When coming up with a power point for my own lesson on a sales pitch, I had to research what 'technically' made a sales pitch effective, other than personal thoughts.
Before even going before the audience, the first hint I learned is to get to know the people you are trying to sell your idea or product to. Research their business, morals, and what exactly they are looking for - in the least creepy way possible. (Delivering)
Once in the actual meeting, using a "canned" sales pitch is the worst way to get a point across. A canned sales pitch is the most generic type any businessman could come up with. Using broad examples in a presentation makes the audience very disconnected to the new idea being proposed. (Delivering) Nowadays, a sales pitch is more than just throwing your ideas at the customer. It's more of a conversation for both sides to get to know each other more. It is very important to listen just as much as you introduce your own ideas. (How)
While speaking, it is very important to be personable and not sound like a robot. Learning this from first hand experience, while memorizing a speech it is very easy to start sounding like a robot, but that is when it goes downhill. Whether it's a judge, an audience, or a future business partner, it is extremely important to be personable and confident. (How)
While above are all tips on how to make a sales pitch more effective, there are some business 'sins' that can be made. Number one: It is important to stretch your ideas out, and not spill all of them at the beginning. If all of your main points are in the first minutes or seconds of a pitch, the last part of it will be weak and contain little meaning. Number two: Presentations that lack visuals make it very hard for the audience to concentrate. Without handouts of a computerized chart of some sort, staring at the same person for too long can cause people to zone out, making them maybe miss a very interesting point. Number three: Don't be overly nice. Yes, it is important to have manners, but don't make it fake. This is said to be one of the most unappealing things going into a sales pitch. (Markowitz)
I hope these few tips gave further knowledge about an essential business tactic.
"Delivering An Effective Sales Pitch." Effective Meetings. SMART Technologies, 2004. Web. 4 May 2016.
< http://www.effectivemeetings.com/presenting/delivery/sales.asp
"How to Make a Good Sales Pitch in 7 Steps." Salesforce Blog. Salesforce, 2000. Web. 04 May 2016.
< https://www.salesforce.com/blog/2014/02/how-to-make-good-sales-pitch.html
Markowitz, Eric. "7 Deadly Sins of a Sales Pitch." Inc Brand View. Inc, 4 May 2016. Web. 4 May 2016.
< http://www.inc.com/ss/7-deadly-sins-sales-pitching
Really good stuff here.
ReplyDeleteJust a few things with research skills: If you have a title, it needs to be in quotes in the end note ("Delivering") ("How"). Also, the end note is the end of the sentence, so the period should follow it, not precede it. That would make it a 'begin note' for the following sentence/paragraph.