The Sales Pitch, Take 2
September 25, 2009 by Ed McLaughlin
A lot of people think that sales are intentional. I will sell this product to that person.
So what happens? A salesperson naturally thinks he or she must take action, that they have to do something to someone.
They almost always start by making a pitch. They pitch while making cold calls, at networking events, and during industry conferences.
For the most part, no one likes being on the receiving end of a pitch. It bothers us. Ever wonder why?
Probably because it feels intentional. A pitch is about self-promotion, not about the prospect. Which means that the salesperson is acting a lot like, well, human spam.
Which turns most sales encounters into little more than a big game.
Here’s a potential solution: slow down. Stop trying to pitch your products and services at the first impression. Earn the right to your prospect’s business, over time, bit by bit.
How? Easy – all you need to do is shift your thinking. Sure, you can take action – but instead focus on doing things “for” people, not “to” them. Share your knowledge. Share your network. Most importantly, share your compassion – there are countless ways you can help your prospect’s cause.
No, this won’t provide immediate results. But if you persevere, you’ll find that sales are more predictable and sustainable than you ever thought possible. And in all likelihood you won’t ever have to pitch again.
Tagged: business, marketing, sales, sales pitch
The Sales Pitch, Take 1
September 24, 2009 by Ed McLaughlin
I listen to sales pitches all the time. This one, though, was a bit different.
“Do you speak English?”
The man who approached me looked familiar, but I couldn’t place his face. “Do I speak English?” I asked. I didn’t try to hide the fact that I was annoyed.
He threw up his hands. “I’m sorry sir, I meant no disrespect.”
This display triggered my memory. I not only knew him, I knew his routine as well. He was going to ask me for money.
“What do you want? I’m in a hurry.”
He pointed down the street. “My car broke down a few blocks from here. Could I borrow the money for public transportation?”
I looked at him and laughed. “Sorry, I can’t help you. Besides, we’ve had this conversation already.”
“Huh?”
I pointed in the other direction. “It was down that way – four blocks from here. Different day, same sales pitch.”
He looked at me for a moment, then nodded. “Oh – well, have a nice day.” And off he went, presumably in search of another prospect.
What does this have to do with you and your business? Everything. In reality, this man’s approach isn’t much different than what most companies do today. From cold calls to networking events, salespeople spend most of their time “pitching” others on their products and services. And if they are willing to do this 150 – 200 times, chances are that they’ll make a sale or two.
What a waste. There are two problems here:
- If you sell one person out of 150, you’ve alienated the other 149 people forever. Not good.
- The people you most want to do business with won’t respond to this approach.
If pitching people is the only sales tool you’ve got, it’s time get some new tools.
Tagged: business, marketing, sales, sales pitch
Solve the Right Problem
September 10, 2009 by Ed McLaughlin
The way I see it, most big companies have two problems. The first is the problem itself – poor customer service, me-too products and services, uninspired marketing, miserable employees, and layers of bureaucracy.
The second problem is that they solve the wrong problems.
More often than not, companies focus their energy on improving the current situation. This is a natural response. And if things seem to get better as a result of their actions, they feel as though something has been accomplished.
Unfortunately, doing what you’ve done before – only better – doesn’t necessarily solve the problem. At best, it keeps you on par with your competition. But it certainly won’t do anything to help you grow.
A better route is to solve a different problem. ING Direct solves a different problem than Wells Fargo. Freshbooks solves a different problem than QuickBooks, Word, or Excel. Zipcar solves a different problem than Hertz.
Solving a different problem often leads to an industry revolution. What problem are you solving?
Tagged: business, creativity, innovation, marketing, strategy, unconventional tactics
Problem Solving 101
September 8, 2009 by Ed McLaughlin
Abraham Lincoln was fond of riddles. One of his favorites: “How many legs will a dog have if you call the tail a leg?”
Most people, of course, thought that the answer was five.
Lincoln always replied that the answer was four, not five, because calling a tail a leg doesn’t make it a leg.
You can’t solve a problem by simply changing a word or a name.
Tagged: business, innovation, marketing, parables, strategy
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