How to build the perfect pitch in 4 easy steps.
Think back at the one sales person that was able to keep your attention for more than 10 seconds. What made them different? What let them keep you from going about your day?
The hardest issue every sales person has is to hook the potential within the 9 seconds they have before you decide to walk away (or in a phone call case, a few seconds before they hang up).
When asking myself how someone could capture my attention, I realize that it is quite simple: bribing me with free ice cream! Kidding. Well not really, but the reason I stop and listen to a pitch is if I find the information more important than my game of Candy Crush on my phone.
Step 1: LOOK AT ME NOW!
What makes me look up from my phone or pause to actually read a sign? An intrusive attention grabber. For example, when I was walking around Incline Village, NV, I was looking around for things to do. That is when a giant ice cream cut out (pictured above) caught my attention. I immediately walked over to the store and before I knew it, I purchased an ice cream cone.
Whether or not it is a loud noise or a neon sign, I am forced to pause whatever I am doing to divert my attention. Whether I am trying to sell myself by impressing a stranger or trying to sell a pair of shoes, the more obnoxious and out-there I am, the more likely I can grab their attention. For phone sales, this part is already done for you. If they answer their phone, you get to skip step 1. Once you get their attention, the actual hard part begins.
Step 2: My name is Alice. I have a heavy sales background from retail, real estate, to inside sales. I am able to sell anything with my easy pitching steps.
This is the tricky part. Once they figure that they do not know you and that you are trying to sell them something, they become turned off and distant. You once snatched their attention but now they are drifting away again. How do you bring them back? You introduce yourself and introduce your value proposition. Your job is to make them feel like what you have to say is far more important than whatever mundane activity they were just involved in.
Step 3: My sales techniques can help you succeed in selling anything and increase your revenue by 500%. Once they see that you know what you are talking about they will give you a few more seconds of attention. This is when you paint a picture and create a need for your product or service that they did not even know they had. You are selling your service or product because you want to help them, not hurt them. This is the most important part of a sell. People are smart, if they can sense that you only see them as dollar signs, they will move on. Make them feel special. Make them feel like you are bending over backwards to make sure they know about your service or product. Once you establish the client-agency relationship, they are more willing to trust you with a few more seconds.
(This is usually when people walk away or hang up)
Step 4: How has your company been doing in sales? Are you anywhere near where you anticipated last quarter? What do you think is the issue? If you made it to step 4, you are in the clear. This is the part in which you can start firing open ended questions. Get them to spill about their problems and then just listen. You have gained not only more than 10 seconds of their time, but you have gotten their trust to open up about how you could provide the perfect solution to all their predicaments.
I use these 4 steps not only when I'm selling a product or service for work but I use them for my everyday life. Whenever I meet a new person, I use these 4 steps to insure that I create the best first impression I can for the new person. These steps can be applied to any type of sell. I have tried it in retail, restaurants, real estate, property management, sports business, and even tech sales.
Some may see either more or less aggressive tactics. What are your favorite sales pitch tactics?
