How to Have a Sales Talk That Gets Results

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I just returned from Germany, where I participated in a large B2B trade show. In a few days, I had over 50 meetings, both selling our services and being sold to. My takeaway? We need to refresh our understanding of what makes a good cold sales pitch.

The biggest challenge is the fear of appearing like a sleazy car salesman. If you're worried about this, you likely won't become one. Genuine concern for your prospect's needs distinguishes you from the stereotypical pushy salesperson.

Most think that selling is all about “me” - “I must sell this to him, I need to achieve my target”. The reality is more about “Us” - “How can I understand the needs of this person and which of my products fit him best”. I see it as a partnership, especially if your goal is a long term customer rather than a one time sale.

Here is my 7-step strategy for an effective sales pitch to a cold prospect that leads to results:

1. Research and Preparation

   • Understand the Prospect: Research the company and the lead's role. Identify pain points and potential needs. This helps you identify the right product to sell and avoid wasting time on unsuitable prospects. Research not only the company but also the individuals you’ll be speaking with.

   • Personalize Your Approach: Tailor your pitch to address specific challenges the person or company might be facing. Here’s an example: I used to sell diamonds to high-net-worth individuals. I might have had three people walk in to buy a $50,000 diamond, each with different motivations. One is nouveau riche, wanting to impress others with her status. Another is a husband wanting a special gift for his wife on their 30th anniversary. The third is looking to diversify his investment portfolio. While selling the same diamond, I would highlight different qualities to each customer based on their motivations—status and trends for the first, symbolic meaning and joy for the second, and the investment value for the third.

2. Engage and Build Rapport

   • Opening Statement: Start with a friendly, non-salesy introduction—don’t jump straight into action! You may think you’re saving time by avoiding small talk, but people do business with those they like. Mention a relevant fact or recent event about their company to show you’ve done your homework. During my recent trip, I was surprised by how many people were impressed that I came prepared for business meetings. This shows that many skip the first step—being prepared puts you ahead of your competitors immediately.

   • Building Trust: Use social proof or mutual connections to establish credibility. Mention similar companies you've helped. Everyone fears getting burned, so address this concern immediately.

3. Identify Pain Points

   • Ask Questions: Present your company/products briefly, then ask open-ended questions to uncover the prospect's current challenges and needs. Now that you’ve got this valuable information, you can personalize your pitch.

   • Listen Actively: Show genuine interest in their responses. This builds rapport and trust and naturally leads to discussing your solutions.

4. Present Solutions

   • Value Proposition: Clearly articulate how your product or service solves their specific problems. Be clear on how your value proposition compares to competitors.

   • Benefits over Features: Focus on benefits and outcomes rather than just features. Highlight the unique benefits YOUR product, YOUR service, YOUR team guarantees.

5. Handle Objections

   • Anticipate Concerns: Be prepared to address common objections. Incorporate solutions to these objections into your sales pitch. For instance, if you're selling diamonds, address concerns about the product's reliability and the store's reputation by highlighting certifications, industry status, and customer testimonials. My personal dirty little trick is to subtly question the reliability of competitors. 🙊 Ask open-ended questions to uncover new concerns, such as, "How does X sound to you? Does it meet your needs, or are you looking for something slightly different?" This approach helps eliminate doubts and allows you to recommend alternative products if necessary.

   • Stay Positive: Keep the conversation positive and focused on the value you provide. However, recognize that not everything is for everyone. Honesty will ultimately bring you more success than a one-time sale. Pay attention to the prospect’s reactions—sometimes they might not be interested, might not like you, or might be distracted. Stay positive regardless of the situation. Never burn bridges—a “NO” is simply a “not right now.”

6. Call to Action

   • Clear Next Steps: Propose a follow-up meeting, demo, or free trial. Make it easy for them to take the next step and follow through on your promises.

   • Sense of Urgency: Create a sense of urgency or exclusivity without being pushy. A better approach is to share relevant information, such as, "We are extremely excited that some [giant companies] are interested in our products this season! If they confirm their orders within the upcoming days, delivery times for later orders might be pushed back slightly. This imight be something worth considering when planning your potential order," rather than saying, "If you don’t order this in the next 72 hours, the product will be gone."

7. Follow-Up

   • Prompt Follow-Up: Send a thank you email summarizing the discussion and next steps.

   • Stay Engaged: Keep in touch with relevant content, updates, or check-ins to nurture the relationship. That’s a task on it’s own - you should always find ways to say something new about your product and keep the customer excited about it.

If you’re actively selling, you might also find these two of my earlier emails useful:

• How to know what motivates your customer to buy (both B2B & B2C customers)

• The right mindset to help you get better in sales.

Some sales processes may be longer, while others are shorter. Generally, the more expensive the product, the longer the customer journey. If you find any of these steps particularly challenging, let me know, and I can cover them in more detail in future emails. If you’ve been actively selling for a while but feel like your product needs clearer market distinction or if you need training for your sales personnel, consider booking a free orientation call with me. I have over 15 years of experience in marketing and sales, focusing on making customers excited about buying from you. I am sure we would find ways for me to help you.