8 Steps To The Perfect B2B Sales Pitch

What is the perfect B2B Sales Pitch? When you work in sales, your goal is to connect with relevant people and convince them of the benefits of your product or service.

Sounds simple, right?

However, pitching can often be easier said than done. An overly long or poorly targeted initial sales pitch can put potential customers off and prevent them from buying from your business.

We’ve put together some guidance to help you and your sales team craft a solid sales pitch that will leave your prospects wanting more.

1. Do Your Research

Before you pick up the phone or start typing that email, take the time to research your potential customers to make sure they will be valuable prospects.

Information you should gather includes:

• What industry does the prospect work in and does that affect the product or service they require, or the issues they are facing?
• What products and services do they sell? Knowing this allows you to demonstrate that you understand their business.
• How large is the business, and how many sites do they have?
• Do they already work with any of your competitors? If so, do you know the value or likely length of the contract they will be under?
• What is the turnover of your prospect’s business?
• Does another company own them? If so, where is the key decision-maker?
• Can you find any other up-to-date news about the business? For example, contract wins, new hires, takeovers?

Don’t forget the little details. Getting a prospect’s name or job title right will help endear them to you when you reach out.

All this information will be readily available on the internet, including the prospect’s social media profiles and the company’s website. When you have the information you need, add it into your CRM so it’s there for future reference.

The additional benefit is that this information can help qualify your leads and identify the businesses that will provide you with the most value.

When you have all this information, it’s time to move on to the next step…

2. Discover Your Customer’s Pain Points

When you’ve researched your prospective customers, you should be well-placed to address their pain points.

A pain point is a problem your prospect experiences that holds them back and that you can fix. The specific pain point will depend on your customer and the industry they are in.

When you know what frustrates your prospective customers, you will know how to pitch your business to them when you call them.

For example, let’s say you run a digital marketing agency. Suppose you’ve identified your prospect’s pain point as that they are not ranking on the first page of Google for their key search terms, while their closest competitor is.

When you call, you can demonstrate that you know this and ask them how they feel about being outranked. Assuming that they are unhappy about it, you can go on to offer to optimise their website for SEO, helping them improve their presence in the search engine results and outrank their competitors.

3. Sell The Benefits, Not The Features

When you pitch to a customer, it should always be about their problems and not how fantastic your product or service is.

As famous salesperson Elmer Wheeler said almost a century ago: “Sell the sizzle, not the steak.”

For example, let’s say you sell factory equipment to businesses. Rather than saying your equipment is made of the highest-quality materials, focus on how the prospect will save money as they will not have to replace the equipment as often.

Here’s a handy tip. When you write an email or make a call, count how many times you say “us,” “me,” “our” and “we” and how many times you say “you” in relation to the customer. Ideally, you should be saying the latter twice as much as the former.

4. Use Tangible Stats And Social Proof

Using stats and testimonials makes it easier for your customers to visualise how your offer will benefit them, and adds credibility to your brand.

You may think that social proof is more suited to B2C businesses, but it works in B2B sales pitches too. In fact, 92% of B2B buyers are more likely to read a review before making a purchase.

Look at how your product or service has benefited previous customers and use this information in your sales pitch to dazzle your prospects. Case studies and testimonials always make great additions to sales pitches.

When you do use stats, do keep your numbers realistic. Promising too much and delivering too little is a sure-fire way to lose the customers you worked so hard to win.

5. Tell A Story

Everyone loves a good story, from the hilarious anecdotes our friends tell in the pub to the fairy tales children love to read.

When you’re creating your sales pitch, storytelling can be a great tool to use. They hold your prospect’s attention, help build an emotional connection and make them remember your business.

For example, tell your prospect about the customers who currently use your product or service, especially if you have customers in the same industry as they are.

• Who are they?
• What do they do?
• What industry do they work in?
• How does your business help make their life easier?

6. Choose The Right Time To Reach Out

There are many different articles on the internet that say when the perfect day and time to call your prospect is.

Our answer to the question is slightly different – call when you know your prospect will be available.

Use the research you have on your prospect to determine when to ring and get information from the receptionist so you know if or when they are in a lot of meetings.  It may be best to target this type of prospect at either the start or the end of the day. That way they are more likely to be at their desk and can give you their full attention.

7. Keep It Short

A great sales pitch always leaves the customer wanting to know more. With this in mind, it’s best to keep your initial pitch as short as possible. Too long, and you risk confusing or boring your prospect.

If you’ve done your research, you will be able to reach out to your customer, identify their pain points and how your business can help fix or address those pain points.

If you’re sending an email, keep it 120 words or less. If you’re calling, five minutes is more than enough.

Remember, you are selling the next step – a meeting or a call. You can always go into more detail later.

8. Be Prepared For Any Objections

In an ideal world, your prospective customer will be delighted with your sales pitch and want to sign up on the spot. However, in reality, they may have a few questions before they commit to a purchase.

By understanding your prospect and the potential objections they may have, you are more likely to convert them to a sale.

There are several objections a prospective customer can have. Here are some of the most common ones:

• ‘Your product/service is too expensive’
• ‘We’re happy with our current provider’
• ‘I don’t understand what your service/product does’
• ‘We currently look after this in-house’
• ‘I’m not authorised to sign off on purchases’
• ‘We don’t have the budget for this’
• ‘This isn’t a high-priority for us at the moment’

You may not be able to prepare a solid response for all objections you may come across, but thinking ahead can really help your chances.

For example, let’s imagine your prospect loves your product, but doesn’t have the budget this financial year to buy it. You can mention the return on investment (ROI) your product will generate, how they can purchase it in monthly instalments, or any current discounts.

Keep an eye out for common objections and share them with the rest of your team. The more prepared you all are, the more likely you are to turn objections into enquiries.

Summary: The Importance Of A Well-Crafted Sales Pitch

The key takeaway of this article is that your sales pitch should be bespoke to your prospective customer. By taking the time to research your prospect, you can put together a clear, concise, customised pitch they will find it hard to say no to.

In conclusion:

• Research the prospect and their business
• Understand their pain points
• Focus on the customer, not your company
• Use stats and data
• Weave storytelling into your pitch
• Know the right time to call
• Be bold and brief
• Prepare for any objections

When you come on board with us as a new customer, we ask a variety of questions to help craft a sales pitch that is unique to you.

We can use this information when carrying out lead generation to help convert prospective customers and build a consistent pipeline of sales opportunities for your business.

If you’d like a little extra help in finding new clients, using a sales pitch that resonates with your customers, we’d be happy to help.

Contact us today by calling 1300 396 888 or sending an email to: enquiries@forrestcontact.com.au