What Are the Best Tips for a Sales Pitch?

A good sales pitch energizes the audience, establishes a rapport, and is understandable. The presentation should be clear, organized and enthusiastic. It should also make a connection between what the seller has to offer and what the prospective customer needs. For complex or technical material, it is important to use analogies or comparisons throughout the sales pitch.

Developing an effective sales pitch involves both planning and presentation skills. An effective pitch will not overwhelm an audience with too much information or material that doesn't make sense. It is important to figure out what material should be included in the actual presentation. The presenter should try to stick to an overview of the product or service and how the use of that product or service fits in with the potential customer's needs.

For example, a typical sales pitch might include a brief background on the presenter or the company that the presenter represents. An overview of the product and service might follow, including how that product currently serves existing markets or customers. Features and benefits will typically be highlighted, in addition to what the product will do for the potential customer. A presentation might also stress how the product is unique, how it might better serve the needs of potential customers versus the competition, as well as expected performance figures.

Making a professional presentation is a must for a sales pitch to be effective. The use of visual graphs and images in addition to text can help sustain an audience's attention. There are several software programs that can help presenters design a professional, eye-catching set of computer based slides or visual aids. The actual spoken presentation should be delivered with enthusiasm and steady eye contact.

Some presenters find it helpful to inject humor into the sales pitch. It is important to make sure that the humor does not become offensive or too obnoxious, as this may overshadow the information that is being presented and repel potential customers. Presenters should attempt to sound knowledgeable without being condescending. The goal of any good pitch is to be both persuasive and informative.

This is why it is important for presenters to have a sound knowledge base about the product before they attempt to make a pitch. In order to establish rapport with the audience, it might be more beneficial to draw comparisons between the product and real-life examples. This can make it easier for the audience to understand what the product does and how it works, especially with technical products such as computer hardware and software. Making the audience comfortable with the information and the presenter's personality is just as important as being well organized.