injury lawyer with over 10 years of experience. I help people who have been injured in car accidents, slips and falls, and other accidents get the compensation they deserve. I'm a passionate advocate for my clients and always willing to fight for their rights. I've won over 90% of my cases."

This elevator pitch is clear, concise, and memorable. It also highlights the lawyer's unique selling proposition, which is her passion for helping clients. Highlighting the track record of success at the closing leaves the listener with a memorable fact.

When you're writing your own elevator pitch, be sure to keep your audience in mind. If you're speaking to potential clients, you'll want to focus on how you can help them solve their legal problems. If you're speaking to potential employers, you'll want to focus on your skills and experience. If you are introducing yourself at random, like in an elevator, keep it more general in nature.

No matter who your audience is, make sure your elevator pitch is professional and polished. It's a great way to make a good first impression and start building relationships that can lead to new business.

Tips To Write and Deliver the Pitch

Here are some additional tips for writing an elevator pitch:

• Use active verbs and avoid jargon.
  • Remember, most of your potential audiences, other than potential employers, may not know all the terms associated with your area of law. Keep your word choice easily understood.
• Be positive and enthusiastic.
  • It's all in the delivery. If you aren't feeling the pitch you wrote, take another stab at it. 
• Make eye contact and smile.
  • Certainly during the elevator pitch. But generally, it is a good tip to use with everyone. 
• Practice your pitch in front of a mirror or a friend.
  • If you are stumbling and it doesn't come off naturally, re-write it.
  • It's ok to adjust on the fly, too. Just remember to hit all the elements. 

Share The Pitch

Now that you have it crafted, do you just hold it in your pocket until someone asks? Well, sure. But you can use it in a lot of places. Consider adding it to your website. Post it to social media. Do you have any online profiles? Add it there too. The point is this pitch is a great intro to your firm. And, if written without jargon, a great way for potential clients to better understand your firm and the benefits of working with you.

With a little practice, you can write an elevator pitch that will help you stand out from the competition and attract new clients.