Sales Pitches for Dummies! How To Be More Persuasive In 5 Easy Steps

Whether it’s face-to-face, or online…

You’ll get more clients by presenting what you do in a connecting way.

While some people have the gift of gab and always seem to introduce themselves with polish and finesse…

Most of us find it extra challenging to explain what we do…

So it feels serving and helpful rather than pushy and salesy.

We see 4,000 to 10,000 ads every day…

And like you, I get hundreds of emails and messages that don’t apply to me or are hard to understand.

If I can’t quickly see how it will make a difference for me – I’m not interested.

Because I don’t have the time to analyze and compare all the offers I see.

You are probably the same way.

I’d certainly respect and appreciate most ads and messages more if they would just show me how they are going to change my life in 2-3 sentences.

But when they make some money from their crazy lazy, mediocre messaging – they think they are doing it right.

It reinforces their bad behavior.

And they continue to let good get in the way of creating the best possible.

Some even say sales and marketing is a numbers game.

Not really.

Sales is more of a service thing where you can make a great living by showing others how your product will change their life.

And most people will buy from you – when (they realize) they can truly benefit from your product/service.

Yet most of the time you won’t know what a person needs until you talk to them.

And it may not be the right timing for them.

Unfortunately, a lot of ads and sales conversations are rushed.

And your audience can feel like you’re suddenly making a sharp turn at the last minute when you almost miss your freeway exit.

It’s better to leave your potential customers with a positive impression of you than by transitioning from a friendly conversation into a pushy sales pitch.

That’s leaving them with conversational whiplash when they are just starting to like you.

On LinkedIn, they call this a pitch slap.

It’s what happens when you accept someone’s connection, and they send you a message soon after trying to sell you something.

Here’s an example:

One popular fitness trainer on LinkedIn sent this message right after connecting:

“Happy new year _____, welcome to my network. During the last 3 decades, many of my clients have improved their personal relationships and increased their wealth working on at least 1 of the following areas:

1) Improved Sleep

2) Reduced Body-fat & Improved Muscle Definition

3) Increased Mental & Physical Performance

4) Lowered Blood Pressure & Cholesterol

5) Reduced/Eliminated Back & Joint Pain

Are any of these area’s something you would like help improving this year?”

While I love executive coaches, this didn’t feel right.

He forcefully shoved himself at me with that question.

Because he doesn’t leave you with a way out…

He’s been training people for 27 years and still doesn’t know the difference between inviting and forcing others into interacting with him.

Good grief, when I was competing in gymnastics with 3% bodyfat, 5 hours a day 6 days a week, I still wanted:

1) Improved Sleep, 2) Improved Muscle Definition 3) Increased Mental & Physical Performance 5) Reduced Soreness and Joint Pain.

Still recovering from “The Thing” I’d check all of the above.

But guess what? I don’t want to hire a personal trainer…

Why? Because I am growing sprouts, juicing wheatgrass, eating lots of fresh vegan food, walking, cycling, and lifting when I can, and I use hyperbaric chambers, red lights, and sauna therapy to squeeze 1200x more oxygen into my blood plasma to help with sleep, energy, and mental performance.

And it’s making a huge difference.

Yet, his message would have been appreciated if he wasn’t being forceful about it.

He could have said something like:

“If I can help you with anything let me know.”

It would have been softer and not so drill sergeant-like.

These are the subtle changes that can make all the difference in your message being appreciated or rejected.

He may be the world’s best at what he does – and I might appreciate that level of aggressiveness in battle, but not in business or my personal life.

That said – I like the direct and fast approach in sales and marketing.

And I’ve learned that ONLY a CLEAR Message Will Get You Results!

Just like a baseball player, winding his arm…

He doesn’t just throw the ball and hopes it hits the mark…

He spends hours practicing his aim.

As a business owner – are you practicing your pitch?

Because if you’re in business, you’re also in sales.

Recently and unexpectedly, I was asked to share my elevator pitch…

And this time it was awkward for several reasons.

I’ll explain.

Before the shutdowns, I’d go to a public gym every day to lift with heavy weights…

To flood my body and brain with happy hormones.

Then I unwind and relax in the pool area for a bit of jacuzzi, steam and sauna time.

As an extrovert, I love chatting it up with everyone I meet by nature.

And most of the people I meet there – get around to asking what I do to make a living after 20 minutes or so.

This makes it easy for me to get clients.

Because I love what I do and the minute they realize I can make them extra money, they have lots of questions for me.

And of course, I go full nerd and geek out with them on marketing strategies.

If you are in social situations where you are chatting with strangers regularly – it’s a good idea to practice sharing what you do with them.

This time when I was asked to share my professional elevator pitch…

I was rusty.

And it was the first time I didn’t hit it out of the park.

I hadn’t thought much about it for years.

It wasn’t comfortable and it didn’t feel natural.

Because my focus had changed since the shutdowns.

So I reviewed the direction I wanted to go and re-created my sales pitch.

If you haven’t created one yet – keep reading…

I’ll show you how I do this with my clients.

Step 1:  The One-Word Sales Pitch

What Outcome Do Your Clients Get – In Just One Word?

When they hire you, or purchase your product?

I call this, “The One-Word Sales Pitch.”

Crystallizing your message into a single easy-to-understand word – makes it easier to explain your service moving forward.

Because a clear message is a game-changer for all of us…

Let’s brainstorm.

What are you giving your clients – in a word:

• For Google, it might be “search”

• For an Alfred Hitchcock horror movie, it might be “scream.”

• While the word “invent” is closely associated with Thomas Edison

When I first began marketing for an Injury Attorney, I couldn’t imagine why anyone would hire him…

I mean, if you’re in an accident, doesn’t your insurance cover it?

I guess most of us believe the insurance companies have our back…

Yet their main job is to pay as little as possible…

So they try to pressure you into a settlement…

That can leave you with medical bills, lost time from work, and credit card bills!

After a lot of research, I learned:

Hiring a lawyer will get you 4X more compensation statistically than you would by negotiating a settlement on your own.

When someone injures you and it threatens your ability to work – it can be financially life-changing to have a professional by your side to make sure those who harmed you cover the full cost of your accident.

The top reason for hiring an injury attorney turned out to be:

“Compensation.”

From this one word, we created the memorable and connecting slogan:

“Everyone Gets Injured!  When it happens to you, I’m here for you.”

Working on his slogan I realized I hadn’t come up with my word yet!

As an advertising professional, what do I give to my clients?

This is the short list I came up with:

While anyone with a pencil and paper can write an ad…

• I’ve saved businesses from bankruptcy.

• Four hours of my time nearly doubled a six-figure business in 30 days.

• I helped ProBar become a multimillion-dollar success story.

• I’ve been able to get industry-leading results consistently with my ads.

Overall, what comes to mind most is – I make extra money for business owners…

By presenting what they do in the most powerful, positive, present, and personal way possible – to connect more with their audience and grow their business faster.

(This has been my unique way of explaining what I do for over a decade now)

Thinking this through further…

Only the top creatives in the industry write ads that can fundamentally change your income.

Our marketing message will bring you MORE of the right clients…

Because that’s who we target with our words.

And we all know a business that runs out of clients, runs out of cash!

So, from my one word – “Cashflow…”

I waved my magic wand and turned it into a compelling sentence:

“I turn words into dollars.”

Get Clear About Who You Serve

Notice those WHO benefit…

This can be as simple as calling out your audience…

“My best ad was for an accountant…”

“We got 86 NEW clients for every 100 letters we mailed!”

“While I can’t guarantee the same results if you have a similar business, we may be able to get you similar results…”

Call out the WHO (the specific audience) you serve by name.

Step 2: The Hook

Introduce What You Do in a More Memorable Way

Shock, Fascination, or Intrigue – interrupts their pattern and leaves them actively searching for answers[i]…

We recently wrote a flyer for a Hyperbaric Oxygen Clinic and began with this statement:

Oxygen is the most ESSENTIAL nutrient in the human body. 

And it’s the most important ingredient to sustain your life.

This is effective because most of us don’t think of oxygen as a nutrient…

While it’s simple, we’re presenting new information.  Just enough to keep them reading…

For a CPA we wrote:

90% of businesses won’t be here in 10 years.

And Cash Flow is the biggest reason these businesses will go under.

As a CPA for the last 10 years –

I’ve learned that what you save each year on your taxes can make a huge difference – when it comes to keeping you in business.

Do these stats surprise you?  If so, I’m saying the right things.

Here are four MORE ways to capture attention:

• Ask a Question

• Contrast Your Unique Solution to Your Competitor’s

• Create a Meaningful Analogy or Metaphor

• Stay Top-Of-Mind with a Rhyme

Get Attention By Asking a Powerful Question[ii]:

In the 1980 US presidential election campaign between Ronald Reagan and Jimmy Carter, Reagan asked a simple question, “Ask yourself, ‘Are you better off now than you were four years ago?’”

This iconic question won Reagan the title of 40th President of the United States.

Here are some helpful templates to come up with a powerful question:

• What if you could [insert: OUTCOME], with [Insert SHORTENED TIME PERIOD, and/or COMPELLING RESULTS]?

• What if you could [insert: OUTCOME], without [insert: MAIN PAIN POINT]?

• Have you ever… [insert: MAIN PROBLEM YOUR AUDIENCE FACES]?

These questions are meant to be a pattern interrupt –

The purpose is to get attention.

(You don’t want them to answer)

You’re re-directing their thoughts…

So, instead of asking, “Why does this matter to me?

Their brain will begin searching for the answer to the new question you asked them.  The goal here is to make the question interesting.

Because if you don’t spark curiosity, they may feel misled and manipulated.

Yet, if it’s enough of a profound and powerful question – it could win you several new clients, and maybe even the presidency.

Get Attention By Contrasting and Comparing Your Unique Solution to Other Options Your Audience Has Already Seen

The power of this principle is…

The brain likes to compare things…

And it does it automatically.

Keep this in mind.

When a believable comparison is suggested, our brains will often accept it[iii]…

Because our brains like shortcuts…

(To conserve your energy for high-priority tasks)

So, if you’d like to be more convincing…

Give them a visual demonstration of your unique solution.

For the Hyperbaric Oxygen Chamber –

We had to explain how being in a pressurized chamber oxygenates your blood better than simply wearing an oxygen mask:

Your Red blood cells make up about 45% of your blood volume…

 The other 55% of your blood is a thin liquid called plasma.

 With each breath, these red blood cells work to deliver needed oxygen right to your cells.

 But your red blood cells may not fit through swollen blood vessels to reach your

injured muscles.

That’s where we can be helpful to you.

Our pressurized chambers can squeeze extra oxygen right into Your Blood

Plasma.

 This thin liquid is able to bypass the clogged arteries, blood vessels and small capillaries that your blood cells can’t get through…

 So you’ll get the needed nutrients right to your oxygen-starved tissue…

 Where they are needed most to:

•  Eliminate pain

• Clear up brain fog

• And heal damaged tissue

This example is a bit longer because we had to explain the normal way your body gets blood to your cells, and how this is different…

Yet, this explanation is powerful because it hints at the reason why other solutions (like going to an oxygen bar or breathing supplemental oxygen through a mask) just won’t give you the same results.

A simple (and brief) way to do this is:

“Unlike other alternatives/companies/offers…

Our product/service is/does (unique selling proposition) …”

Get Attention By Creating a Meaningful Analogy or Metaphor:

When Gene Roddenberry pitched the original Star Trek series to NBC…

NBC wondered if anyone would watch it…

Because space travel was a “Far Out” idea at the time.

(Pun intended)

They also wondered if they could risk the alien and human (and inter-racial) mixing of the crew on television.  It almost didn’t make it for this reason.

Roddenberry realized he needed to make his NEW idea more familiar…

So, he came up with a brilliant comparison…

Westerns were popular at the time…

So, he began pitching his new series as a “Space Western.”

Obviously, this genius comparison did the trick…

Because Star Trek became one of the most famous TV series of all time.

For our Hyperbaric Oxygen Clinic, we made this comparison:

Extra Oxygen is Like Adding a Turbo-Engine to Your Car

It’s better than coffee…

It’s like an energy drink for your cells.

Do you like this example?

Remember:

To build instant rapport with your product…

Link it to something they already like.

This will not only create a tangible image in their mind.

It’ll give them a positive, familiar feeling to go along with it.

Stay Top-Of-Mind with a Rhyme[iv]:

If you’re not a poet, this may seem like the most intimidating way to begin your sales pitch…

Yet, you don’t have to be Shakespeare to create a memorable jingle!

Remember in First Grade when your teacher made you list rhyming words?

Silly as it is…

It’s worth getting in touch with your inner child and coming up with a catchy phrase…

Because some studies say –

Rhymes are perceived as more accurate and believable than non-rhymes when pitching the same concept.[v]

▪ The toothpaste Pepsodent used the following rhyme in its 1960s and 70s commercials, “You’ll wonder where the yellow went when you brush your teeth with Pepsodent!”

▪ To emphasize its timepieces’ durability, watch manufacturer Timex said, “It takes a licking and keeps on ticking.”

As you can see from the simple examples above, you’re not competing with Edgar Allen Poe and Emily Dickenson…

You’re just creating a memorable way to stay top of mind.

In my email signature, I say –

“Money-Making Mailers, Emails and Landing Pages…”

Because repeating the “M” sound (Alliteration) is another simple poetic pattern to roll off the tongue and slip into their recall.

Step 3: An Effective Sales Pitch Shares a Story

Because a story is 22x MORE memorable than facts![vi]

A wise marketer once said:

“Never get too comfortable – your clients are only your clients for as long as they are your clients.”

While this may seem obvious.

His point was…

Don’t assume your clients will stay forever.

For a sales pitch…

Don’t assume you’ll hold their attention forever.

You won’t and it’s why you should practice summarizing what your business does with a 30-second elevator pitch.

The idea is to be conversational, like having a chat on the way up in the elevator for 30 seconds before you reach your office floor.

The three most common elevator pitches are your:

• 30-second story

• 60-second story

• 2-minute story

After a brief intro…

Share a memorable story like one of these 3:

• The Founder’s Story (The reason why you created a NEW solution)

• A Client’s Success Story (showing how helpful your product is)

• A Shared Experience (a relatable, yet hypothetical situation)

Remember…

The goal of the story is to highlight the outcome of your product or service.

Like they’re watching an old-fashioned product demonstration on TV.

Give them a taste, so when they’re hungry, they come back for more.

Successful Sales Pitch Step 4: Give Them a Clear, Simple Action

The Final Step – Coming Up with the Perfect Ending

Because your brain is searching for the most important information…

You give more attention to beginnings and endings…

This is one reason the right summary and call to action at the end is crucial to your success.

When you watch a movie and get to the end – you want the bad guys caught and justice served, you want the good guy to get the girl, and all the plot lines to come together.

So you can breathe a sigh of relief before you return to reality again.

Just like an unresolved ending in a movie…

If your call to action isn’t clear, it causes tension that doesn’t go away.

When it comes to decision-making, extra tension causes decision fatigue [vii] and makes your audience more likely to walk away if it’s too much work to take the next step.

To get the best possible results:  Your call to action must be effortless.

So, choose a simple plan of action…

• Do you want them to go to your YouTube channel to Learn More?

• Schedule a 15-minute call for a quick chat?

• Or download your FREE Guide on YourMemorableWebsite.com?

*Extra Tips for Your Closing:

It’s always more persuasive to add in any guarantees, or risk-reduction with your call to action[viii]…

“If when we jump on a call, I see I can’t save you $10,000 or more on your taxes, I’ll give you a full refund…”

Or add in realistic, believable urgency and scarcity…

“If you’re one of the first 3 people to book a call today, I’ll add in the extra healing power of our infrared sauna for FREE.”

Now, you’ve come up with the perfect Call to Action Your Sales Pitch is ready –

But are you?

Because nerves are such a common thing (when you’re presenting in person)

I’d like to give you an extra bonus –

If you’d like, I’ll share with you my Super Hypnotic Re-frame to ease any presentation jitters you may have.

Successful Sales Pitch Step #5:  BONUS!

The $10,000 Re-Frame To Build Confidence

And Attract Clients like Bees Fly to Flowers

 Another valuable tool I learned from the hypnotist who trained me…

It’s what Tony Robbins calls a “State Change.”

It works instantly because your emotions are tied directly to your senses.

And if you can change your body, your music, or your environment…

You can change how you feel!

It really is that easy.

Relaxing your tense nerves can be as simple as changing into a suit…

Here’s how I quickly shift into a more resourceful state.

And it can work for you.

Before you present your sales pitch.

Whether it’s online, door-to-door, or face-to-face…

Imagine handing out $10,000 dollars today.

Because $10k in cash would change the life of your clients, wouldn’t it?

How would you feel, handing out money like that to someone who needs it?

What are they going to say?

“No! I Don’t Want Your FREE Money!”

It’d be laughable, wouldn’t it?

Handing out cash like that would probably be the easiest sale you’ve ever made, right?

The next question is:

Do you believe deep down that – what you offer is valuable?

If so, it doesn’t matter as much who says YES or who says NO.

Boldly share your value…

And trust that the right people will come and talk to you.

If you present what you do with the same confidence of holding up a briefcase full of 100 bills while yelling, “Who needs an extra 10 thousand in cash today?”

Of course, you’ll have a few clients by the end of the day…

Because the moment you genuinely recognize and feel your offer is valuable…

You’ll find presenting what you do, easy-as-pie!

Final Thoughts:  Remember that success happens when preparation meets opportunity!  When you finish ALL 5 steps, I’m sure you’ll feel ready…

Because the real magic happens when you forget about your presentation and focus more on serving and handing out your $10k briefcase full of cash.

Yes, the final stage of learning is forgetting.

Because once it becomes 2^nd nature to you, it’s like driving home…

You’ve done it so many times, you forget what you’re doing and arrive right where you meant to go.

When you get to this level, you’ll be a real pro at presenting – because your brain can focus more on other things…

Like being flexible and adapting in the moment to better serve your audience.

As our special gift to you for supporting us today:

Here’s a 10 Step Checklist for Your Successful Sales Pitch:

Hopefully so…

Then you’re ready to go!

And if you’d like a hand with your Marketing Message…

Like Money-Making Mailers, Emails and Landing Pages…

Jump on my Calendly for a 15-min chat.

Because Effective Advertising – is About

Writing Your Ads in the Most Powerful

Positive, Present and Personal Way Possible –

to Give You Industry Leading Results.

Was this checklist helpful?

Let us know in the comments…

And if you appreciate marketing tips like this –

Be sure to hit the bell.

Sharing is caring.

Love you,

Cory and Joni Molloy

 

[i] https://effectiveadvertising.tv/the-power-of-the-pause-in-your-sales-copy/

[ii] https://effectiveadvertising.tv/ask-the-content-creators-at-effective-advertising-to-uplevel-your-customer-satisfaction-surveys-with-subliminal-questions/

[iii] https://effectiveadvertising.tv/3-price-subliminals/

[iv] https://effectiveadvertising.tv/3-more-sneaky-subliminal-price-strategies-for-your-marketing-campaign/

[v] https://www.neurosciencemarketing.com/blog/articles/rhyme.htm

[vi] https://womensleadership.stanford.edu/resources/voice-influence/harnessing-power-stories

[vii] https://effectiveadvertising.tv/heres-how-a-talented-content-creator-can-uplevel-your-brand/

[viii] https://effectiveadvertising.tv/for-effective-advertising-lets-uplevel-your-sales-and-elevator-pitch/