Elevator pitch template
Cue cards for a 30 to 60 second elevator pitch about yourself, your business or your idea: a hook, the problem, what you do, proof, what makes you different and a clear ask.
Presentation10 cardsAbout 15 min to speakBeginnerWork
Business presentation template
Speaker cue cards for a general business presentation: a clear opening, the key message, three supporting points with evidence, a recommendation, next steps and a strong close with Q and A.
Free to use, edit, print and study. No account needed: your set stays on this device.
The cards
- 1
Plan on one card
- Audience: [who, what they already know, what they care about]
- Key message: [one sentence]
- What I want them to do: [decide, approve, change, understand]
- Time: [minutes] including questions
- 2
Opening
Good [morning/afternoon]. I am [name], [role]. In the next [minutes] I will [purpose].
Hook: [a question, a short customer story, or a striking fact from your own data].
- 3
Key message and roadmap
The main point I want you to leave with is [key message].
I will cover three things: [point 1], [point 2] and [point 3], and then we will have time for questions.
- 4
Point 1
[Heading]
- What it is: [one sentence]
- Evidence: [data, example or observation]
- So what: [why it matters to this audience]
- 5
Point 2
[Heading]
- What it is: [one sentence]
- Evidence: [data, example or observation]
- So what: [why it matters]
Transition: That brings us to [point 3]…
- 6
Point 3
[Heading]
- What it is: [one sentence]
- Evidence: [data, example or observation]
- So what: [why it matters]
- 7
Recommendation
Based on this, I recommend that we [recommendation].
The main benefit is [benefit]. The main risk is [risk], which we can reduce by [step].
- 8
Next steps
- [Action] – [owner] – [date]
- [Action] – [owner] – [date]
- [Action] – [owner] – [date]
- 9
Close
To sum up: [key message again]. If we [recommendation], we can [outcome].
Thank you. I am happy to take questions.
- 10
Q and A notes
- Likely question: [question] → [short answer]
- Likely question: [question] → [short answer]
- If I do not know: Good question. I will check and come back to you by [day].
How to use this template
This is an all-purpose business presentation outline for meetings, team briefings, client sessions and internal proposals. It follows a simple pattern that works in almost any organisation: tell people what you will say, say it in three points, then tell them what you said and what should happen next. The first card is for planning only, so you are clear on the audience and the one message that matters. Each of the three point cards uses the same 'what, evidence, so what' structure, which keeps you from drifting into detail. The recommendation and next steps cards make sure the presentation leads to action, and the final card prepares you for questions.
Tips
- Write the key message first and test it on a colleague; if they cannot repeat it back, simplify it.
- Put detail on the slides or in a handout and keep your cue cards to prompts, so you look at the audience rather than reading.
- Use the same three point headings on your slides and your cards so you never lose your place.
- Plan for the presentation to run about 20 percent shorter than your slot; questions and late starts always take time.
- Say transitions out loud ('That brings us to…') so listeners can follow the structure without seeing your notes.
- Finish on time even if you have to skip a point. Running over is remembered longer than the content.
- Rehearse standing up, with a clicker or keyboard in hand, at least once; your timing changes when you move and change slides.
- Mark one card with a small star to show where you can cut if time runs short, such as point 3 or the risk sentence.
Make it fit
- For a five-minute update, keep the opening, key message, one point, recommendation and close.
- For a video call, ask a direct question every few minutes and pause the screen share during Q and A so people can see faces.
- For senior audiences, move the recommendation to straight after the opening and use the three points as supporting evidence.
- For a mixed-language or international audience, slow down, avoid idioms and put key numbers in writing on the slide.
- For a student group presentation in a business course, give each presenter one point card and agree the transitions in advance.
Updated October 28, 2026