{"id":2741,"date":"2019-07-31T19:37:46","date_gmt":"2019-08-01T00:37:46","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.kmbrian.com\/?p=2741"},"modified":"2020-12-04T15:59:28","modified_gmt":"2020-12-04T21:59:28","slug":"sales-pitch-examples","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/kmbrian.com\/blog\/sales-pitch-examples\/","title":{"rendered":"The Anatomy of a Great Sales Pitch (With Examples)"},"content":{"rendered":"\r\n

Your sales pitch is arguably the single most essential piece of your sales process<\/a>. It\u2019s your mission, brand statement, business card, and company persona, all rolled into a brief, persuasive presentation. And since you only have a few seconds to make a strong impression and keep your prospect’s attention to the end, delivering a sales pitch that truly connects is no easy feat.<\/p>\r\n

A sales pitch is essentially a two-way conversation between you and your prospects. It not only moves from Point A to Point B in your sales process, but it should also help you learn more about your prospects and how you can bring value to their business.<\/p>\r\n

So what does a great sales pitch look like? What should it include (and avoid)? Here are seven elements of a great sales pitch that will help you make powerful connections every time you go to bat.<\/p>\r\n

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1. Research\"\"<\/h2>\r\n

Only 13% of buyers<\/a> agree that salespeople truly understand their needs. That’s a pretty dismal stat; if you can\u2019t understand your customer\u2019s problems, you have no chance of becoming part of their solution.<\/p>\r\n

Buyer personas and case studies can only go so far. You also need to demonstrate to the buyer that you get them and <\/em><\/strong>offer up a way to fix their problems, otherwise you\u2019re not going to connect with them in your sales pitch.<\/p>\r\n

Effective sales pitches shouldn’t be cookie-cutter scripts that never change \u2013 they should address your buyer\u2019s needs. Savvy salespeople know how to tailor their delivery depending on the prospect\u2019s company, priorities, and end goals.<\/p>\r\n

The only way to do this is to research. Before you utter a single word, you need to know who you\u2019ll be talking to. What do you know about their company and industry? Who are the clients they serve? What pain points do they experience that your company could alleviate for them?<\/p>\r\n

This step is especially important if you\u2019re talking to someone who isn\u2019t familiar with you or your company. If you don\u2019t have brand trust to fall back on, you’ll need to work even harder to prove yourself.<\/p>\r\n

Showing that you know something about your prospect and their needs in advance tells them that they’re more than just another sale to you, and can go a long way in getting them to hear you out.<\/p>\r\n

2. Introduction<\/h2>\r\n

Most prospects can smell a sales pitch coming before you finish saying your name. Unless you can grab their attention immediately, there\u2019s a good chance they\u2019ll tune out the pitch you worked so hard to create.<\/p>\r\n

Get their attention by starting with them<\/em> and leave yourself out of it for the moment. For example, you could ask a question about something that\u2019s unique to their company and is completely independent from your own priorities, such as an award they recently won or a new account they just landed.<\/p>\r\n

Your introduction should also build up the curiosity factor. Show you\u2019re interested in learning about them<\/em>, not in schooling them on something you think they need. If you already know everything, the prospect ultimately has nothing to contribute to the conversation and will tune you out. But if you\u2019re asking questions, they’re more likely to engage and give you the attention you\u2019ve earned.<\/p>\r\n

Remember, sales pitches are dialogues, not monologues, so pull the prospect into the conversation early and speak directly to their needs.<\/p>\r\n

3. Value Proposition<\/h2>\r\n

Your prospect has given you their attention, and they want to know they\u2019re not wasting their time. So, what are you bringing to the table?<\/p>\r\n

A great sales pitch includes a strong value proposition<\/a> that will persuade others to believe in it just as much as you do. It highlights benefits, not features. It talks about the problems you solve that are relevant to the prospect. It emphasizes the type of customer you work with, and adds tangibility to how you help them.<\/p>\r\n

Campaign Monitor is a great example:<\/p>\r\n

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Image Source<\/a><\/p>\r\n

Stripe is another good one:<\/p>\r\n

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Image Source<\/a><\/p>\r\n

In both examples, you can clearly see who the company is, what they do, who their services<\/a> are for, and a few key benefits you can expect when you work with them.<\/p>\r\n

4. Storytelling<\/h2>\r\n

Data shows that about 63% of prospects<\/a> remember stories, which is why the majority of successful sales pitches<\/a> are based on storytelling.<\/p>\r\n

Aside from helping prospects to retain information, stories also put them directly into the picture. Rather than telling<\/em> your prospect about how your product or service works, a story helps show<\/em> them how they might use it to improve what they\u2019re currently doing. Storytelling transforms vague ideas and makes them tangible.<\/p>\r\n

Prospects become active participants, not just passive observers. And when they can see themselves in the storyline, they can picture themselves enjoying the successful ending.<\/p>\r\n

For example, a prospect may feel confused about what an average 35% hiring efficiency improvement means, but they can probably envision the impact that saving $150 per new hire and speeding up onboarding by two weeks could have.<\/p>\r\n

5. Social Proof<\/h2>\r\n

It\u2019s not enough to talk about what you can do. Your prospects want proof, or at the very least, reassurances that you can follow through on your promises.<\/p>\r\n

There are a few powerful ways you can get them to believe you.<\/p>\r\n

First, use storytelling<\/a> to talk about how your current customers are using your product and the results they\u2019ve received. Mention what they were doing before you came along and how you\u2019ve helped them improve. Summarize your case studies to highlight the most important takeaways and make them easier to digest.<\/p>\r\n

Testimonials are also helpful tools because they come directly from your satisfied customers, who will talk about why they like doing business with you and how you\u2019ve helped them, and will even recommend you to prospects.<\/p>\r\n

You should also provide research and data that add credibility to your claims<\/a>. An industry expert or reputable source can help you link specific stats or benefits to your product and give it more credibility.<\/p>\r\n

Finally, you should offer your own personal guarantee to demonstrate your confidence in what you\u2019re selling. This might be a free trial, free shipping, a money-back guarantee, or something else that will give them more confidence to say ‘yes’.<\/p>\r\n

6. Unexpected Value\"\"<\/h2>\r\n

Part of your job as a sales rep is to discover the problems your prospects experience and see how your solution can help. Most sales reps stop right there; but what if there are other, bigger issues that are left to be discovered, even ones the prospect may know nothing about?<\/p>\r\n

Your job isn\u2019t just to rehash the problems they know they have and present solutions they may already know exist. Rather, take it a step further by introducing an unexpected need or value that will move the prospect into territory they haven\u2019t yet considered.<\/p>\r\n

Don\u2019t tell them what they already know. Persuasion only occurs when there is a level of uncertainty<\/a>. If your prospect has overlooked something, hasn\u2019t considered something, or has underestimated something to some degree, they\u2019re more likely to be open to how you can help.<\/p>\r\n

<\/a>7. Specific Request or Action<\/h2>\r\n

Your sales pitch started by focusing on your prospect. You\u2019ve already addressed their problems, delivered your value, introduced ideas they may not have considered, and backed up your claims with proof.<\/p>\r\n

Now, you\u2019ve arrived at the entire purpose of your sales pitch: what you want your customer to do next.<\/p>\r\n

Your pitch should end with an invitation to take action. Give them clear direction on what to do next and make it easy for them to do it. You\u2019ve put a lot of effort into getting your prospect to this point, and the worst thing you can do is leave it to chance.<\/p>\r\n

Surprisingly, 85% of salespeople<\/a> don\u2019t actually ask for the sale. Some are afraid of rejection. Others think they\u2019ve made it obvious enough as to what they want the customer to do. Some salespeople simply don\u2019t know how to take the conversation to this stage \u2013 and that\u2019s a problem.<\/p>\r\n

Since 90% of buyers<\/a> won\u2019t buy unless you ask them to, you need to carry your sales pitch all the way through to the end. If you\u2019ve done a thorough job up until this point, there\u2019s no reason to let fear stop you now.<\/p>\r\n

Best Practices for a Knockout Sales Pitch<\/h2>\r\n

Before we dive into specific sales pitch examples, here are a few best practices to follow to make sure your sales pitch is a knockout:<\/p>\r\n

Keep It Short<\/h3>\r\n

You\u2019re asking your prospect for one of their most valuable possessions: their time. You\u2019re competing with their emails, meetings, clients, and all the other things they have going on at that same moment.<\/p>\r\n

Keeping your sales pitch short not only helps you save time, but also shows that you value theirs. You\u2019re also likely to get farther in your pitch when you aren\u2019t delivering a 10-minute monologue.<\/p>\r\n

Keep It Simple\"\"<\/h3>\r\n

Clunky, complicated words can bring your prospect out of the moment. They stop listening to you because they\u2019re trying to figure out what you just said. And once they\u2019re lost, they might not bother to play catch-up.<\/p>\r\n

Use simple language that flows easily, and avoid information overload. If you can say the same thing in fewer words without losing impact, do.<\/p>\r\n

Practice Your Delivery<\/h3>\r\n

You don\u2019t want to sound tired or over-rehearsed; you do want to sound confident and trustworthy. Practice your sales pitch<\/a> sufficiently to ensure it flows well and you\u2019re not stumbling over your words.<\/p>\r\n

If you\u2019re sending a cold pitch via email<\/a>, read your message out loud to see if it sounds too long, too complicated, or too confusing.<\/p>\r\n

Anticipate Questions<\/h3>\r\n

At the end of your sales pitch, you should leave a space to continue the conversation. This is one of the most tedious parts for sales reps because this is where you start to go off-book. You don\u2019t know where the conversation will head next, and oftentimes sales reps will lose control of the dialogue.<\/p>\r\n

To combat this, be forward-thinking in the questions or objections<\/a> your prospects may have, and know how to respond. Remember that having an objection doesn\u2019t mean they\u2019re not interested or won\u2019t buy \u2014 in fact, it could <\/em>indicate the opposite.<\/p>\r\n

Follow Up<\/h3>\r\n

The conversation doesn\u2019t stop once your sales pitch ends. If you didn\u2019t convert them on the spot, follow up with them to stay top of mind and continue building the relationship. Studies show that 92% of sales reps<\/a> give up after the first ‘no’, but four out of five prospects will say ‘no’ four times before saying ‘yes’.<\/p>\r\n

Sales Pitch Examples<\/h2>\r\n

So there’s the basic anatomy of a great sales pitch. Now let\u2019s see how other companies have put all the pieces together to create an effective sales conversation with their prospects:<\/p>\r\n

Freshchat<\/h3>\r\n

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Image Source<\/a><\/p>\r\n

This cold email from Freshchat combines several elements of an effective sales pitch. For starters, it\u2019s mostly storytelling that puts a real person\u2019s experience into perspective. It offers specific details that explain why the sales rep is reaching out to the company. The rep has done their research on the prospect and provides a clear call to action to continue the conversation.<\/p>\r\n

The subject line also sparks a bit of curiosity. The rep is asking a quick question rather than stating their reason for the email. The recipient has to open the email to find out what that question is.<\/p>\r\n

Freshchat used this template to send 80 emails<\/a>. Out of those, 48 people (60%) opened the email, seven people (8.8%) clicked at least one link in the email, and 14 people (17.5%) responded to it.<\/p>\r\n

Brightwheel<\/h3>\r\n

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Brightwheel\u2019s debut on ABC\u2019s Shark Tank<\/em> is a prime example of how to deliver a consumer-focused sales pitch on a complicated product (in this case, it\u2019s an app). You can see the full video here<\/a>, but here\u2019s a recap of Brightwheel CEO Dave Vasen’s shining moments:<\/p>\r\n