What is a sales pitch?
A sales pitch is delivered by a sales rep to a prospective customer. It’s a persuasive message that highlights the benefits and features of a product or service. Ultimately, the goal of a sales pitch is to build a trusted relationship with a potential customer that results in a closed sale. A strong sales pitch is critical to the success of each seller, their team, and the business itself. It should capture the buyer’s attention with a relevant lead and offer clear and helpful information. While most sales pitches in the past took place over the phone, it’s now common for pitches to take place across digital and social channels.
Did you know?
59%
of buyers are irritated by a generic sales pitch?
What makes a good sales pitch?
Sales pitches can get a bad rap — calling to mind the outdated scenario of a pushy salesman. In reality, pitches can be engaging and helpful to prospects. Here are a few characteristics that make for a compelling pitch:
- Thorough research: A seller should be well-versed in both the product and the industry they’re selling to. Buyers today expect reps to be experts who can offer a consultative ear to their opportunities and challenges. Reps must put in the legwork up front in order to articulate how their solution addresses the needs of the buyer.
- Personalization: 59% of buyers are irritated by a generic sales pitch. Reps should ensure that any pitch is targeted to the specific pain points of the buyer and their team.
- Storytelling: A narrative is an engaging way to tell a story, with main characters (the buyer), problems to solve, and happy resolutions. Framing a pitch this way better engages prospects and makes the product more memorable in their mind.
- The right content on the right channel: Reps need to reach out through the most appropriate channel for each buyer. And based on the channel of choice, it’s important to tailor the message’s tone, content, and length.
4 common sales pitch examples
While pitches can take place across multiple channels, most follow a common progression from an initial phone call or email to a demo and follow-up. Each of these methods allows for nuanced communication about the value of products or services.
Phone pitch: Sellers can use a phone sales pitch to address questions and concerns first-hand, as well as build relationships more deeply than through digital communications. Keep the pitch concise, with a strong opening and closing.
Email pitch: Reps may find it easier to reach prospects via email, with shorter communications that don’t require the commitment of a phone call. An email pitch usually includes an engaging opener that’s personalized to the buyer. In fact, research shows that emails with a personalized pitch have a 32.7% better response rate. This can be followed by a brief description of why the product or service is relevant to the buyer and a call to action.
Pitch deck: After initial conversations, reps may have the opportunity to run through a pitch deck or demo presentation. This allows them to provide more detail on the product and its use cases, as well as get alignment with multiple buyers. The sales presentation structure works best as a narrative, with a rundown of common challenges, how the product helps solve them, and case studies.
The follow-up: A follow-up often takes the form of an email, addressing final questions or sharing additional sales materials that are relevant to the discussion.
Create better pitch decks
Six strategies for creating the best sales pitch
Whether you’re a sales manager or a seller, use these six effective strategies for creating a sales pitch that connects with your buyers and encourages them to take action.
- Clearly identify the problem. Sales reps should identify the challenges the buyer is facing by researching the buyer’s company, role, and past interactions. This is when it’s helpful to tap into a CRM, social media profiles, company websites and earning statements, and more.
- Explain how your organization can help the prospect. By articulating the benefits of the product, providing supporting data, and effectively tying the product’s benefits to the buyer’s needs, sellers leave a more impactful impression.
- Include a relevant customer story. People like to hear about others who are like them. It helps them envision how they might use your product and what type of results they can expect. Include customer examples in your pitch or follow up afterward with relevant case studies. This underscores your pitch with social proof — and that’s powerful stuff.
- Ask relevant and open-ended questions. Reps can learn a lot about prospects by asking engaging questions and actively listening to their responses. When you take time to truly understand the prospect’s goals and priorities, you can better tailor your pitch and subsequent conversations to what matters most to them.
- Offer additional solutions and information. 75% of executive buyers choose a vendor that can help them shape a vision. By providing recommendations or consultation beyond the scope of a company’s products, reps build a longer-term relationship. In fact, top-performing reps only really “pitch” their offer 7% of the time.
- End the presentation with clear, actionable next steps. How do you close a sales pitch? Communicate to prospects what they can expect after the call concludes, such as sending follow-up materials or scheduling time for a deeper dive. Most importantly, follow through quickly. It’s an important moment to build trust.
Sales pitch dos and don’ts
 |  |
| Tailor your pitch to the buyer’s unique challenges | Give a canned, one-size-fits-all pitch |
| Explain your products and business as simply as possible | Use complicated explanations or company-specific jargon |
| Ask engaging questions and listen actively to answers | Talk at length and monopolize the entire phone sales pitch |
| Offer consultation outside of the scope of your product/solution | Talk solely about the product and its many features |
| Send a thoughtful follow-up email after calls or demo presentations | Forget to follow up or wait too long to reach out after the pitch |
Best practices for delivering a winning sales pitch
Developing the best sales pitch isn’t a skill you’re born with — it takes thoughtful planning, research, and practice. Keep in mind these strategies for building your pitch:
Gather the right sales content
Start by thoroughly reviewing customer information and familiarizing yourself with support materials, such as sales pitch scripts and case studies. Having these resources at your fingertips will help you target your pitch and answer questions that come up.
Practice your pitch before you deliver it
No matter how experienced, reps will be more successful if they consistently practice their pitch. Practice helps you fine-tune your delivery, spot any knowledge gaps ahead of time, and become more comfortable. And it’s not “one and done.” Brush up on your pitch regularly, especially as company messaging evolves.
Get feedback
Constructive feedback from peers and managers is crucial. They can spot problem areas in your pitch and prepare you for common objections. Sales managers should look to provide opportunities for feedback through quizzes, practice sessions, or one-on-one coaching. Online sales training platforms are also a useful tool, especially for remote employees.
Never stop growing.
Craft the perfect sales pitch with Seismic
The Seismic Enablement CloudTM provides managers and reps with enablement content and learning and coaching tools that empower them to deliver the best pitch possible. Our sales content management software allows reps to easily access, customize, and share personalized content and decks, ensuring the right materials for any conversation. Aside from arming sellers with the right content at the right time, they also need to be confident in their skills and knowledge when it’s time to deliver a pitch. That’s why Seismic also features a learning and coaching solution that enables reps to develop essential pitch skills, practice delivery across channels, and receive valuable feedback.
No matter where you are in your journey, the Seismic Enablement Cloud has everything you need to succeed and deliver winning sales pitches. Interested in learning more about Seismic’s capabilities? Get a free demo.
