--- title: "Thursday Buzz: Deliver the Perfect Elevator Pitch" id: "36638" type: "post" slug: "thursday-buzz-deliver-the-perfect-elevator-pitch" published_at: "2017-01-27T00:06:00+00:00" modified_at: "2026-03-16T18:26:46+00:00" url: "https://associationsnow.com/2017/01/27/thursday-buzz-deliver-the-perfect-elevator-pitch/" markdown_url: "https://associationsnow.com/2017/01/27/thursday-buzz-deliver-the-perfect-elevator-pitch.md" excerpt: "Find out ways to fine tune your association’s elevator pitch. Also: How to get the most out of a small staff." taxonomy_category: - "Marketing / Communications" taxonomy_post_tag: - "AssociationsNow" - "Business" - "Communications" - "Public Relations" - "rebranding" taxonomy_content_format: - "Article" taxonomy_role: - "Association CEO / Executive Director" - "Director" - "Manager" taxonomy_persona: - "Association Professionals" --- [Home](https://associationsnow.com/) » [Articles](https://associationsnow.com/format/article/) » Thursday Buzz: Deliver the Perfect Elevator Pitch If you had only a few seconds to explain to a stranger what your association does, could you do it clearly and effectively? Everyone at your organization should be able to deliver an elevator pitch that could help build new relationships for your association. Kayla Jenkins, a blogger for the Indiana Society of Association Executives, [provides communication tips to help you make the case (opens in a new tab)](http://info.isae.org/blog/pitch-perfect-how-to-explain-what-your-association-does) for your organization in a short amount of time. “A good pitch is no more than 30 seconds long,” says Jenkins. “In that time, you should be able to explain who you are, who you serve, your value proposition, and end with a call to action.” Be sure to tailor your pitch to your setting and audience. “When crafting your pitch, assume the other person is unfamiliar with your organization or perhaps with the association industry in general. Then provide data that is relevant and easy for anyone to understand.” And don’t forget to deliver your pitch with confidence. “Finding the right amount of energy and enthusiasm takes practice. Rehearse your speech with people outside of your profession and then ask them to reiterate what they know about your organization,” she says. ### Strengthening a Small Staff > Boosting Efficiency at Your Small-Staff Association: 3 Tips – [https://t.co/jPo9YBcKLv (opens in a new tab)](https://t.co/jPo9YBcKLv) > [#assnchat (opens in a new tab)](https://twitter.com/hashtag/assnchat?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) > [pic.twitter.com/YzSm0vD5tp (opens in a new tab)](https://t.co/YzSm0vD5tp) > > — MemberClicks (@MemberClicks) [January 26, 2017 (opens in a new tab)](https://twitter.com/MemberClicks/status/824620415737888769?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) **Does your association have a small staff?** Organizations with tiny teams have their own unique set of challenges. People can get overwhelmed with their workloads, or the team may be missing a specific skill set. But hiring new people isn’t always an option. The MemberClicks blog provides a few tips to [help improve the performance of a small team (opens in a new tab)](http://blog.memberclicks.com/boosting-efficiency-at-your-small-staff-association-3-tips) . To be at your most efficient, “it’s crucial to prioritize your tasks,” writes Callie Walker. “As things pop up, rank them by importance. If they’re not in your top three tasks, put them aside—and be *comfortable* putting them aside.” Check out the rest of Walker’s post for [more advice (opens in a new tab)](http://blog.memberclicks.com/boosting-efficiency-at-your-small-staff-association-3-tips) . ### Other Links of Note **Money talk:** David M. Patt at the [Association Executive Management blog (opens in a new tab)](http://aem-patt.com/aem-blog/index.php?itemid=2196) makes the case for asking donors, sponsors, and grant makers for more money. **Gmail security:** *Forbes* reports that Google will [block JavaScript email attachments (opens in a new tab)](http://www.forbes.com/sites/leemathews/2017/01/26/starting-next-month-gmail-will-block-these-attachments-to-keep-you-safe/#2b61b7ff375d) because of cybersecurity concerns. **Monetizing Messenger:** According to *TechCrunch*, Facebook is testing out integrating ads into its [mobile Messenger app (opens in a new tab)](https://techcrunch.com/2017/01/25/facebook-messenger-begins-testing-ads-and-theyre-big/) . [Raegan Johnson](https://associationsnow.com/author/raegan-johnson/) Raegan Johnson is a contributor to Associations Now. [More articles by this author](https://associationsnow.com/author/raegan-johnson/) Tags: [#Business](https://associationsnow.com/tag/business/) [#Communications](https://associationsnow.com/tag/communications/) [#Public Relations](https://associationsnow.com/tag/public-relations/) [#rebranding](https://associationsnow.com/tag/rebranding/) **Stay Informed** [Subscribe to our free newsletter](https://associationsnow.com/newsletter/) , *Associations Now Daily News*, to find out what’s happening in the association world every business day. ## You Might Like - [Video2025 Summit Award Recipient: American Speech-Language-Hearing AssociationOctober 3, 2025](https://associationsnow.com/2025/10/03/2025-summit-award-recipient-american-speech-language-hearing-association/) - [VideoSneak Peek: Highlights from Day 2 of the 2025 ASAE MMC+Tech ConferenceMay 14, 2025](https://associationsnow.com/2025/05/14/sneak-peek-highlights-from-day-2-of-the-2025-asae-mmctech-conference/) - [VideoSneak Peek: Highlights from Day 1 of the 2025 ASAE MMC+Tech ConferenceMay 13, 2025](https://associationsnow.com/2025/05/13/sneak-peek-highlights-from-day-1-of-the-2025-asae-mmctech-conference/) - [ArticleTime for a ChangeOctober 20, 2026](https://associationsnow.com/2026/10/20/time-for-a-change/) ## Comments **Comments are for ASAE members.** [Learn more about comments on this site.](https://associationsnow.com/comments/) [Log in](https://associationsnow.com/login?redirect_to=https%3A%2F%2Fassociationsnow.com%2F2017%2F01%2F27%2Fthursday-buzz-deliver-the-perfect-elevator-pitch%2F%23comments) to your member account or [join ASAE](https://my.asaecenter.org/select-a-membership-type/) !