If your job is in sales, you will understand the importance of a pitch. Except the word ‘pitch’ is almost misleading – it’s not about you throwing information and features at a potential client, but more about beginning a conversation. Sales is all about relationships, and the best relationships are built on solid, constant communication.
If you want to gain more traction for your business, or show your boss just how amazing a salesperson you are, follow these key tips to perfect your pitch and get those customers over the line.
- Do your research on the customer
You could be selling the best product in the world, but if someone doesn’t need it to solve a problem or provide a solution to something, it won’t matter. According to research from Salesforce, 82% of sellers are out of sync with their buyer!
If you don’t research the customer you are about to call or go into a meeting with, then you’ve got far less of a chance of closing a deal. What might be of value about your product to one client, might not matter at all to another – so your sales pitch needs to be slightly different every single time you do it. - Practice how you deliver your message
Sometimes clients are pulled over the line by the product, and other times they are completely sold by your pitch, charisma and belief in what you’re offering. You need to spend a decent amount of time on how you are delivering a message, rather than just what you are saying.
Focus on your body language, your tone of voice, the choice of words and phrases you use, and your levels of confidence and enthusiasm. It’s a game of Goldilocks – you’ve got to get the formula juuust right. - Focus on specific solutions, not what your product or service does
What can your product do for a potential customer? Just because it solved XYZ problem for another customer, doesn’t mean the person you’re sitting in front of right now will care – they might have a completely different set of issues to solve!
This part stems from your research and discussion – and really listening to your client. How will your product or service help them do business better? What goals will it aid them in reaching? How might it set them apart from competitors? Forget the fancy product features and focus on the solutions – that’s what matters. - Prepare ahead of time for objections
You are always going to have potential customers who are queries, concerns or issues with what you’re trying to sell them. Maybe the product if different from what they thought, or perhaps the price point is a bit out of range. Budget, need and time are often the biggest objections people have to a sales pitch, so it’s worth preparing yourself for the typical questions and objections.
Consider coming up with a list of pre-prepared responses for the biggest objections you receive, and practising your delivery to answer these. If you can respond to the majority of a client’s initial objectives, you might be able to get the sale over the line. - Closing the deal: negotiate, follow up, respond to rejections, referrals
Put your gameface on! The first step to closing will likely be the client attempting to negotiate on price or deliverables. Know the lowest/best price you can achieve ahead of time, and know when to walk away. Let them do the talking, and only chime in when necessary – don’t start throwing out your lowest numbers! Once this has been agreed to, follow up! It sounds simple, but maintaining good communication is key to ensure customers don’t get cold feet or swayed by a competitor while you are drawing up the sales agreement. Keep your word, stay in touch and be relentless in your pursuit to make the customer happy.
Be ready for rejection (again). Even after all this, a customer can turn around and change their mind. As a salesperson, you need to be ready for people to say no – it’s going to happen a lot. It’s why your sales pipeline needs to be so big, and why you need to follow these steps!
If you can’t change their minds and the deal is definitely not going to go through – it’s time to walk away. Don’t get pushy. Keep the relationship civil and friendly – you never know who they might refer you to. In fact, don’t be afraid to ask for referrals! This is also the case when you do make the sale. Getting happy customers to spread the word for you is a surefire way to grow your sales, and become better at what you do.
