How can your sales team create a winning pitch? Many people think selling starts and ends with the charisma of the salesperson, however, it also includes catering to the customer, so they understand what your product can offer to make their life better. That's where sales enablement comes into play. Sales teams are always looking for ways to improve their product presentation skills, especially when it comes to closing the deal and generating income. But this improvement isn’t just about learning more about the product, being smooth – it’s really about inspiring a customer to believe in the potential of the future with this product
At its core, a sales pitch is a short speech designed to persuade an audience, and understanding the audience is key to being persuasive. Today, we’re discussing how doing your research and understanding your audience could make an impact on the delivery and result of your next sales pitch.
Making a Sales Pitch: 5 Steps
When it comes to choosing a product, studies show that 74% of buyers choose to buy from the first rep that demonstrated how their product could add value. That’s why instead of running through the same speech or sending the same email every time, each sales pitch should be tailored to the customer individually. Here are four steps to get you started:
- Do your research! This might take time, but it will definitely be worthwhile. Prospects appreciate when salespeople already know about them and their needs and can speak to them in their language. The depth of your research could make or break the sale, so pay attention to this step.
- Talk about the buyer’s needs. The best way to keep a buyer’s attention is by talking about them, not you. If you only talk about the product you’re selling, they may just tune you out. Consider these questions as you prepare for your pitch: in what way does your product provide value to their company? Does the product improve efficiency? Will it reduce costs? What are their pain points? What will the benefits of your product do to affect the outcome of your prospect’s life?
- Choose the right medium. For some prospects, email might be the best way to catch their attention and phone calls could be completely ineffective (or vice versa). The important thing is that you choose a medium that your prospect feels most comfortable with. Consider using verbTEAMS, a platform that allows you to use interactive video to engage your audience—it's a unique and effective way to catch anyone’s attention!
- Always include a call to action. What’s a sales pitch without inviting your audience to act? They are expecting it after all. After showing your audience how your product can improve their situation, invite them to advance with you to the next using strong, actionable phrases. Instead of saying “What do you think?” ask them an inspiring question that clearly states the next step along the pathway to their future improvement thanks to your product. If you’re selling a car, and you just finished an exciting test drive with a customer, use the moment to your advantage. Foster inspiration and generate excitement... say something like, “Would you like to buy this car right now and feel just like this every day of your life?”.
- Never forget the importance of following up after a pitch—every interaction with a prospect should be tailored for maximum success.
Different Sales Approaches to Capture Attention
While there are different approaches and angles to every pitch, you should always include a hook, provide context, and conclude with a call to action. Hooks can have different approaches, like asking a question, sharing data, or referencing a connection to the prospect. It may be providing context or an explanation of what your product is, using data or market research to provide reasons why the buyer should continue to engage, and of course, showing how the buyer’s future will benefit by responding to your message. Then, as we mentioned before, conclude with a relevant, actionable, and inspiring sentence.
Keep in mind, there are several examples of bad sales pitches, especially in first interactions. The audience should be at the forefront of your mind as you initiate the first contact. This means avoiding the use of the word ‘I’ and focusing on using ‘you’ as much as possible. It also means explaining the product and its benefits as confidently and as simply as possible. The less generic, and more concise and specific your message is, the better. Remember, the research you do on that specific customer should be evident to that customer from the beginning. Finally, don’t make promises you can’t keep. Keep your messaging as realistic as you can, and let the strength of the product speak for itself. Not only will this build the trust of your customer, but it is also a great first step towards a lasting relationship and future sales!
Go Beyond the Pitch with Sales Enablement
Lasting relationships are the end goal of every sales pitch. In every instance, the information you share in your pitch should have special consideration for how your prospect will benefit from the product that you are selling. Using a sales enablement platform like verbTEAMS will help sellers make a good first impression, then continue to provide them with the tools they need to reinforce that relationship and win the sale. You’ll want centralized content, content control, user-generated analytics, new technology like live video, or interactive video to keep them feeling confident and interested in the product during the buying process.
It’s time to reinforce your sales team with resources that will help them be successful during any stage of the sales process. Sales enablement is a powerful way to increase pitch success rates, manage the way mediums are shared, and ultimately grow revenue.
