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0By Ryan Warren, Vice President of Marketing
Turning that sales lead into a qualified one rarely happens on accident; sales reps put hours of time and effort into preparing the perfect pitch. However, it may not always lead to a sale. You knew exactly what aspects of the product you were going to highlight in the pitch, conducted your B2B market research and identified the perfect sales opportunity. So what went wrong? Maybe you forgot one essential thing–selling the product in a real interaction.
Connect with the Client
During a business meeting it is often easier to give a presentation to the client because you stick to your sales pitch. While you are being professional and organized, remember to set aside a chunk of time for the client to ask questions. Taking a few moments of the interaction to have a dialogue with the customer can go a long way to closing the sale. This can be the perfect opportunity to tell a story about how the product has benefited others.
In a piece for Business Insider, Eric Barker wrote every salesperson must have empathy to be successful. Barker, a writer at Wired Magazine, suggested showing you want to address the client's concerns by imitating their body language. Barker cited research has shown that mimicking can make a sales pitch 20 percent more effective. By mirroring the client, you are better able to respond to customer questions and the client is more likely to feel as if they can trust you—and that's going to result in higher revenue productivity.
Remember! Results Vs Features
You completed hours of customer research and gleaned a lifetime of market intelligence–just don't forget to optimize your pitch by focusing on the results the client will get from the product, not necessarily the features. According to sales expert Geoffrey James at Inc.com, one of the biggest mistakes sales professionals make is skipping over how the product will benefit the client. Instead, sales reps center their pitch on the product's advanced features, thinking that is enough to make the client want to buy the product. Yet, James recommended sales professionals remember clients want to know how this product is different than all the rest, why it is perfect for them and how it will affect their bottom line.
Keep in mind that the client knows you are trying to sell them a product, so keep your head straight and focus on earning their trust.
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