The Sound Byte and the Elevator Pitch
A sound byte is a short, engaging statement. An elevator pitch is a concise (1 paragraph) statement. What’s the real difference and when is each appropriate?
The Sound Byte
As the always-quotable Mark Twain so succinctly put it, a sound byte is “a minimum of sound to a maximum of sense.” A sound byte should encapsulate the main point of a larger talk or speech into a quick and understandable statement.
Mastering the sound byte is critical in our modern, fast-paced communication environment. Author Cornelia Dean (Am I Making Myself Clear, 2012) recommends having several on hand for potential interviews. An effective sound byte will:
- Last no longer than 30 seconds
- Create instant intrigue
- Be memorable
- Generate a result (e.g., interest) for the speaker.
The Elevator Pitch
An elevator pitch is a concise explanation of what you’re doing and why. Ideally, it could pique someone’s interest in the time span of a short elevator ride. Tim Row of the Cambridge Innovation Center states that a good elevator pitch should:
- Use words your grandparents would understand.
- Doesn’t expect that the listener is an expert or knows scientific jargon.
- Proves that you are an expert.
- Engages the listeners’ emotions from the start.
- Shows that what you are doing matters.
*A good elevator pitch follows the basic structure of a story:
Set up your subject → give it a source of tension → reveal a possible solution → combine all content to release the tension.
