Our Top 10 Tips For Creating a Great Sales Pitch and Making More Sales NOW!

Did you have that kid in your neighborhood who was “The Hustler”? You know, the buddy who was always thinking up new, increasingly-more-random items to sell and make a couple extra bucks. Whether it was lemonade or bracelets or customizable hand-painted rocks, it appeared this kid could create a sales pitch for anything and it would just work. 

While it may seem that many individuals are born with the gift of sales, and it’s true that some people are more naturally inclined to the task, anyone—and we mean ANYONE—can create a great sales pitch and seal the deal. That’s because pitching is less about natural ability and more about skill in researching, understanding, and interacting with people. 

You have to be creative and prepared to pivot with your client, but for the most part, the sales process is highly formulaic. For those of us not kissed by the sales gods at birth, this reality should fill us with hope. 

With research and practice, you too can make a sales pitch and win over customers. And today we’re giving you a one-up by sharing our top 10 tips for creating a sales pitch that scores! 

What Constitutes a Sales Pitch?

A sales pitch is made up of three main parts:

• Opener (or “Hook”). Your goal is to catch the eye and attention of your prospect. Like a well-made movie trailer, it draws you in and sparks interest but doesn’t reveal everything. It leaves your prospect wanting more and encourages them to move on to the rest of the pitch.

• Main Body (or “Context”). This is where you support the interest you’ve won with evidence of how your product or service can turn your lead’s pain to gain. It’s your chance to make your pitch and SELL, so make the most of this part!

• Call to Action. All this hard work is pointless unless you bring it to THE point—leading your prospect to the next step. A successful close depends on your goal for that specific interaction. It could be as simple as scheduling a follow-up demo, or actually securing a sale. 

While this may sound simple enough, executing a successful sales pitch takes a lot of strategic thought and preparation. So how do you go about creating a great sales pitch?

Our Top 10 Tips for Creating a Great Sales Pitch

1. K.I.S.S.

We love a good business acronym around here. While this one isn’t strictly “business,” it’s a great way to start off your journey of creating a sales pitch. 

In case you’re not already aware, K.I.S.S. stands for:

Keep

It

Simple,

Stupid

We know you’re not stupid so don’t take offense (sarcasm, people! Sarcasm!). All we’re trying to say is that the running theme for your whole sales pitch should be SIMPLICITY. 

Keeping things “short and sweet” has many benefits for your sales strategy. It eliminates confusing or unnecessary details, shows respect for your prospect’s time, and allows you to move through prospects more efficiently. Most importantly, it’s easy for your lead to grasp your main points quickly, and feel more informed and confident to make a decision.

2. Practice Makes Perfect!

While you can’t determine your lead’s responses to your sales pitch, you can work on your own side of things. While some pitches are less immediately interactive (like email), a large majority are made in real-time, whether in person or over the phone. Parts of a sales pitch are almost like a mini-speech (with audience participation!) and there’s no way you would go into a high-stake public speaking arrangement without preparation.

There are a few things you can focus on when practicing your sales pitch.

• Tone. Do you sound friendly and engaging? Or do you come across as bored and uncaring? Your tone can draw someone in or make them wish they’d never picked up the phone in the first place.

• Pace. As humans we tend to speed up our speech when sharing information we know a lot about or have prepared ahead of time. Be aware of the speed at which you’re delivering your sales pitch and slooooow. dooooown. 

• Flow. There’s a difference between a written sales pitch and one intended for in-person dialogue. You might put something together that sounds great when read, but is awkward and clunky when spoken aloud. Whether you’re preparing for a written sales pitch or a verbal one, review (or speak aloud to yourself) and make sure you got the flow just right.

3. Be Passionate and Enthusiastic.

If you’re not excited about the product or service you’re highlighting in your sales pitch, how can you expect your lead to respond in a positive way? 

Can I (Your Friendly Neighborhood Squeeze Blogger) get personal for a sec? I love pizza. I can consume an embarrassing amount of pizza when given the opportunity. But if I go out to eat and ask the server if the pizza’s good and they shrug and reply with a monotone “It’s ok, I guess,” you can bet your last mozzarella stick I’m choosing the pasta instead (or just leaving and heading to my tried-and-true pizza joint, STAT). If they don’t have confidence in what they’re offering, I’m gonna bail.

All silly analogies aside, a big part of a successful sales pitch depends on how you come across to your lead. Are you genuinely excited about how your product can change your customer’s life for the better? Do you truly believe in the services you are offering? Authentic passion resonates and builds confidence that whatever you’re selling is going to deliver.

4. Tell a Story. 

In his incredible book Building a StoryBrand, Donald Miller encourages weaving storytelling methods into your marketing and sales strategy. Human nature responds to story, and if you implement this concept into your sales pitch, it can stir a positive organic response. 

The elements of a good story include:

• A relatable main character (your lead)
• A pain point/problem 
• A knowledgeable guide (you!)
• A plan (your product/service)
• A call to action 
• The result (success or failure).

As part of your sales pitch, you want to create a positive picture in the mind of your customer as to what life would be like with your product or service, vs. the downfall of their very existence if they choose to not heed your words.

…Maybe not quite that dramatic, but you get the idea. What is at stake? What will be lost without your product (time, peace of mind, money)? How will life be SO much better if they say yes to your sales pitch?

5. Make Your Sales Pitch Personal.

It’s important to make every client feel like they’re THE client. If there’s any way you can make them feel valued, important, and specifically cared for, you’re bound to make a good impression.

We can’t stress it enough: DO YOUR RESEARCH! Even a brief run through a client or company’s website and social media accounts can give you a valuable insider view into personality, values, goals, and personal info. You can then use what you’ve gathered as a connecting point in your sales pitch to build relationship. 

6. It’s All About the Customer.

The best sellers know that sales is more than just sealing the deal and making money. It’s about providing value and genuinely caring about the customer’s needs.

When creating a sales pitch, take a moment to look it over and consider if it’s customer-centric or not. Do you use a lot of “I” sentences and inadvertently make it all about you? Are you too aggressive and focused more on the sale than your client? 

There’s nothing that ruins a company’s reputation and shuts down a prospect more than trying to push a sale when it’s clear it isn’t a match. You can’t win them all, and if you’re not a fit for your client, perhaps you have a recommendation for another product or company that CAN help them out. This speaks volumes to the integrity of your company and builds a positive brand image. You may have lost this sale, but you’ll win the war as other prospects are drawn to a brand that clearly cares more about building trust than just making money.

7. Sell Solutions.

It’s tempting to bulk up your sales pitch with statistics or descriptions of every bell and whistle your product offers. You want to impress and gain interest. And while features may be a factor, people are looking for SOLUTIONS. 

A product or service feature is only as effective as its ability to solve the customer’s pain point. So highlight features wisely and with the emphasis on the problem it solves, rather than strictly the feature alone.

Your leads don’t just want to know what your product or service DOES—they want to know what it can do FOR THEM. 

8. Ask Questions.

While a majority of our sales pitch tips focus on your side of the sales dialogue, we must remember that this is, in fact, a dialogue. Even more than what you say, your ability to ask the right questions, find and address pain points, and listen effectively can mean the difference between making or breaking a sale.

Tiffany Bova, Global Customer Growth and Innovation Evangelist at Salesforce says it best: 

If your pitch goes well and you have your ears open, it should feel less like a business presentation and more like a healthy conversation about their business needs.

Again, this ties back into being truly customer-centric. You only learn more about a person by listening to what they have to say, and if you are to address the client where they’re at…you actually have to know where they’re at!

9. Prepare for Pushback.

Your leads very often have questions, concerns, and doubts that arise during the course of your sales pitch. While you can’t anticipate every possible scenario, you can prepare yourself for common questions and concerns while also educating yourself on what you’re selling until you know it inside and out. This builds your confidence and increases your chances of hitting a home run when a curveball whizzes your way. 

The key to responding well to objections is to cultivate empathy and seek to come alongside your prospect in finding a solution. Show that you understand their concerns and care about addressing them. Don’t minimize their objections or brush them off. If it’s important to the customer, it needs to be important to you.

10. Have a Clear CTA.

While it may seem obvious that the whole point of making a sales pitch in the first place is to make a sale, your prospects won’t walk through that door on their own. Once it’s all said and done, it’s your job to take them by the hand and lead them to the door. 

Don’t be shy. Invite them to take the next step with you. Make it clear what you are asking from them and how you’d like to proceed. This should be simple, easily understood, and instantly actionable (“Would you be interested in a 15-minute demo in the next few days? How does Thursday sound?”).

And maybe your prospect isn’t ready to say “yes” today, and that’s ok too. That’s what follow-ups and nurturing efforts are for! 

Squeeze Takes the Stress Out Of Sales

Creating and executing a solid sales pitch can be exhausting. Plus, if you’re team members aren’t confident in their abilities to pitch or simply dislike the task, even the most perfectly scripted pitch can fall flat. 

That’s where Squeeze comes in. Our teams are masters of communication and take all that intimidating dialogue between your company and your prospects off your hands completely. Then we transfer those leads to your sales team while they’re warm and ready, and all you have to do is close. It’s as simple as that.

Interested? We’re not surprised. Feel free to contact us today to learn more about how we can help you make more sales NOW!