 |
There’s nothing more stressful for a salesperson than starting a new job.
It’s simultaneously frightening and exhilarating.
It’s during this time of uncertainty that you need to summon the semblance of certainty.
And although we’ve fooled ourselves into believing the search is the hardest part of the job.
The search was a mini-vacation and the real work begins now.
Regardless of how long it took you to get the job, no one cares.
And organization has made a deliberate decision to invest in you and all that matters now is delivering on your promises.
Naturally, as a new sales employee, you’re faced with a multitude of tasks and challenges.
On-boarding, systems, travel, meeting team members, training materials and schedules.
During these first few weeks, it’s like you’re drinking from a fire-hose.
Your brain, a veritable information superhighway, will overheat.
You might even start questioning why you chose to accept the position.
Turns out, no one said it’d be this hard!!!
Chill…
It’s a lot to handle for but you’ll manage.
Remember, your employer could’ve hired anybody but they chose you Pikachu.
Got 99 Problems but a Pitch Ain’t One
Before your first day you may be required to review materials at home.
Some organizations have entire training modules they’ll want you to familiarize yourself with post-offer/ pre-start date.
Others will introduce everything once you’re officially ‘in the building’.
Either way, there’s one super simple prep you should create before day one.
Your Elevator Pitch.
You hear people talking about elevator pitches all the time.
And by hearing about them so much, we tend to think of them as being trivial.
Some might say: “I don’t need an elevator pitch, I know what I’m selling. I’m a great communicator and an awesome salesperson”.
Although that may be true, an elevator pitch signifies much more than a string of descriptive words telling people what you do.
An elevator pitch can actually be a grounding tour-de-force, especially when you’re new.
This well-honed tag can be used as an introduction while cold-calling.
Prospects on the other end of the line always want to know – “who are you and why are you calling me?”
You’ll also chop it up for situations like voicemail, cold-email, networking, conference calls, face to face meetings or trade shows.
Basically, anywhere you interact.
It’s your lead line, hook, first impression and teaser rolled into one.
It matters.
Anatomy of an Elevator Pitch
A solid elevator pitch consists of three elements:
- Who are you?
- What do you do?
- What’s your value proposition/ differentiator?
And three components:
- Stimulate interest
- Share a vision
- Transition that interest
________________
Surprisingly, ninety-nine percent of elevator pitch examples for salespeople are too long.
And by too long, I mean 30 to 90 seconds.
Pitches should be less than 15 seconds/ 10 if possible and always read out loud before use.
Unfortunately, most salespeople skip the out loud part resulting in canned and unnatural deliveries.
The elevator pitch is meant to be a teaser.
Its purpose is to entice the other party into wanting more.
But, when you meet a stranger or start a cold-call by speaking for 60 to 90 seconds straight, you’re talking at them | not to them.
And by doing so, you alienate the prospect.
Best to keep it brief and laser-focused.
Pitching to the Choir
Not convinced?
Pretend you’re meeting someone in passing or you’re making a cold call.
Now talk to them about your company, out loud, for a minute without interruption.
A) Do you still think they’re listening after that minute?
Chances are, they’re bored, confused or hung up.
B) Did they retain anything?
No and if they did, was it the part of the pitch intended to spark their interest in your company or solution?
***
Salespeople as a rule talk too much.
“Ain’t nobody got time for that” – Trevor Noah
We shouldn’t treat the elevator pitch like a speech or presentation.
The pitch is who you are, what you do and your value proposition/ differentiator in a shot glass – not a pint.
The goal is to strike quickly and compel the other party into curiosity.
By rambling on for over a minute, you’ve told them everything they need to know about your company and they’re full.
Not to mention, they asked a simple question [What do you do?] and you replied with a soliloquy with more twists than a Philly pretzel.
Not only does this show a lack of respect for their time, it sucks the energy out of the moment by making it all about you.
Life’s a Pitch
Whether you’re a newbie or an old pro, have your elevator pitch holstered and ready to fire.
Memorize that mantra so you can lean on it throughout the day.
Your elevator pitch organizes your thoughts and priorities.
It helps you identify and define your market.
It’s also stress reliever.
Often times in Sales, we get stuck and are unsure of our next move.
A well-rehearsed and natural elevator pitch rolls off the tongue and alleviates anxiety.
It buys you a few seconds, when meeting someone, allowing you to gather your next thought or question.
Five and Dime
Here are five examples of ten second elevator pitches:
- “I help small businesses win big contracts with large corporate customers.”
- “We maximize class action settlement recovery for the Fortune 500 without compromising time or resources.”
- “XYZ Company’s software arms financial professionals with a competitive edge by providing instant access to changing market data, web research and analysis that would otherwise be impossible to garner.”
- “I help technology companies who struggle launching new products into the market and want to improve time-to-profitability.”
- “We help companies brand, differentiate & sell.”
“If you can’t explain it simply, you don’t understand it well enough” – Einstein