How to Write an Awesome Sales Pitch for Prospects
An elevator pitch is a very short story about what you do and why the audience should care – named because it can be told in the course of an elevator ride. But, pitches get stale over time. If you’re looking for a refresh, keep reading.
Do you have a good elevator sales pitch?
Think about the last time you gave your pitch and answer these questions:
- Is your pitch 30 – 60 seconds?
- Is your pitch tailored to each type of audience you encounter? (Many successful individuals have 2 – 4 different pitches.)
- Is your pitch easy to understand?
- Does your pitch leave a strong impression? Does it paint a poignant visual or connect to your audience’s feelings?
- Does your pitch have a specific end goal or call to action?
- Is your pitch authentic?
If you answered yes to all of these questions, congratulations, you’re on your way to building great customer relationships. If not, keep reading for a few ideas on how to make your pitch better.
Step 1: Identify Your Audience(s)
Most small and medium-sized businesses have 2 – 4 different types of buyers, called buyer personas. Consider creating a different pitch for each type of buyer focusing on what’s most important to that person, whether it’s features, innovation, reliability or return on investment.
Step 2: Identify Your End Goal
What’s your goal at the end of the pitch? What’s your call to action? What do you want your audience to do next? While it’d be great if every pitch ended in a sale, that’s not realistic. Typical goals focus on the prospect taking the next step in the buyer’s journey, such as viewing your marketing materials or setting a sales appointment.
Step 3: Describe What You Do In 10 Words Or Less
Take your business and simplify it. Put it in terms that resonate with your audience. Keep your description to 10 words or less – 4 or 5 words are better. While you might have a completely new and innovative idea, you’ll need to start with terms that your audience understands.
Step 4: Describe What Makes You Different Using Metaphors & Stories
This is your chance to shine. You started or joined your business for a compelling reason; share it with your prospects. State what makes you different from all the other competitors out there vying for attention. Paint a visual picture using metaphors or a story to drive the point home with your audience. Here’s two examples:
“Our first customer is still with us because our support team is rock-solid. We’ve won awards for outstanding customer service.”
“We helped a recent client double their sales while keeping their staff the same size. They are an extremely efficient, lean organization now.”
Step 5: Ask Questions
Ask questions to encourage conversations with your audience so that you can learn about their needs and challenges. Some of our favorites include:
“Tell me about your organization.”
“What types of challenges do you face?”
“Have you had experience with our competitors? How did it go?”
Step 6: Make a Common Bond, Hook ‘Em & Go for the Goal
By asking questions, you should learn something that you can use to make a common bond with your audience. Leverage that bond and demonstrate how you can address their needs. Hook your audience with an interesting statistic or piece of information that supports your claim on how your company is different. Finally, go for your end goal such as setting up a sales appointment.
Here’s two examples:
“We’ve helped over 800 customers with challenges like yours. If you’d like, I’d be happy to set up some time where we can talk more.”
“I’m sorry to hear you’ve had frustrations with our competitors. I can put you in touch with several of our customers who are thrilled with our services. When would be a good time to chat?”
(Tip: If you can’t find a common bond, you might not be a good match.)
Step 7: Practice But Don’t Script!
You’ll want to practice your elevator pitch so that you’re comfortable and can deliver it with a moment’s notice. Once you have a smooth delivery, you’ve got it.
However, don’t practice so much that it sounds like you’re reading a script. Your audience will immediately lose interest. To avoid the negative perceptions of pitches, be yourself and switch up word choices based on your audience. Keep it casual and keep it in context, whether you’re in an elevator, at happy hour or in a coffee shop.
