Let’s Talk Sales.

When it comes to the art of selling (and yes, selling is an art.) there are countless articles, gurus, and experts who swear by this single rule, known as the “ABC’s”:

Always. Be. Closing.

What this “rule” means, is that every action you take when relating with a potential client/customer, from beginning to end, is focused solely on having them purchase your product (sign up for your service, accept your proposal, etc.). Now the effectiveness of this approach seems to have dwindled over the years, according to Investopedia, and that’s due to certain specific flaws in the model. For one, this traditional method of procuring a sale out of a customer does just that.  The only goal in mind is to procure the sale. Nowadays, due to changes in social norms, modern technology, and the business culture, a different (and far more relevant) approach must be taken. Let’s take a look at what elements make up a modern, effective sales pitch:

As you can see above, the most important aspects of any successful sales pitch are:

• The Ability to Solve the Consumer’s Problem
• The Appearance/Character of the Salesperson/Website
• The Human Aspect (Personality!)

These key factors are what make the difference between a sales pitch that converts, and a sales pitch that flops.  These aspects are undervalued in the traditional, “ABC’s” model, and that’s why a new approach would yield far better results.   Clearly, a modified approach must be taken to creating an effective, converting sales pitch in 2018.  Outlined below are what I believe to be the 11 most important sales pitch mistakes, and a solution for each one.

1.  Promising More than What You Have to Offer

This is a mistake I see everywhere! Over-Embellishing, Over-hyping, and making false claims may lead to a spark in sales short-term, however people’s trust in your brand will drop dramatically, and you’ll likely see a large amount of refund requests. The best strategy when crafting your sales pitch, is to do almost the opposite!  Hide some of the value in your product (show enough to convince the customer!), and the customer will feel like they received more than they expected. This strategy builds a relationship of trust and loyalty between the consumer and the brand, encourages positive reviews, and build up your reputation! As I’ve mentioned in my recent article The Definitive Guide to Building a High-Converting Squeeze Page, a positive reputation massively boosts your sales conversion rates, and is one of the key aspects to running any successful business.

2.  Not Selling a DIRECT Solution to the Consumer’s Problem

This has a lot to do with knowing your target audience.  You must identify exactly what your consumer needs, develop a solution to their problem, and sell it to them. For example:  Say somebody needs their car washed, and is out of soap.  You can choose to either try to sell them the soap, or to try and sell them motor oil.  Which one are they more likely to buy? The obvious answer here is the soap, because it directly solves their problem.  Now you can also add extra services, features, etc. To your product to bump up the value, but the core solution must be what is advertised as the Main Aspect of the product.

3.  Placing the Importance of the Sale Ahead of the Relationship with the Consumer

When it comes to nailing down a sale, people are far more likely to buy your product if they like you as a person! 

Your Relationship with your consumer must be put first, over any sales, because you’re building a platform of trust and loyalty, as well as a dedicated audience for your products.

Become their friend!  Show how the seller-consumer relationship benefits both parties.  Show them that they can trust you, and they’re far more likely to purchase your product.

Additionally, by maintaining a healthy relationship with your consumers, even after a closed sale, you build valuable connections, receive honest feedback, and learn how to improve your product to better suit the consumer’s needs.

4.  Not Showing That You Recognize Their Problem Immediately

This is more geared towards online business, not face-to-face communication, but it applies to both. 

What people who have a problem look for is the solution to their problem.  How do you get their attention?  By pointing out their problem!  

The most effective way to get a potential customer’s attention is not by flaunting your solution, its to advertise and even embellish the problem, and how it affects the consumer’s daily life.  From there, you have an engaged customer that you can sell your solution to.  

One of the most common ways to go about doing this is to tell the consumer that you’ve once experienced the same problem yourself, and you were able to overcome it by developing your product. 

You can see examples of this model in a vast majority of fitness-related advertisements, where they show before and after pictures.  

As a side note, if you’re sending out an E-Mail, writing an article about the topic, designing a Landing Page or Squeeze Page, or similar, you want the problem to be part of the subject line (E-Mail) or Header (Article).  This draws immediate attention to your content from your target audience.

5.  Not Appearing Completely Professional

You’ll notice, if you take a look around the majority of my articles, I place a lot of importance on your image.  That’s because your appearance is your first, and most important, impression.

The same principles apply if you’re selling something online, though they’re slightly different.  Instead of seeing you directly, your customer is greeted by your website!  The design of your website (or Landing Page!) is absolutely crucial in establishing your authority and trust.  Your pages should look clean, modern, and organized, and must be easy to navigate.

If you can, create a personal brand, blog, community, anything that allows you to build trust with your audience.  This comes across as solid evidence that you can be trusted when a potential consumer is looking to purchase your product!

6.  Being Boring!

A monotonous, lengthy, boring sales pitch is every client’s worst nightmare!  The length of your presentation/pitch is up to you, however look it over to make sure everything flows well into the next section.

What separates the average sales pitch from a truly excellent one is often the human element.  Don’t be afraid to be personable, witty (when it’s appropriate), and conversational, because injecting personality into your sales pitch makes it unique, and sets it apart from any other.

This carries over to internet business as well!  Present your content in a style that’s conversational.  Be relatable to your customers, be funny, and most importantly show them that you’re a person just like them!  This way you build real excitement, connections, and loyalty to your brand.

7.  Not Backing Up Your Claims (Or Not Making the Right Ones!)

I go over this point in great detail in my article: The Definitive Guide to Building a High-Converting Squeeze Page

All of the data you present to your client/customer must be accurate.  Simple as that. Over-embellished claims, false statements, and incorrect data leads to refunds, low sales, and a massive drop in your reputation.   When you’re crafting your sales pitch, it’s crucial to look at it from a customer’s perspective.

If you were searching for a solution to your problem, what exactly would you like to see/hear that would drive you to purchase a solution?

Make your claims based on what a customer wants to know, and back up your data with solid facts and testimonials/reviews.  Remember, Trust is Key.

8.  Not Doing Proper Research on your Target Audience

Before you even develop your product, it’s extremely important to do in-depth research on your target audience. 

You have to find out what problems they have, what they need, what they would find value in, and so on, and craft your product/service around that.

When it comes to the Sales Pitch itself, make sure you’re targeting exactly what your target audience is looking for. Don’t make it generic, tailor it specifically towards who you’d like to reach.

9.  Not Asking Questions, Or Asking the Wrong Questions!

Feedback, both positive and negative, is what helps you grow more than anything else. If you’re presenting a sales pitch to a client, going in for a job interview, or anything similar, then you must make sure you’re going in with a list of specific questions to ask. 

The goal of these questions is to prove that you are dedicated to making the sale/deal/job happen, and to establish yourself as an individual. The questions you should be asking are not about generic topics, such as salary, hours, and management. T

his little strategy I’m about to teach you will skyrocket your conversion rate if done correctly, and it’s so simple!

It’s called creating a mutually beneficial relationship.

Ask questions such as:

• What Exactly Do You Require My Services For?
• How can I help you solve your problems?
• In what way exactly will my services benefit you?

By doing this, you’re accomplishing two very important things:

You’re learning much more about your target audience’s needs, which will allow you to adjust and improve your product/service, as well as your sales pitch to better suit the target audience.

More importantly, you’re establishing what I call a Mutually Beneficial Relationship with your client/customer.

What this means is that both parties benefit from the sale of your product, not just you, the seller. By doing this, you gain real, valuable connections with your clients, as well as build up a reputation as a trustworthy, selfless individual.  

When it comes to online business, things are a little bit different.  You don’t have that same face-to-face aspect, so you have to rely on different methods of communication with your audience.  This can take the form of polls, talking in the comments section on posts, e-mails, really any way that allows you to have direct contact with your audience.

Once you’re connected with your target audience, listen to them!  Ask them what they feel would solve problems they have, what would improve their lives, and once you’ve incorporated that into your product or sales pitch, drive the engaged audience to buy the product.

Doing this follows the strategy of creating a Mutually Beneficial Relationship, because you get the money from the sale, and they receive your solution to their specific problem.

10.  Not Going for the Close

“Always Be Closing” is outdated.  However the main principle in that rule, when modified, is still applicable in today’s world.

Each piece of your sales pitch should be designed to smoothly lead into the next piece, eventually leading to closing the sale!  By the time your customer is given the final option to purchase the product, at the end of the sales pitch, you want them to be well-informed about how much it can help improve their life.

Going for the close from the get-go doesn’t allow you to build up trust, and prevents you from showing the full value of the product to the consumer.  

Once your consumer is suitably informed about the product, it’s time to close the sale.  Price your product in accordance with the value, as well as the target audience’s demographic, make the purchase process smooth and easy, and watch the sales fly in.

11.  Not Following Up

The Follow-Up is where connections are made. If you’re selling in person, make sure to follow up with your client(s) by phone, or meet with them face-to-face.  You’re showing that you take pride in your work, are open to honest feedback, and opening the door to doing future business with that client.   

If you’re selling online, be sure to send a follow-up E-Mail that contains two very important sections:  

The standard part:  Thank them for purchasing your product, offer extra advice, link to other articles/content on your website (not another product), etc. You can also give them the option to subscribe to your E-Mail list, or if you automatically do so upon purchasing the product, tell them and give them the option to unsubscribe (they usually wont!)   

The important part:  You must ask them to leave a review on your product (or business*) if they’re satisfied, and include a direct link to do so. (VERY IMPORTANT – make leaving a review as easy as possible!) Positive reviews on your products are critical for boosting your sales, as a large amount of them projects an instant air of authority and trustworthiness around both you and your product.

There it is, my Universal Sales Pitch Guide.  If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to send me an E-Mail at [email protected] Happy Sales!

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