An elevator pitch is a short, concise speech that you give to explain what your company does and why it’s the best choice. It’s essential to make sure that your elevator pitch is concise enough for anyone who walks into an elevator with you (who may not be interested) to understand but also detailed enough. Hence, they know everything about what you do. Here are five ideas to help get started with creating yours.

1. It Starts with Passion

Do you feel passionate about your company and what it can do for people? If not, then that may be a sign that this isn’t the right path for you to take in life. You should always follow your heart and do something that makes you happy! Also, when you’re passionate about what your business does, it will be easier for you to explain what your company does and why they need it.

2. It Starts with Knowing Your Audience

Know who you want to target and what they need, then craft an elevator pitch that speaks directly about those needs. If you’re pitching something like a new product or service, be sure to know exactly how it’s different than anything else on the market now (and why people will care). You can’t craft a compelling pitch unless you know exactly who it’s for and what they’re looking to get out of your business.

3. You Need to Know What Your Business Does

If you’re not able to explain your business in two sentences, then you don’t know enough about it yet and should probably spend some time learning more before pitching anyone. If people can understand exactly what a company does after hearing the elevator pitch, they’ll be much more interested than if they have to do some research to figure it out.

4. It Needs to Tell a Story

People are much more likely to remember stories than they are boring facts and figures, so that’s what you should be focusing on. You want your elevator pitch to sound interesting enough that people will want to hear it again (and maybe come back for a more extended conversation). After all, this is the first impression that people will get of your company, so it needs to be something that leaves them wanting more.

5. Practice Makes Perfect

Practice your pitch with your friends and family so that you know exactly what to say when someone asks about it, then practice some more! You never know who’s going to stop you on the street or come up to you in an elevator (unless you live alone), so make sure that your business is ready for any exposure.