The thought of pitching a client can make many salespeople nervous because they may not be completely confident in their ability to convince someone to purchase their product. Others might be too confident, which could also affect their ability to pitch.
The best way to unload the pressure is to remember that you don’t have to convince anyone of anything. The world of sales isn’t a game of hardball and manipulation. Instead, it’s a world of empathetic communication. As a result, your perfect sales pitch isn’t a logical, factual outline of how great your product is. It’s a conversation where you take the time to empathize with the prospect and identify their specific needs before you offer to address those needs. This method allows you to learn whether you are a good fit to effectively serve the needs of the potential client or not. Here’s the basic outline:
- Actively Listen
The goal of the discovery process is to find the prospect’s pain. This is done through active listening. This means shutting up and listening to your potential client while asking deep, probing questions to draw out the true source of their business issues. Your potential client is the expert on his or her business, let them talk – let them share their experiences and needs.
- Be Honest
After listening to their needs, if you find your product will not serve their needs well, save time and tell them so. You might be thinking, “Why would I tell someone not to buy what I’m selling?” It might seem counterproductive to your goal, but think about this: in the long run, both of you will eventually know your product isn’t right for their needs. This is why it’s always best to be honest up front. Instead of an unhappy customer, you’ll earn their respect and possibly future business or referrals.
- Diagnose the Challenges
The customer usually knows they have a problem, but only you can determine whether or not you have an effective solution for their problem. Using your expertise to diagnose their challenges provides them with an educated analysis and creates value for their business before a deal is even signed. Your ability to diagnose the needs of the prospect and explain the features of your product to provide a solution is the determinant of success in your pitch.
- Offer a Solution
By highlighting those (and ONLY those) features of your product that solve the problems you uncovered through active listening, you keep the topic of conversation on what the client actually cares about. If your solution has real value for the client, make that value the only focus of your pitch. Don’t fill your sales pitch with all your product features and competitive advantages; stay focused on the client’s needs you attained through active listening. Feed your prospects only what they’re hungry for.
If you are a business owner who wants to get the most out of your sales team, Sales Arbiter can maximize their potential! We create sales growth by building self-sustaining, highly profitable, and highly-functional sales teams, and our team has a personal understanding of the unique sales challenges of both large and small businesses.
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