Creating The Perfect Sales Pitch Part 2
Back in episode 193 of Just The Tips, James and Dean covered several foundational steps you need to have in place before you create a perfect sales pitch. They included: Who are you serving? Who are the RIGHT people for your offer? Why are they the right people?
And, of course, why selling isn’t selfish–it’s a service.
In this week’s episode the guys up where they left off, sharing their proven process to crafting a sales pitch your ideal buyer can’t resist, including: What to say first when you get on the phone with them, how to handle the conversation (and how NOT to), and how to ensure they never see you as “just trying to sell them something.”
If you want to get better at selling, don’t miss this episode!
Outline of This Episode
- 5:15 Recap of part one
- 9:10 Managing the sales call freakout
- 13:13 Control the frame
- 18:50 Go into fact-finding mode
- 26:03 Ask questions, then keep your mouth shut
- 30:05 When to start your pitch
- 38:01 Leave them better than they found you
Control The Frame
The person who leads the conversation has the power. That’s why allowing your prospect to take the lead in a sales conversation is a huge mistake that can backfire in any number of ways. For example, if your prospect gets you telling them the price before they’re sold on the value, you could lose them. Prevent this from happening by controlling the frame, and keeping control of it for the entire conversation. Tune in for tips on how to do exactly that.
Be The Investigator
Your goal is not necessarily to make a sale on every call, and it’s not to force your offer on your prospect. Your goal is to find out if your offer is right for this person. To do that, go into fact-finding mode. Ask questions and listen to their answers. Show this person you’re paying attention and you actually care about helping them. One of the worst sales-killer mistakes you can make is to sound like you’re not listening. Ask your prospect questions about why they’re on the call and what they hope to achieve, and listen to the answers. You’ll need them!
Speak As Little As Possible
A common mistake James and Dean see in people new to selling is that they talk too much. It’s understandable. You’re nervous or excited, and you really want the sale. But your prospect, meanwhile, isn’t getting a word in edgewise, and isn’t feeling heard or understood. Remember that this person came to you because they have some sort of problem, and they’re hopeful you can solve it. The more they talk about their problem, the better. Ask questions, close your mouth, and let them tell you about their problem. In the episode you’ll hear exactly what kinds of questions to ask them.
Don’t Sell What Won’t Help Them
Once your prospect has talked about their problems, including other things they’ve tried, you can segue into explaining how you can meet their needs, and how your offer is different from the stuff they’ve tried that didn’t work. If you’ve done your job with the listening aspect, you’ll shine in this part. If you haven’t – if you just rattle off random benefits you think are great but have nothing to do with the problems they expressed – you’ll lose them.
Find Out What They Want
In addition to finding out what they’re struggling with, find out what they want. Find out their definition of success. Help them get really clear on that, so that even if they don’t buy from you this time, you’ll leave them better than when they started talking to you. You’ve served them even if you don’t end up working together, which puts you in a position of trust and authority. If they don’t buy, they’re SO much more likely to circle back and buy later. Plus they won’t be trashing you to everyone they know because they felt like you didn’t listen and “were just trying to sell them something.” Leave them in a better place for having spoken with you.
Music for “Just The Tips” is titled, “Happy Happy Game Show” by Kevin MacLeod (http://incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License
