Elevator pitch...IN AN ELEVATOR

Brand Innovation class, Spring 2018

At the risk of self-shaming, I write this incident. My son had just begun to hold onto the table and stand by the large flat screen TV in our home. His first instinct was to swipe it with his fingers as he had watched his older sibling do that with the iPad which also made sound and showed pictures. How we learn from watching is fascinating. These skills aren't always hereditary. Sometimes, we aren't able to talk with a stranger as easily as our parents can. Even if it is about something as inane at the weather. Sometimes we aren't able to grow physical conversations or interactions with as much ease as we do though hashtags and acronyms on Twitter, Snapchat or Instagram.

How do we hope to have classroom discussions, arguments and visual self-defense if we aren't equipped with that skill? How can we then have students transition to the work force and present their ideas and convince a room.

I have found it extremely useful to play games in the classroom as mentioned in my previous blogpost. The weekly readings and research are a constant in my classrooms. But not all students choose to participate and discuss their findings. Personality, upbringing, cultural norms or political beliefs often block them from having their voices heard. I taught a class in "Creative concepting". We looked at examples of ad campaigns and discussed the idea of a single thought holding various elements together. The "idea with legs". We discussed the core idea of a book or film too. I shared with them the concept of the "sutradhaar" in Indian theater. (Puppeteer who holds the strings).

We discussed presenting these ideas when in a classroom or a boardroom. And came upon the Elevator pitch. Students were comfortable with a Keynote or Powerpoint presentation and presenting their concepts verbally. However, the time restraint threw many of them off. Once their elevator pitches were ready and practiced, they were ready to present it to their class.

"Surprise! — let's do the elevator pitch in the elevator. Pretend that I am the "golden swan"/ decision maker and we happen to take the same elevator. This is an unexpected meeting that you must make the most of. Begin on Floor 1 and be done by the time we reach Floor 5. As soon as the doors open and my next meeting calls, you have lost the opportunity. If you know your project in and out and all the way around, this should be easy. Right?"

Wrong.

We began the elevator pitches. They began presenting their ideas on Level 1 and as we reached the 5th floor, I stepped out of the elevator. If unable to convey the concept, they had missed their chance to make an impression on the pretend "golden swan".

There was a large group of students that had met every deadline through the concept and creative development process. Those that had done all their due diligence, crossed every 't' and dotted every i''. Surprisingly, they were not the ones that managed the opportunity well. The time constraint and the pressure to perform in the small space impromptu made them lose their bearings. They either got nervous, kept focussing on the 5th floor number to light up or took too long in pleasantries. The time for the pitch was lost.
And then there was the other group who was just very personable. They could handle the pressure, make eye contact and be quick and persuasive to get the gist of the idea into the conversation leading to a phone call or a meeting.

This experiment was sprung upon the students unexpectedly. Just before their final presentation. It gave them a reality check of how well they really knew their project. Or how prepared they were to be able to articulate at any given time under any circumstance. It also had them realize the difference between being equipped with knowledge vs. being able to read the situation and improvise. Adapting to your environment and conducting yourself successfully is a skill we all have to master.

Teaching with such techniques/ experiments gets the point across like no lecture could.