An elevator pitch is a technique that you can adapt for your sales meetings, prospecting, and telesales and appointment making calls.
It's a great way to introduce yourself to potential customers and to open a conversation that hooks the buyer into your sales pitch.
With good sales training you can make a short, concise, sales introduction that grabs the prospect's attention and moves them towards closing the sale.
It also stops sales people from cramming too much information into their opening sales lines and boring the customer.
The elevator pitch originated in the USA and is a quick and effective way of communicating the important parts of your business message.
It's called an elevator pitch because the communication technique could be used effectively in a very short space of time, such as an elevator ride.
It was originally used for business networking in any place or situation, and it has now been adopted by successful sales professionals.
You can use your pitch in any business or social situation, such as elevators, and it works really effectively in those awkward first seconds of meeting a sales prospect.
It can make your sales introduction comfortable for both you and your prospect, and it sets up the rest of your sales pitch.
Elevator pitches, or lift pitches in other parts of the world, are short and to the point.
To work effectively they must only contain brief information that serves a purpose.
A good sales introduction, based on elevator pitching, will introduce you, your business, and possibly your product.
To grab the sales prospect's attention you add possible benefits the buyer could gain from you, your business, or product.
The main point I emphasise when presenting sales training on the elevator pitch, is that it is all about the listener and what they could gain.
It is not about the sales person and what they want from the meeting.
After introducing yourself and your business you come to the most important line of any sales pitch, telephone sales or appointment call, or prospecting conversation.
The most important line that will make you successful in sales is: The reason you are there, or why you want to meet with the buyer.
This is the turning point of the sales introduction or appointment setting call.
It's where you take hold of the buyer's interest, or lose their attention and any chance of closing a sale.
Work on this line and perfect it.
Look for resources and invest in making it as effective as possible.
The reason you are there, meeting the buyer or talking to them on the phone, gives them a reason to listen to you.
In your elevator pitch do not use a reason for meeting or talking with the prospect that is only a benefit for you.
I hear sales people using really weak reasons such as: I am in your area, we cover your location, I am looking for people that buy, or I would like to show you.
A general rule is that if your reason to meet a sales prospect starts with 'I' it is probably focused on a benefit for you and not the customer.
So you've introduced you and your business.
You've given a great reason for meeting the sales prospect and you've got them listening.
The next step of the elevator pitch is to motivate the listener to a call to action.
What is it you want them to do next? What is the next stage of your sales process? Your next line should be gently taking the buyer to the next stage and a step closer to a sale.
In many sales pitches the next step will be the sales questioning stage where you identify the buyer's specific needs, wants, and desires.
Whatever your next step is, this is where you motivate the buyer to take it.
A typical line in your elevator pitch could be: So I can see if you can gain the benefits of my product let me ask you a few questions about your business.
Elevator sales pitches are worth working on.
Constantly review your first lines with a customer or prospect.
Look for redundant words or phrases.
Make sure you have potential benefits for the buyer, and you are motivating them to move with you through the sales process and towards closing the sale.