The landscape of “the perfect sales technique” is constantly changing. For years we have been told to keep our “pitch” to 30-seconds when explaining what we do for a living. This fast-paced rule became the standard in sales just as “speed dating” became the approved method to meet that perfect someone.
About the time the lonely soul realized they could not find their truly love in a 10-second round of conversation, the sales world found that their fast-pitch approach only worked in impressing other salespeople.
So what became of the 30-second pitch? The pitch remained but has been transformed into a story that allows the customer to engage and for you to close the sale. It’s time to take your fast pitch and use these techniques to slow it down.
1. Think before you speak. Don’t try to wing it. Plan ahead, write it out, and practice how you want to say it. Pay attention to the tone in which you speak, the natural style of delivery, and most importantly the message that you are delivering. Be sure that the story represents who you are, the business that you represent, and last but not least, why the customer needs to hear it.
2. Scripts are for actors. Your delivery must not sound like you memorized a script. Use bullet points for key information benchmarks. Each benchmark can be used as your map for an unscripted delivery to carry the story from beginning to end without losing the customer’s attention on the way.
3. Make it personal. Give your story the stamp of personalization, which naturally allows the customer to connect with you. This is the comfort zone that the “fast- pitch” never captured. Be sure to follow your bullet points and don’t get carried away talking about yourself.
The art of storytelling has entertained generations for ages. It’s time to take this art to the sales world and close the deal. We’d love know how it turned out! The R2R Marketing team is here to help you.
