There are many ways to increase the size of your commission and beat last month’s sales figures – close larger accounts, close more accounts and get your whole team to do the same, for example. Yet, there always seems to be a disconnect between your desire to close more deals and what actually transpires.
You’re putting in the hours and the determination, but somehow you never quite get to where you know you have the potential to be. Refining your sales pitch is the most obvious way to convert more leads to customers, but the sales pitch process isn’t just about what happens when you’re in front of your prospect. A killer sales pitch requires work before, during and after it takes place. In this blog, I’m going to go through ten steps to help you prepare better pitches.
1) Use business insights to get to know your prospect before you’ve even met them
Research forms the foundation of every successful sales pitch. Use information gleaned from prospect profiling during the lead nurturing process (the marketing department’s domain) and find out who they are, their pain points, what contact they’ve already had with the business and the content they’ve viewed on your website. Also identify who they work with, whether they’re responsible for making the purchase decision and how you can add value to them with your product. Be aware of leads you think won’t convert based on your findings (check out our blog about how to spot leads that’ll never convert), because a pitch to the wrong prospect is a pitch wasted.
2) Appointment setting guarantees you have the opportunity to deliver your pitch
It might sound obvious, but securing an appointment with your prospect is the only way you’ve got a chance of closing a deal, as face-to-face meetings give you the best chance of demonstrating the value of your products like no other form of communication. Appointment setting is also a form of pitch and requires skill: your lead has to be convinced that they want to take half an hour out of their day to listen to what you have to say. I recommend delegating this step to a telemarketing team, so that you can focus on honing your actual sales pitch.
3) Create a structured foundation for your sales pitch before adding the meat
Your head might be brimming with ideas about how you’ll pitch to your lead, but it’s important to first elucidate a structure that your ideas will fall around. Remember, you know your brand and product inside out, but your prospect doesn’t. Giving the pitch an easy to follow structure – which you might think is too basic – will help your prospect digest what you’re saying and make it easier for them to realise the value your product can bring them. Break it down into the client’s pain points, the solution your product can offer and the steps that need to be taken thereafter. If you’re delivering the pitch with a colleague, determine who will speak and who will answer questions.
4) Three really is a magic number when it comes to sales pitches
As intelligent as human beings like to regard themselves, our brains digest information a lot better when presented with no more than three concepts at a time. When writing your pitch, make sure you stick to three central ideas throughout the pitch, and keep the number of points on each slide (if you choose to create a presentation) to three.
5) Choose the right tool for delivering your presentation
PowerPoint might be the go-to presentation tool, but there are now countless (and free) alternatives that you can use instead. When considering which to use, the most important aspect is that you’re proficient at using it – if you’re fumbling on the day, it won’t just put your prospect off, it’ll damage your confidence too. Also, choose a technology that’s appropriate to who you’re pitching to: Prezi presentations are fun and pretty to behold, but might not be appropriate when pitching to the CFO of a chemical manufacturer.
6) Proof, proof and proof again
You might think your spelling and grammar skills trump everyone else’s, but make sure you get your final presentation proofed several times – and by different people. Three times might seem excessive, but it’s amazing how the most obvious of errors can go unnoticed by the human eye. And the smallest of errors can undo a good impression created at a pitch.
7) Talk naturally and don’t forget to make eye contact
Even though you’re the one giving the presentation, talk to your prospect as if you’re having a conversation with them, rather than lecturing them. It’ll make both of you feel more at ease – just adjust your tone depending on who your prospect is. Eye contact is another important part of making a connection with who you’re talking to and will make you appear confident. If there are several people in the room, make eye contact with each of them, rather than focusing on one person.
8) Have a long and a short version of your sales pitch ready
When preparing your sales pitch, have two versions ready: a long version (roughly 30-45 minutes) and a short version (5-10 minutes). Sometimes meetings don’t go as planned, and you might be told upon arrival you only have half the time to pitch. Don’t forget to leave time to answer your client’s questions. If you’ve got an hour meeting with them, leave 20-25 minutes for questions – after all, there’s only so much listening your prospect will be able to handle. Try and memorise your pitch too, so that you can still deliver it without relying on your slides.
9) Bring along material you can leave with your prospect
Make it as simple as possible for your prospect to recall the finer details of your sales pitch – without them having to get in touch with you – by bringing along material you can leave with them. This might be a summary of your presentation, a product brochure or a USB with your presentation on it.
10) Don’t leave your pitch without agreeing on how to move forward with your prospect
As wonderful as it’d be for the work to be over once you reach the final slide, the most important part of a sales pitch is setting up a next step with your prospect. If you’ve done a good job of the pitch, your prospect will have a clear understanding of how your product can help their pain point. The next step could be putting together a proposal for them or scheduling a demo. Just make sure you’ve created a reason for them to see you again.
If you’d like further advice about appointment setting and using business insights to help win pitches, download our guide:
Image Credits: Kelly Vandever
