Like with any performance, the real work comes long before the curtains drop — or, in the case of salespeople everywhere, the Zoom call kicks off. Two Los Angeles-based sales professionals recently confirmed this “practice makes perfect” assumption to Built In LA.
Heather Skae, senior sales director of sales, shopper marketing at Prodege, said that in addition to customizing her pitch prior to every call, she also pokes holes in it to ensure that she’s ready for whatever a customer throws at her. For Chris Bassett-Bouchard, a senior account executive at Tapcart, getting to know a prospect’s business inside and out is key to honing his pitch.
This is just a snippet of the advice Skae and Bassett-Bouchard shared with Built In LA. Below, they share more about how sales professionals can elevate their pitch game.
The world of sales is constantly changing with new strategies and technologies emerging that promise to help sellers close more deals faster. New methods and tech are important to experiment with, but they’re no substitute for really knowing your customer and being authentic. Chris Bassett-Bouchard, senior account executive at Tapcart, shared how research and taking a genuine interest in a prospect’s best interest has helped him find success.
What’s the key to a successful sales pitch, and why?
One key to a successful sales pitch is personalizing your approach and tailoring the solution to your audience. Even if you’re selling the same product, the application and use case can vary greatly based on your prospect’s goals, challenges, priorities, budget and more. In B2B SaaS, you’re not only tailoring to the company you’re selling to but also the individual you’re pitching to, which includes factors tied to their personality, duties, authority level and more.
On this same theme, adaptability is also key. Being able to change course during a pitch as you gather insights from your prospect can really help make the most of that interaction. Be creative and strategic, and use the many levers, variables and tools where they best fit, knowing each can be leveraged differently from one sale to the next. What may be a non-factor in one conversation could be a total game-changer in the next. Making relevant recommendations, sharing relatable stories and showcasing pertinent examples are all good ways to achieve an effective, personalized approach.
It sounds simple enough, but getting a prospect to divulge useful details and trust you with this information requires rapport, finesse and intent.”
What’s one change you’ve made that’s really elevated your sales pitch? What impact has that change had on your sales success?
This a continually evolving tactic and not a one-time change, but just being as strategic as possible with the questions I ask. A huge part of success in sales is being an active listener and using the information at your disposal to tailor a solution to your prospect. It sounds simple enough, but getting a prospect to divulge useful details and trust you with this information requires rapport, finesse and intent.
The right combination of the above elements can be the difference between receiving honest, insightful answers and uninformative, empty ones. Sales is ultimately the process of identifying a need and providing a solution — so especially in the case of B2B SaaS, you must first know how a business is currently doing something to make a proper recommendation on how they can do it better with your product. The more I understand about my prospect’s existing approach, the more I’m able to position our product as a solution. This focus on effective questioning has helped me bring even more value to prospects and, in turn, close deals at a higher rate.
What’s the most valuable piece of advice you could share with someone who’s looking to take their sales pitch to the next level?
Be authentic. This stems from a piece of advice I once received, which is that the role of selling is essentially just guiding someone toward a decision. In that sense, I like to think of myself as a trusted advisor and subject matter expert who can bring a valuable perspective to a prospect as they navigate their exploration of our product. Of course, as sales reps, we do have a clear objective to close deals, but instead of this being outwardly apparent to a prospect, it should be the organic outcome of effectively consulting, advising and delivering solutions for their needs.
When I’m a prospective buyer of anything, I don’t enjoy being aggressively sold to in a way that is clearly putting the seller’s agenda ahead of my best interests. If this is apparent to me, then I’m likely to be less trusting of their advice and more resistant to their recommendations. If you know your product exhaustively, conduct yourself genuinely and really just convey that your goal is to help your prospect make the best decision, then you’ll be in a position to create a win-win outcome where they benefit from buying and you benefit from making the sale.
California may be targeting a full reopening by June 15, but the “new normal” for sales professionals is likely to remain in place as companies realize they can get more done over Zoom than in-person. Sales professionals will have to hone their virtual pitches, and Heather Skae, senior director of sales, shopper marketing at Prodege, has some advice for how to make the most of a 30-minute video call.
What’s the key to a successful sales pitch, and why?
During a time when virtual meetings are the new normal, it’s more important than ever to focus less on the materials and just get into the “room.” Asking meaningful questions to uniquely connect with clients will always be more important than having the perfect presentation. As we all know, clients are busy and they’re likely meeting with an endless number of vendors, so it’s critical to be memorable and, most of all, likable. It’s cliche, but people want to work with partners who they like, and there are more valuable ways to spend the 30 minutes you have with them than walking through a lengthy PowerPoint.
Prepare for your pitch by poking holes in both your presentation and your product, which will allow you to confidently and authentically address those difficult questions.”
What’s one change you've made that’s really elevated your sales pitch? What impact has that change had on your sales success?
In a world of Zoom calls, the likelihood that clients are multitasking during a pitch is pretty high, especially if the contact opts to turn off their camera. Since we can’t see a client’s body language or reactions, I’ve found myself asking even more questions than I typically would to keep clients engaged. Developing a strong two-way dialogue will not only help build that crucial rapport but will also keep the distractions of working from home to a minimum.
What’s the most valuable piece of advice you could share with someone who’s looking to take their sales pitch to the next level?
Confidence in your pitch comes from being prepared. Aside from customizing your materials and having thoughtful questions ready to go, don’t forget to focus on the areas that tend to throw sellers off their game. Prepare for your pitch by poking holes in both your presentation and your product, which will allow you to confidently and authentically address those difficult questions. Think about how to respond to any potential challenges of your product and how you stack up against competitors. Walking into the room knowing the answers to the toughest questions will ensure that you’re ready to take on those unpredictable clients and rock the meeting!
