The Art Of Pitching Your Company To Customers
Are you having trouble getting customers to bite on your company’s products or services? You’re not alone. Many business-to-business (B2B) companies struggle with making the perfect pitch to potential customers.
Improve your chances of closing deals. Use the tried-and-true techniques in this newsletter. We share five tips for nailing your B2B pitches and increasing sales. Keep reading to learn more!
Define your target customer – who are they, what do they need, and why would they buy from you
Identifying your target customer can be essential for the success of your business. If you know them, you can focus on what they need and why your product or service matches their needs. Research who they are and identify factors such as their age, gender, profession, location, and interests. You will be better equipped when you create personalized marketing strategies tailored to meet their criteria, because you have a full picture of who you’re dealing with and what their needs are. This will set you apart from the competition and give customers a solid reason to buy from you. This will make a difference in conversion rates.
Research your competition – what are they doing well, and what improvement you bring
When trying to assess what your competition is doing, compare the results to your own vision. If you consider what they are doing well, use this insight as an opportunity to learn new strategies that you can use to improve upon their successes. It’s also beneficial to note specific areas where you can use your unique skills and resources in order to exceed them. Knowing which direction the competition is taking can help generate creative ideas for how you can use your vision to exceed them and stand out from the rest.
Create a pitch deck or presentation that is clear, concise, and appealing
When preparing a pitch deck or presentation, focus on what matters most: the benefits for your audience. This could include increased productivity, improved customer satisfaction, cost savings, and so forth. Rather than overloading the slides with data, focus on key points and craft an easy-to-understand narrative. Include relevant visuals to draw attention and keep the audience engaged—graphs, charts, screenshots of products or services. Above all else, be concise and relatable so that your audience understands the value you bring. By taking these steps, you’ll create a clear, concise presentation that is also appealing.
Practice your pitch until you feel confident delivering it to potential customers
Before you make a pitch to potential customers, practice is paramount. To ensure success, practice your pitch between 50-100 times out loud in front of the mirror. Doing this will help you become both comfortable with what you are saying, thus allowing you to deliver the content more naturally and memorize the wording and phrasing as you would like it. Also, practice can give you a much-needed sense of confidence when approaching any customer or audience. By getting familiar with your pitch before taking the stage or engaging in conversation, practice can be helpful when wanting to stand out among a competitive crowd. So don’t forget: practice makes perfect!
Don’t pitch right away. Open conversation by asking customers about their product needs and what they have seen so far.
A great way present is to set the stage with your genuine interest in the goals of the company and/or the individual(s) that are part of the process. Answering their key concerns in the presentation and addressing their needs is a sure way to build trust and show competence, instead of doing a run-of-the-mill presentation and rattling down what you trained repeatedly.
Follow up with customers after your meeting to thank them for their time and reiterate your key points
A great way to show gratitude and to remind your customers of the value proposition that your business might bring is following up with them after your meeting. Taking the time to thank customers for their time will help build relationships and create an atmosphere of mutual respect. It’s a good idea to reiterate your key points from the meeting as it serves as a recap for further consideration and exhibits your level of expertise on the subject discussed. When done correctly, following up shows appreciation and value and helps re-engage customers.
You win already half the battle if you can identify and articulate who your target customer is, what they need, and why they would buy from YOU. The next step is to research your competition, understanding both their strengths and weaknesses. With this information in hand, you can create a pitch deck or presentation that not only sets you apart from the others but also highlights the unique value that your company brings to the table. Remember, practice makes perfect! So even if it feels strange at first, force yourself to deliver your pitch out loud several times until you feel confident and comfortable with its delivery. Last, don’t forget the follow-up! A simple thank-you email or call goes a long way in showing potential customers that you’re grateful for their time as well as reinforcing key points about your business. Pitching will not be painful when following these five steps. You’ll be on track to becoming a pro in no time!
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