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What is a sales pitch?

The first aspect of sales that you need to be absolutely clear about before receiving a sales call is what a sales call actually is.

Strange question, right? You could say, "It's when I talk to someone and sell my product or service."

That is only partially true.

Here is the definition I came up with:

A sales pitch is a mutually agreed time that you can speak to someone who is interested in your product or service and has the financial ability to pay you for your product or service.

Small distinction, but that one "shift" in the way you display sales pitches will dramatically change your ability to close more deals in less time.

As?

First of all, you need to divide your calls into two types:

1. A quick qualification call
2. A longer, more focused needs analysis

The qualification call (qualification call) can only last 10 to 15 minutes. This is a quick way to learn about the needs of the person you're speaking to and see if they have a problem that you can resolve. You can also check your budget on this quick phone call. This is akin to meeting someone at an event and asking them a few quick questions to make sure that your time to make a follow-up call is worth it.

Essentially, you need to find out if they fit properly.

They need to value their time and yours, so don't do a proper needs analysis unless you know they have the budget.

If everything looks good, schedule them for a longer needs analysis.

Here are some questions to ask on your agony call:

• Can you give me a general outline of what you want to talk about?
• What is your current marketing budget?
• Can you give me a brief overview of how many marketing, writing, and design people are on your team?

Be confident here and ask questions directly. Make the call. Keep it on for 10-15 minutes.

If they answer your questions in a way that makes you want to have a follow up, try a segue line like, “Great. I would like to hear more about what you are up to. Can you grab your calendar so we can schedule a 60-minute call for tomorrow or early next week? What times or days are best for you? "

Now that you've qualified them, you know they have a need and that they are on a budget. If they didn't rub you the wrong way, it's time to prepare for your sales call!

How to skip the qualification call

There is an alternative way to skip that first qualification call. Do this by using some sort of giveaway that offers value in exchange for the information you would otherwise gather on your qualification call.

A good example of this is the small one-shop shop for customer-specific development. Geordie and his team built a simple lead magnet that they can use to estimate your custom development for free. During this simple ingestion process, they gather the information they need to fully understand the prospect's ideal results, as well as their budget and urgency.

Then Geordie and his team just need to review the leads that come in each day and prioritize the ones that fit the best.

It might make sense for you to do something similar in your sales process, but I recommend spending more time on the phone if you are just getting started. Try to have as many sales pitches as possible and improve them with a sales script (see below). Do not switch to this “automated qualification process” until you have understood your potential customers very well!

What should the result be for your sales call?

Most of the people here will say "a sale, duh!" But I think that's the wrong answer when you're selling marketing services. Try to be curious instead of pushing to sell.

That's it! Curiosity.

Run with your curiosity. Ask the prospect questions. Be interested in what they have to say.

Take notes. I use Notepad on my Windows computer (although I really like Obsidian.md these days).

Bonus tip: Save your sales call notes directly to Dropbox or Google Drive. That way, you'll have them on every device even if your main computer is shorted out after you've poured a full carafe of yerba mate on it (don't ask).

Should you be using a sales call script?

Make sure you use a sales call script.

Sales call scripts are the best way to improve your call flow and increase your persuasiveness. So make sure you gather all the information you need before pitching.

Whenever I try to host a scriptless sales call, I lose more than I gain!

What should my sales call script contain?

Your script doesn't have to be too detailed or complex. It can only contain the main points that need to be covered, or it can contain verbatim lines about your product or service.

Here is an example sales call script:

• Meet & Greet – 2 minutes (where are you calling from?)
• Why did you want to plan this call? – 2-5 minutes
• Where do you see your business in 2 years if everything goes according to plan? – 2-5 minutes
• What is the danger if this doesn't come true? – 3-10 minutes
• What are the options for growing your company? Have you thought about it __? – 5-10 minutes
• Where is your company strongest? – 3-10 minutes
• Ask additional questions for clarity
• Request transition to pitch
• pitch
• Check their temperature
• Define the next steps

Some of these points come loosely from Dan Sullivan's "DOS Question," a book worth obsessing over.

Write your own version of this script and save it to a text file on your computer. Then open it for a sales call and click "Save As". If you are using a tool like Obsidian or Evernote this can become a template file.

Don't overcomplicate your technology for sales pitches. Keep it EASY!

How should I list my product or service in a sales pitch?

BIG question. I had definitely been served before and it felt very gross.

It's the feeling like someone is inviting themselves to your party – you didn't ask them to come, now you have to tell them no or just let them come, right? Pooh.

If you place a needs assessment call following the procedure defined above, you will find that people are actually very interested in hearing your pitch.

The key is to ask a transitional question. My favorite question is:

“Great, that makes a lot of sense. Would you mind if I told you how we can possibly help you? "

That's it! This is your invitation.

I NEVER let anyone say anything to me. The most common answers are:

• Yes! You're welcome.
• Absolutely.
• Yes, that's why we talk, right?

Do you see how inviting that is? You don't put anyone on a playing field on which they look left and right towards the exit. In this situation, the prospect invites you to solve their problems.

Once you get approval to pitch, you need to remember that you are there to solve their problems.

You are only paid as a by-product of the value you provided. So sell the value.

How to close sales in a sales pitch

Let's check where we are in the sales process.

1. You have qualified the person who has a problem that you can solve and they can afford your services
2. You asked them where they would like to be in 2 years and what that means for them
3. They have identified the dangers or disadvantages of failing to achieve this goal
4. They worked out the possibilities in their business
5. You know your strengths
6. AND they are ready for you to offer your services.

Welcome to the rock show!

First, check the desired result and current location. Try to say something like:

"Based on what you told me, your earnings have gone down due to COVID and you have had to let some team members go. This is really hard, but you have your eyes set on growth through a digital program which is a great idea. Mainly because such digital programs have close to 100% profit margins. You also told me that if you don't get back to your pre-COVID earnings, you will have to lay off more employees. That makes sense. So there is an urgent need to do so But what I loved to hear is that your team is absolutely solid. You have great confidence in your knowledge of your space. I firmly believe that you can create a successful digital product here. "

This summary makes them feel heard and understood. You might ask, "Did I get that right?"

Then switch to the pitch.

"In order for you to get this digital product to market, you need marketing support. You need to figure out what is on offer, price it, and research what the competitors are doing. Someone has to choose the software to deliver the product, and all of this with the payment processor Then a full marketing campaign and ads have to be launched to drive sales. And based on what you say, you have no one to do the job. Is that right? "

Receive your confirmation again.

"Got it! Ok, based on that I think we can help. I see it that our team …"

Then use this area to detail your process. Don't be specific about the software. For example, don't say, "We'll put you on Kartra and send you start emails to the XYZ list on days 0, 3, 5, and 7 for a pre-start."

Instead, say, "We'll find the right email marketing software for you based on your business history." We write all required emails according to best practices. "

At MensGroup.com B2C store, Sean Galla does a fantastic job identifying a man's pain. Sean is an expert in understanding the male psyche when it comes to relationships, business, and meaning. As a result, his calls are usually very emotional. He uses these emotions to guide the men he speaks to and envision a future where they will be supported by other male friends who will help uncover blind spots.

Some may see a group of men and think it's just a few people talking to each other. But the men's groups Sean and his team orchestrate a lot more. There is transformative power in his groups, and Sean uses that energy not to force the prospect to sign up, but to see where they are (in pain) and where they want to be (challenged, supported, encouraged).

Sales should Not was "gross". It should be supportive. The sale should deliver a better result for the prospect.

Define the next steps for the prospect

Your prospect is now in a place where they've spent more time defining their 2-year goal than ever before. They trust you (otherwise they would have hung up!). You have served. They are interested.

You have to finish this prospect! This is the last 10 meters of a 400 meter race. Do not give up!

During the call, you selected your product or service. You said you were interested. You shared your award. They're interested, but might not buy right away (possibly because you're selling a service and need to propose to them).

In this case, clearly state the next steps.

"I'd like to have a suggestion that you can review with your team. If I could get this to you by Friday, could you get a review by Tuesday? And then let me know if you're ready to move forward or not? "

Mark your calendar. Deliver the proposal. Follow up on Tuesday. Keep pushing to resolve their problem. Don't put so much pressure on the sale as on the problem being solved. Selling is just a by-product of the solution.

Summary

Keep the following in mind as you think about your sales pitches:

• Give a qualification call (or use a qualification form) to save time for your seller
• A sales pitch is only a sales pitch if the prospect is interested and can afford your product or service
• The goal of the sales pitch is to understand the pain your prospects are in and then use your help to paint a picture of a better world
• You are not there to sell your services, you are there to make your dreams come true
• Ask permission to pitch and then resolve the problem with your listing
• You lose almost every sale if you don't keep track of it

Sale is not a 4-letter word.

Everything is sales. Dating, shopping, parenting.

Your success will increase dramatically once you master the art of solving problems with your products and services!