Definition:

Sellers persuasive words: the statements made, arguments used, and assurances given by someone trying to sell something.

Mastering a professional sales story is not that difficult, after all its what you do every day, it's all about your company its products and services and how they relate to the needs of the prospect or customer.

Before we talk further understand that whatever you come up with you will have to learn it cold. LIC. Nothing is worse that an inept sales person stumbling through a presentation that is poorly done. When decision makers receive phone calls from sales people that are uncertain un prepared and tentative about what their value is they usually don't respond in the salespersons best interest.

There are three basic sales pitches that you will have to develop and learn.

1 The Elevator Pitch. See Street Smarts note #7

2 General benefit statement. See Street Smarts note # 4

3 Customer needs focused sales presentation/pitch

For information on the first two see my Street Smart notes.

The Elevator pitch is a 30 second patter about who you are and what you do
The General benefit statement is a transition tool that takes you from the opening chit chat in a sales call to the reason for the call. A reason for the prospect to listen to you, again about 30 seconds in duration.

The Sales Presentation/pitch

It doesn't matter how great you speak and present what great technology you use or how well you know your products and can explain them. It's not about your price, performance the features and benefits of your product or service. Stay with me and I will tell you how to knock their socks off and put the PO in your hand.

First a short story

I don't know what part of the country you live in but where I live we have winter, real winter. Lot's of snow bone chilling North West winds and high heating bills.

We also have telemarketers calling all the time selling storm doors and windows. They come on the phone and deliver their sales pitch as best they can without knowing anything about the needs of the client. They use caned sales pitches the same one over and over and I will bet in 99.99% of the time they get nowhere.

Enter Dick and Jane Jones 415 Maple Drive. They live in a moderate house on a nice street and are doing all of the renovations on their home they can afford. When they come to the topic of windows and doors they have put it off until later but they have already reviewed the reasons to upgrade.

Their concerns with their present windows and doors are:

Appearance; they want their house to look good they have pride of ownership. (Increased property value).

Make money.

Heating bills are high due to the drafty conditions they are living with. (Spending too much for heating fuel).

Save money

Comfort and warmth, they are often cold and uncomfortable. (They turn up the thermostat for more heat also more cost).

Save money

Security.

The window locks are in poor working order and some are broken. (Open un secure windows and doors an invite for unwanted intruders)

Safety for the family

Maintenance

Constant painting and scraping and glass repair. (High cost of repairs and personal time and effort)

Save Time, save money

If only the telemarketer knew . I am sure you get the point.

Your sales pitch must be built around customer needs, your caned sales pitch may provide a framework for your pitch but that's all. Before you come up with the big pitch discover what the needs are, make a list and stack rank them in order of importance.

Next associate the benefits of your product or service with the needs. Get the business value of your solution or service as close to the dollar savings as you can then try to find out what the personal value your offering will have to the decision maker.

Now that you all this information you have good strong prospect get the sales pitch right and you should have a customer. Try this with your next opportunity. Good luck.