It’s not about your company or the impact that your product or service is going to make, but it is about your customers. As an entrepreneur, you tend to focus more about product or service. Follow this simple rule of thumb – “Get closer than ever to your customers” – Steve Jobs
A lack of customer insight means you are likely to launch something that does not have the necessary market fit. Before you present your product or service to the customers, do your home work. Try to research about your potential customers and understand who they are and what is very important to them. Understand the importance of customer research because you need supportive data. Get to know your customer’s objectives and general information. Use their words to stress on your points to grab the complete attention of your potential customers. Customer is the one who buys your product.
Stories are the great way to keep your customers engaged. Think how your story can reach your customers. Your pitch needs to be designed in such a way that it meets your customer’s needs. But, if you are thinking of a generic sales presentation, it is not going to work. Why your sales pitch will fail because your customers want to talk. When your pitch becomes a conversation, then your customers will be more engaged in that moment. Your pitch should not be too technical for them to make things complicated. Instead, explain why your solution solves the problem unlike others. So, your customers can easily connect if you make your pitch about them, their problems and their needs. No one is going to buy it unless it is relevant for them.
Customize your pitch to cater to the problems of your customers. Everyone loves real-life stories. Tell a story how you helped a client to solve the problems. It doesn’t matter whether you are selling a software or electrical component, your story should be exciting with emotional mix and relevant to the current scenario. Keep it balanced because it should not sound like your bragging about the past glory.
As Aristotle said, “The fool tells me his reasons. The wise man persuades me with my own.”
Holding your customer’s attention right from the beginning till the end is going to be difficult. So, do not give too much of information because they will be easily distracted with their own thoughts like thinking about their next meet-up after your pitch or mentally planning their events for the next day.
Every customer has different needs and interests. As you think it is not about convincing your customers but diagnosing their problems and making a good sales conversation to tap into their minds. Your pitch should make a strong connection of attaching your features to customer’s needs. Pitch in a way where your customer can visualize the connection between your product or service offers and what he actually needs. Instead of selling and persuading to buy it, match your pitch with your customer’s needs and problems to sow that seed of hope, which may eventually turn out to be a sale.
All your efforts will be in vain if you walk away without closing a sale. Make the most of it over the course of your pitch.
“When you are making a decision about how best to serve your customers, your own experience is often a better guide than a more sophisticated analysis of the market.” – Richard Branson.
