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The Makeup of a Top Pitch

Have you ever been blown away by a great sales presentation? You left feeling inspired, empowered, and that you should definitely buy that product.

The good news is that it is possible for almost any sales professional to deliver that level of sales pitch. Putting together and presenting a great pitch is more of a craft than a talent, and there are key elements that will elevate your sales presentations. Here is what you need to do to start delivering killer sales presentations.

1. Research, Research, and More Research!

The secret to success in almost any situation is preparation. You wouldn’t attempt to run a marathon without training first, and you should never attempt to pitch a product without understanding how it will make the lives of your prospects better. Do thorough research on your prospect and listen carefully during conversations so that you can identify all of the information you need for the sale - their pain points, their budget, the people involved in the purchase decision, and anything else you need. This level of research will ensure that you focus on the right points during your pitch, which will help to build rapport and close the deal faster.

2. Define the Problem

Nobody likes to be “sold to”. If you jump straight into your solution, your sales pitch will come across as salesy and pushy. Before outlining your solution, carefully outline your prospects problem. Address the challenges they are facing, and why their current solutions aren’t working. This will drive home that they really do need a new product and prep them for your explanation of your product.

3. Tell a Story

Stories aren’t new - people have used stories to share information for thousands of years. However, few sales people think to utilize this method of sharing information in their pitches.

Stories tend to follow a fairly simple arc format that is easy to fit into your pitch:

• The exposition (this is likely the problem your prospects are facing)
• The rising action (pain of challenges is becoming more acute)
• Climax (your solution)
• Resolution (outcomes your prospects can expect)

You can use anecdotes throughout your pitch, or you can use one specific storyline throughout the entire pitch.

4. Focus on Benefits

Don’t make your prospects fill in the gaps; explain the benefits of your solution clearly. It’s all to common for sales people to list product features without outlining what these features actually do. With good research, you will understand what your prospects are looking to accomplish. Match the features of your solution to the particular challenges your prospects are looking to solve, explaining how the features alleviate their pain.

With these tips, your sales presentations will go from stiff to stimulating. Your prospects will understand more clearly why they need your product, and they will feel the sense to urgency to close the deal faster.