Capture emotional engagement or curiosity of your audience with a story, metaphor, unique aspect of your research interest that might provoke interest or surprise.
Abiola, a dual PhD candidate in translational biomedical sciences and computer science, won the University of Rochester’s second annual Falling Walls competition.
Worksheet that helps you create your own elevator pitch. Make a copy in Google using "File" then "Make a copy" or copy and paste into Word.
Deliver Your Pitch
Practice makes perfect. Here are a few tips to keep in mind:
Enunciate
Use a measured cadence so your listener has time to process what you’re saying.
Vary your tone to keep your listener engaged (e.g. play with putting emphasis on different words).
Use open body language (don’t cross your arms, incorporate movement (e.g. head movement such as nods, head tilts)
Include non-verbal explanations such as movements to demonstrate or explain concepts (e.g. if you say two, hold up two fingers or say "sweeping changes" make a sweeping motion with your arm).