If you’re a salesperson, your elevator speech should be second nature. But it can be a problem if your pitch sounds too rehearsed, too automatic, and just too salesy! I talk frequently about perfecting your 30-second sales presentation. But once you’ve perfected it, it can become stale and roll off your tongue just a little too easily, without real thought or emotion or sincerity.
Set a goal for yourself: Develop, practice and perfect a new sales pitch. It can’t hurt to have 2 great opening pitches in your sales arsenal!
3 Tips to Upgrade Your Elevator Pitch
1. Tell a Story
Make it about them: Keep your pitch personal and real by talking about the people your product or service helps. Your words should be friendly yet results oriented so they connect with your prospect: remember KISS (Keep It Simple, Stupid)?
NO: I’ve become a millionaire ten times over teaching my sales system.
YES: I teach small business owners how to find new types of customers for their product.
2. Sell Your Solutions
It’s not intuitive. Tell the other person how your service or product can help them achieve their goals: sell your benefits.
NO: I provide sales training.
YES: Think of a professional athlete who hires a personal coach to become even better at their game: I teach successful sales professionals new methods and ways of thinking so they’re even more successful!
3. End With a Question
That elevator ride goes by quickly: less than 30 seconds! If you’re giving your pitch to a real prospect, keep the door open and continue the conversation:
NO: Here’s my business card, give me a call!
YES: What’s your biggest sales frustration?
Sales expert Jill Konrath describes 2 kinds of elevator pitches:
The Impresser: How to Repel Prospects
The Attractor: How to Entice Prospects
What’s your goal: to attract or repel your prospect? Upgrade your elevator pitch today to turn that pitch into a prospect.
about Anthony Caliendo:
I’m an entrepreneur and sales professional with over 20 years of successful sales and sales management experience. My expertise in sales, marketing and business development spans from small business to international companies.
I’m the best-selling author of The Sales Assassin: Master Your Black Belt in Sales, winner of the 2015 USA Book News business book award for entrepreneurs and small business,and a 2016 finalist The Indie Book Awards.
I provide personal sales coaching; and consult, speak and train about growing and motivating your sales team to businesses, corporations and conferences across the nation, as well as a guest contributor and sales expert for TV and radio, and professional organizations.