Writing a Successful Sales Pitch
When you're trying to sell something, having a good product is essential, but having an effective sales pitch is even more crucial. That's why it's possible for a company with a less superior product to outperform others in the market. The way they sell is apparently more effective than their less successful competitors. But how do you write a successful sales pitch? What should you consider? How do you capture someone's attention? And most importantly, how do you actually sell your product or service? We explain it all here.
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Before we can tell you how to write a successful sales pitch yourself, it's handy to know the definition of a sales pitch. Simply put, a sales pitch is the story with which you sell a product or service to a customer. This story should convey the value of your product and why the potential customer should purchase it. It could be that your product is already fully developed, but a sales pitch can also be used to sell ideas to potential investors. In that case, you're not selling a product or service but merely an idea.
There are both long and short sales pitches. A good example of a short sales pitch is an elevator pitch. It's called this because you should be able to give it in the time it takes to ride an elevator with someone. This is often at most a minute, which means your story should be very brief and especially powerful. Of course, it's not possible to cover all aspects of your product in that minute. Therefore, you'll need to be very specific about what you say.
Sometimes you have more time for a sales pitch. That doesn't mean you should overwhelm your potential customer with information. Even if you have more time or can give a presentation with your pitch, being concise and powerful is recommended.
It's also possible to put your sales pitch on paper and send it to potential customers or place it on your website. Whether you tell the story in person or let people read it, it's good to keep in mind while writing the pitch. After all, you approach people differently in person than online. However, the core of every sales pitch remains the same. So, you can use the basis of your pitch both online and offline.
Now that you know the meaning of a sales pitch, we can provide you with some examples of sales pitches. If you look closely, you'll see sales pitches everywhere around you. On the homepages of websites, on LinkedIn profiles, in conversations with colleagues or friends, and so on. A good sales pitch isn't only useful for selling your product, but you can also use it when people ask what kind of work you do. After all, the pitch is a brief summary of you, your company, and your product.
Every sales pitch should include several elements. These are:
Above aspects can be incorporated into a pitch in a very simple way.
For example:
Hi, I'm Julia Janssen (who are you), and I'm the owner of the De Pen text agency (what do you do). In my work, I've noticed that many entrepreneurs have little time for writing good SEO texts. This leads to fewer website visitors and, consequently, lower revenue (problem). That's why I help entrepreneurs optimize their website texts (solution). With my personalized approach, you'll get texts that truly match your business. No generic stories, but texts that you can relate to (unique selling point). Could your website texts use an update too? (question/call to action).
Other examples of good sales pitches can be found on the 'About Us' page of large companies, such as Coolblue. Here's what you can see there:
In just three sentences and a small overview, Coolblue tells you exactly what you need to know. They tell you why they're different from the competition and what that means for you. A perfect example of a short but powerful sales pitch.
ING, one of the largest banks in the Netherlands, also has a clear sales pitch on the 'About Us' page.
Here, you can also read what they do, how they do it, and why you should choose them over the competition. They need a few more words than Coolblue, but this is also a good example of a sales pitch.
The way you write a sales pitch is personal. You can start with who you are, or you can begin with your customer's problem or your company's history. Your choice is personal and depends on your preference and situation.
When writing a successful sales pitch, there are a few things to keep in mind. We'll give you some tips so that you can also deliver a good pitch.
A good sales pitch gets straight to the point. Your potential customer doesn't want to listen to an hour-long story but wants to know quickly what you can do for them. So, when writing a sales pitch, don't be afraid to cut a lot from your story. Think about the core of what you want to sell. What problem do you solve for the customer?
Your potential buyer should be intrigued by the sales pitch. So, it's nice if he or she understands everything you say. Therefore, write the sales pitch in clear language. Avoid jargon and complicated words. Everything should come across loud and clear.
Your sales pitch should clearly demonstrate why you solve your customer's problem better than the competition. So, be specific about what you do and what your unique selling point is. However, be careful not to get bogged down in too many details.
It can be very tempting to write a general sales pitch that you can use over and over again. However, you'll achieve much less success with this than if you tailor the pitch based on the customer. So, delve into your potential buyer. How do they think? By building trust with your buyer, you not only create confidence but can also benefit from the likability factor.
Think carefully about how you're going to present the sales pitch. Are you doing this offline or online? If you plan to distribute the pitch via email or place it on your website, it's crucial to perform a thorough spelling and grammar check. Errors appear sloppy and unprofessional. Furthermore, ensure you have a strong opening sentence or subject line. Otherwise, your pitch might not be read at all.
Facts and hard numbers can be very convincing, but many people may not be inclined to listen to them directly. Start your pitch with a personal story or a snippet of your company's history. As your buyer gets to know you and the company better, they'll be much more willing to listen to the figures and facts afterward. However, keep it concise and powerful.
A sales pitch may sound like you're constantly talking, but in a good pitch, that's certainly not the case. Especially if you're giving the pitch in real life, you can engage in a real conversation with your customer. By ending your pitch with an (open) question, you can easily start a conversation with your potential buyer. That's precisely what you want.
To ensure that your potential customer actually wants to purchase your product or service, you need to convince them of the value of your offer. You do this by emphasizing how your product helps your customer. Focus on the negative feelings the customer experiences due to the problem and explain how your product solves this with your product.
At the end of your sales pitch, you've told your potential buyer everything they need to know at that moment. It's still essential to make a clear call to action. If you don't clearly state what needs to happen, the chances of making the sale may still be slim. The call to action doesn't have to be the actual sale immediately; it can also be an invitation for a more in-depth conversation, for example.
Writing a good sales pitch is a specialized skill. Could you use some help and extra tips? Then, ask for help from an expert. Check out our sales training offerings. That way, you can be sure your sales pitch is rock-solid.