The Scrambled Egg - a blog every sales professional should wake up to.

Are You Still Using a Sales Pitch?

Posted by Katharine Derum on Thu, Aug 29, 2013 @ 14:08 PM

If you’re still pitching in your sales process, then stop. While this used to work to get prospects interested, this now does the opposite. In fact, if you’re pitching your prospects you’re turning them off, losing credibility and frankly, annoying them. They are rolling their eyes if not in front of you, while you’re on the phone. Think about when you get pitched, how does it make you feel? Like you’re being, well, pitched? oldsalespitch

Why is this the case? First let’s look at some history. Pitching a prospect was effective years ago when a potential customer learned about products and services mainly through the sales representative. They need some type of hook to get their attention. The prospect was reliant on the sales rep to education them and take them through the decision making process. This was also in the age before the prospect had a ton of information at their fingertips. With the advent of Google and other search engines the prospects in now control of their due diligence. 

In fact, CEB says your prospects are 57% of the way through their due diligence and decision making process before they ever speak to a rep. In other words, the prospect doesn’t need the sales rep for their research anymore. They can Google your pitch, view case studies and ask their network for a recommendation of someone who’s used your product/services. Sound like sales reps are becoming obsolete?

Yet, CEB also reports 53% of customer loyalty is driven by the sales experience. These are not contradictory reports. In fact, these stats show there is a major shift in how your prospects engage with you and how your sales strategy needs to change. Here are the first two steps to take:

1) Stop pitching. The second they feel they are being “sold” they can take control back by hanging up and start researching on their own.
2) Add value above and beyond what your prospects can find on Google or by asking their network, become a “problem solver”.
 

In order to add value above and beyond what a prospect can find on Google, you should become the trusted advisor. Here are two ways in which you can deliver and become the problem solver:

1) Think strategically with the prospect. In other words, put the sale of your product aside and try to give them suggestions on how to fix their problem with out your solution. My reps currently sell sales and marketing software. Before they ever demo the product they put together an entire sales and marketing plan for their prospects that can be executed without the solution we sell. The plan is customized based on the prospect’s goals and challenges. Why? Because it builds trust, we add value above what can be found on Google. This greatly increases or chances of the potential customer also trusting we have the right solution.
 
We also know we have a great product to execute the plan and if the implement the plan with out the right tools, they may eventually lean on us for help and lead to sale.
 
2) Help your prospect with suggestions beyond the area in which you sell. In other words, if they are looking at a CRM (assuming you don’t sell a CRM) give them guidance. You’re in sales and you’ve probably used several systems. Give them unbiased information. Another example is to use your past life and experiences. While I currently work at a sales and marketing software company, I spent 8 years working in the recruiting and job board space. Many times when speaking with current prospects I’m able to offer advice on their hiring (especially in the area of sales and marketing openings). I don’t sell them anything in regards to hiring, but my 8 years is valuable information. I’m building trusting and adding value above what they can find on their own.
 

The Internet has changed the game for sales but this doesn’t mean sales reps are obsolete. In fact, there is huge opportunity for the first adapters. Those who are still pitching and selling will be left behind. The sales reps that become problem solvers will far out perform their colleagues and competitors.

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Topics: Sales