How to Improve Your Sales Pitch to Convert More Leads

Having a good sales pitch is everything. You can do all the right things to bring in the leads, but if you can’t convert them, it doesn’t matter. Sure, you’ll have some leads that convert themselves or that take very little effort on your part—those leads are great, but they’re more the exception than the rule. 

It’s the 21^st century and people have access to a wealth of information and businesses at their fingertips, around the clock. No one wants to be “sold” anything anymore. They want to find the best solutions to their problems and pain points, whatever those may be. Therefore, you’ll want to make sure that you’ve got the best sales pitch in place to let them know you hear their message and that you’re ready to deliver. 

First things first: Stop pitching and start a conversation 

Most sales teams still call it a sales pitch, but it’s no longer a one-sided, long-winded, bells-and-whistles type of presentation. Connecting with leads is about exactly that—connecting with them so that you can determine their needs and then deliver them a solution. You should be looking for ways that you can add value for prospects. This requires you to actively listen to and understand their needs, as well as to pay attention to how those needs change and evolve over time. 

When you do this, you’ll be giving them multiple reasons to choose your business. You’ll also be gathering valuable insights that can help you with the rest of the improvement process.

Research, research, research

One of the best things that you can do is to know your target audience(s) inside and out. Know the problems of your prospect so that you can immediately approach them with a solution. This not only proves that you’re paying attention, but it speeds up the buying journey because you don’t have to wait for them to get around to letting you know what they need. 

Listen to people. Understand their needs. Research what your competitors are doing with their prospects and why they’re outranking you. Doing this will allow you to create a solid plan for a sales pitch so that you can concisely explain how you can alleviate their problem, what it entails, and the value they get. It will also help your sales reps to better understand how they can utilize digital selling to get those prospects that are still on the fence to convert. 

The more prepared you are, the more effective your sales pitches will be. 

Highlight your progress and past successes 

When business clients or consumers are considering your company, they want to know that they’re working with someone who is competent, capable, and that will take care of everything. The best way to reassure prospects of this is to include highlights of what you’ve done in the past related to their issues or needs. 

For example, when they mention their current pain point is something you’ve recently helped another prospect with, you can confidently tell them that you’ve got it covered and offer proof to back up those statements. Focus on showcasing:

• Specific accomplishments 
• Revenue generated 
• Clients signed/converted 

According to Salesforce, 78% of all buyers are looking for a trusted advisor, not just a salesperson, and want a solution from a company that can add value to their business in more ways than one. When you highlight what you’ve accomplished and how far your business has come, you will prove that you can be that advisor. 

WIIFM?

Any sales rep that wants to improve their pitch needs to focus in on the million-dollar question every prospect has:

What’s in it for me?

Sure, an office supply store sells printers. But so do a dozen other stores and online retailers. Why should the customer pick your office supply store specifically? They want more than just a printer. They want a trusted advisor they can rely on now and in the future. 

If you’re in a business where your prospects want numbers related to what they’re getting (such as their return on investment or ROI), you’ll need to deliver a clear answer. For example:

Our platform offers 2x lead database storage and is available at a discounted rate for new buyers, giving you a 50% return on your investment instantly. 

Whether it’s a metric, a good reason, or just a solution to their problem, you have to let people know what they’re getting, specifically, by choosing to work with your company. If your salespeople can do that, they’ll generate a lot more conversions because they’re giving the prospects information they need to make an informed decision and see the benefits coming to them. 

Do something that disrupts the norm 

Don’t be just another business that offers the same solutions as everyone else, trying to come up with all the reasons they should choose you. Instead, find a way to disrupt the market and make sure that you differentiate yourself completely from the competition. This could be:

• Offering a higher value for the cost
• A simplified version of competitors’ products that highlight key features
• Something totally out-of-the-box that solves problems people didn’t know they had

Your products or services aren’t going to change (at least not in the general sense), but the way that you present them and pitch them can. More importantly, it should. Disrupt the norm, tailor the conversation, and remember to deliver more than just a product or service for people to purchase. 

Better sales means bigger call volumes—is your team ready?

Smith.ai has a team of virtual receptionists who can free up your sales team’s time by handling things like appointment scheduling and lead intake. We can even act as your 24/7 answering service so you never miss a lead, or help with your outreach campaigns to get the leads flowing in the first place. 

Plus, we do it all with a strategy that’s tailored to your company’s needs. To learn more, schedule a consultation or reach out to hello@smith.ai. 

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