Real-life elevator pitches

Part of my summer internship experience are weekly(ish) workshops on a variety of topics — the nonprofit sector, how to write a resume, what Education Pioneers does, and so on. This week we learned about the elevator pitch. Even if you don't recognize the term, you've given one before. We practiced having 30 seconds on the phone to sell someone on us as employees, or on a business model, or on a specific project proposal. Then we received criticisms. It was a grueling hour. Here's what I learned about myself:

• My voice goes up at the end of the sentence when I'm trying to feign confidence;
• I alternate between identifying as a part of Education Pioneers (saying "we") and feeling outside (saying "they").
• I think conference calls are stressful.

The (few) notes I took during the workshop, however, kind of read as poetry.

we do this
don't let voice go up
don't say I think

I was an intern
they fill a void

I can barely identify what I meant by some of those, but that had a ring to it, didn't it?

Anyway, the day after the workshop, I had a phone call with a career center at a top-tier university in Chicago. After initial introductions, the assistant dean interrogated me about why our company existed. Really. It was the ultimate vote of no-confidence. She opened up by asking why I didn't send her a link to the website. Excuse me, I thought, but I never emailed you directly. Also I emailed another person in the office from an address @educationpioneers.org. I was taken aback by the aggression.

As we proceeded, she tried to throw me some curveballs. For example — what year was Education Pioneers founded? 2004. Who is the founder? Scott Morgan. Why are you trying to expand? To reach more markets that have a need for talented leaders in the ed. sector. I held my ground! My only stumble was over our types of partner organizations in Chicago — but I give myself a break there, having never worked in the Chicago office or for a site team.

For all my frustration, she really wasn't a rude person. She just wanted to know what business I had trying to recruit her students. What it really felt like, though, was a real-life application of the elevator pitch. It was great practice. I think I rocked it.

...Well, let's see if she lets us recruit her students. Then we can decide if I rocked it.