The desire to improve sales pitch skills is a constant in the world of sales. Top performing sales people recognize that the canned pitch is not an effective way to achieve sales numbers, and constantly work on ensuring that each sales pitch given is different, tailored to the unique business needs of the prospect. As you work on your sales pitch, recognize that you can improve sales pitch success in any industry by utilizing the following three rules. 

1. Keep Your Language Simple

Nearly every company formulates acronyms and terms around its products to simplify internal communications. It is easy to forget that individuals outside your company, including those to whom you are selling, might not be familiar with these terms. Though it may be tempting to punctuate your speech with in-the-know terminology and more general buzzwords, you might be losing your audience, and a sale, in the process. Simplify the language you use to make a sales pitch without talking down to your prospects using the following tips:

• Pay attention to the words and terms that your prospect regularly uses, and try to naturally incorporate those terms in your sales pitch.
• Whenever you do need to use a term or concept with which your prospect might not be acquainted, include a small explanation, or even ask if the prospect is familiar with the expression.
• Avoid speeding through your pitch and talking over your prospect’s head by periodically giving your prospect the opportunity to ask questions.

2. Focus on What the Prospect Wants

You know that the features of your company’s product are a large part of what differentiates your offering from the competition. However, a prospect is less concerned with the differences in features and more focused on what your offering will ultimately do for them. Couch your presentations around end results, such as time savings and usability; if you have been following the best sales practice of listening to your prospect’s needs, you will know which results to focus on – another way to improve sales pitch proficiency.

Furthermore, to improve sales pitch success these elements should be succinct while still being meaningful. Avoid the temptation to over-explain and follow your prospect’s lead. He or she will be telling you through speech and body language when it’s time to move on to the next selling point.

3. Keep the Path Forward Clear

Follow-up and follow-through are vital to lead conversion, and you routinely keep in touch with prospects in your sales pipeline. This is because you are motivated to make the sale, make your quota, and earn your salary. Prospects are rarely as committed to keeping the sales process moving forward as you are; they have other demands on their time, are likely receiving pitches from your competition, and even if convinced that your offering will provide an effective solution, might not be convinced that the solution requires immediate implementation. 

Including a definitive timeline and transitional steps to a sales contract in your sales pitch is a proven way to improve sales pitch effectiveness overall. Making follow through part of your drive to improve sales pitch success by setting up the next meeting, making an appointment to touch base on intermediate discussions, or taking other steps to make the path forward clear to the prospect will enhance the prospect’s understanding of your sales pitch and the course of action they need to take, improving your conversion rate in the process. 

Overly scripted sales pitches are almost never successful. That puts the onus on sales people to improve sales pitch effectiveness while constantly adjusting the sales message. Keep in mind these guidelines to improve sales pitch effectiveness and practice improvising your sales message accordingly; results will be sure to follow.