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Hi, I'm Tyler, and I am a part of a company called Sweatshirts and Such. We are a temporary small business that is selling CI oriented sweatshirts that can also be customized with your name on the back for an additional fee. They are competitively priced at $35 and only available for a short period of time. Are you willing to support our company?

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Hey, my name is Jake Larson and i'm with a company called Sweatshirts and such. We are class created and are selling sweatshirts with our school logo on them and you can also put your name on the back. We tried to make them as affordable as possible, so we are selling them at $35. Would you be willing to support us?

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Heyo I'm Hillary. My entrepreneurship class created a company called sweatshirts and such. We are selling sweatshirts with a Crosby-Ironton logo for $35. These sweatshirts cannot be bought anywhere else. Are you ready?

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Hi, I am currently a part of a company called Sweatshirts and Such. We are selling good quality sweatshirts with our school logo on it. They are more reasonable than our competitors without a quality decline. You may also put your name on the back. We are currently selling them for a great price of $35. Would you like to support our company?

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Hello, I work for a company called Sweatshirts and Such and we sell sweatshirts with our school logo, yet it still unique to us. They are also more affordable than our competition without sacrificing any quality. We can get them in a short amount of time in any size you want, and you can even customize it with your name. So are you in?

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My company is Sweatshirts and Such. We are the best school-wide distributor of sweatshirts. Our sweatshirts come in any size you want, and they're only 35 dollars! Also, our design for the sweatshirts is unique for our area. Please enjoy our sweatshirts!

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I am from the company sweatshirts and such. Where a student company trying to make some extra cash. Were selling sweatshirts with our school logo. They come in all sizes and there only $35.

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Whether you're trying to raise capital, cold call or network, it's essential to have an elevator pitch. The term "elevator pitch" it basically refers to giving a synopsis of your business in a condensed version - short enough to get your concept across to a person in the time between floors in an elevator. Although some of us know the importance of having a concise description of what you do on the tip of your tongue at a moment's notice, most people never really check to make sure that what they say during that brief window is actually being communicated clearly. Here are some things to keep in mind when formulating, practicing (because you should practice it) and delivering your elevator pitch.

1) It's OK for it to sound a bit sales-y as long as the concept is clearly communicated. It is OK to use words like: original, pioneering, certified, leading and dominant.

Example: "My company is cellphonesarecool.com. We are the number one, national distributor for all cell phones and carriers, online. We sell every type of cell phone available as well as provide very competitive service pricing. We are the leading, online, cell phone provider in the United States and Canada."

This pitch is short, concise and clearly states what the name of the company is and what they do. I would not have any further questions about what the company offers, after hearing this elevator pitch. Being this clear allows the person you are speaking to think about ways they may be able to use your services or refer business to you, etc.

2) Check for "stop" words, or words that make the person you are speaking to take pause.

Example: "My company provides integrated solutions to clients world-wide."

What?! That is internal language that means nothing to someone outside of the company. If someone said that to me, I would be thinking, "Why do they think that I should already know what they are talking about?" Not only do I not get what you do, I have no idea what you may have said after that because I'm having internal dialogue. Try telling your pitch to someone who is a complete stranger, have never heard of your company and have no clue what you do - if they get it, you've done it.

3) Avoid buzzwords or corporate jargon whenever possible. By definition, buzzwords are showy and frankly can come off snob-ish if the person is not familiar with the terms you are using. Try to avoid terms like: outside the box, streamline, synergy and paradigm shift. Keep your messaging clear and concise.

4) Try utilizing a question in your pitch.

Example: "Have you ever purchased a cell phone online? {wait for answer} Well, my company is cellphonesarecool.com. We are the number one, national distributor for all cell phones and carriers, online. We sell every type of cell phone available as well as provide very competitive service pricing. We are the leading, online cell phone provider in the United States and Canada."

Asking a question can act as an attention grabber and an attention gauge. It is important to not only capture the attention of the person you are speaking to but to also gauge how interested they are in the conversation. If they seem very interested in learning why you asked them the question you did, you can tailor your messaging to meet their interest level.

5) Know your business. There is nothing worse than hearing a fabulous elevator pitch but when prodded for more information, you find that they were just reciting lines and don't really know much about the subject matter. It's true that everyone in your organization should know and understand your elevator pitch but the CFO and the Director of Sales need to both understand exactly what is behind the pitch as well.

Example: "That is fantastic that you are the number one, national distributor! How many distributors are there?"

As long as you understand why you're ranked number-one and out of how many, you should be good to go.

The bottom line is that an elevator pitch is extremely important and worth taking the time to develop so it is easily understood and projects exactly what it is that you do. It may mean that you try out many elevator pitches until you find the right fit but it's worth it. You never know whom you may run into in an elevator!

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Jody Coughlin is the CMO and co-owner of Chic CEO - a free, online resource for female entrepreneurs. You can follow her @Jody_ChicCEO and Chic CEO on twitter at @ChicCEO. Whether you're trying to raise capital, cold call or network, it's essential to have an elevator pitch. The term "elevator pitch" [...]