If you have a product that you’re trying to sell, you of course need to develop a way to pitch it. Pitching is elemental in sales. But there’s a fine line between a lecture and a conversation. The former will bore a customer to tears and the latter will end in a sale. Rote speeches and no eye contact create a separation between the salesperson and the consumer. To generate success as a salesperson, check out these tips for making your pitch conversational.
Relationship Marketing Theory
It will help to understand some of the theory behind a conversational sales pitch. According to relationship marketing theory, the sale is not the most important outcome of the customer-business interaction. The theory holds that every salesperson is trying to develop a long-term, loyal relationship with the consumer. You will need to develop a relationship built on trust. This does not happen from behind a podium. Find out what the consumer needs and be honest with your product’s ability to deliver. If your product cannot handle their needs, be prepared to give them a referral to someone that can show them a different product altogether. This way, when you are pitching your product, you and the customer know that it’s uniquely suited to their needs.
Integrated Marketing Communication
You don’t work in a bubble. The same holds true for your marketing message. Everything that you say during your pitch should agree with every other piece of marketing that your company has out in terms of accuracy and tone. Integrated marketing communication is the idea that all of your marketing channels deliver the same or parallel messages so that there’s no confusion in your advertising. Good content marketing should match your pitch style and your conversational sales techniques should reflect what is seen online, in your advertising and in your product documentation. This tone should also be reflected in a company’s hiring process. Amway serves as a great example of a company that interacts with its customers the same way it interacts with its prospective employees.
Smile
The reaction that people have to a smile is hardwired into the human brain. The key is to have a real smile and never fake it. Scientists call a genuine smile a Duchenne smile, which is characterized by the way it reaches the eyes. Many people smile when lying, but a Duchenne smile is usually an indication of truthfulness. Since a Duchenne is difficult to fake, this shows a client that you are being honest in your communication. If your goal is to develop an honest and trusting relationship, then start with a sincere smile.
Lead With The Positive
Research shows that the emotion that is delivered first in a conversation will set the tone for the dialogue. When two identical twins interviewed for a job using the exact same descriptions but one placed negative words first, the positive first twin generally got the job. When you launch into your conversational pitch, place all of your positive emotional words first. This will create an optimistic context for the rest of the sales presentation.
Be Truthful
You don’t want just one sale. The key to good relationship marketing is to have loyal customers that will keep coming back. You want them to be as engaged in the relationship as you are. Obviously, truthfulness is a fundamental component. One breach of trust will destroy the entire sales dynamic. Your conversational sales interchange needs to do everything possible to make the relationship stronger so that you have lifelong customers and maybe even friends.