Think about the last script you had for a sales pitch. It sold to the person you were talking to, right?
Probably not.
Take this example.
Imagine you are approached about a new CRM and the rep says that if you buy it, your company can become more streamlined and improve their forecasting ability.
Interested? No.
Why not? Because you don’t really care about how the CRM will benefit your company.
You care about how it might benefit you.
It is the same in any business situation.
Your clients are people who have intrinsic needs, wants and desires.
If they hear, “This deal will make your company number one in the industry,” they think, “Great but I have a job to do.”
However, if they hear, “This deal will help you achieve your personal targets and then you can go to the Maldives for two weeks,” they will be running to their MD to close the deal.
You need to factor this into the script for your sales pitch. Your clients don’t care about the benefit to their company as much as they care about the benefit to them.
GET OUT OF YOUR HEAD… AND INTO THE MIND OF YOUR CLIENT
We often think B2B purchases are rational decisions, but in fact they are based on emotion. This is because the risks involved are so much higher. You don’t get sacked in B2C if it doesn’t work.
In fact, recent studies have shown that your client is three times more likely to buy from you if they can see the personal value to them in their role. Plus, they are over eight times more likely to pay a higher price*.
Therefore, in order to say yes to your proposal, they need to feel like the decision is safe and worth the risk.
They have to want it enough (personally and emotionally) so they have the confidence, vigour and drive to influence change in their organisation.
So, in order to sell more effectively, you need to sell personally to them in their language, then collaborate with them to champion internally.
Three steps to include in your sales pitch
Here’s what to factor into your script.
1. Understand your client personas
Every person involved in the decision will have completely different personal interests in the deal being successful. For example, Sales directors are likely to be interested in conversion rates, Marketing in brand awareness and Finance in cost savings.
For each person involved, brainstorm ‘a day in the life’ and think about:
- What results do they care about?
- What challenges/frustrations do they face?
- How do they make decisions?
2. Question them around their role and personal gains.
Once you understand their client persona, make sure your sales script talks to them in their language.
You can say, “Look, I know your world. I work with people like you. And I am here to find out about your role, your challenges, your results, what you want to personally achieve.”
Then ask them powerful questions to drill into each of these areas.
3. Collaborate to champion internally.
Once they are 100% bought in to the personal gain they will receive, turn your attention to the rest of the decision makers.
What do they want to hear? What challenges are they facing? What personal gain will each of them get? Plan the best way forward for you both to sell the proposal on internally.
So, the next time you are writing a script for a sales pitch, don’t fall into the trap of selling an irrelevant solution to the client’s company.
Instead take the time to find out about the person sitting opposite you.
And sell to the person you are selling to.
Explore where tailoring your approach fits within sales best practice and see how you can excel in all areas of sales today.
*Stats taken from the CEB Marketing Leadership Council whitepaper, “From Promotion to Emotion”