When you get the opportunity to meet with a potential customer, you surely don’t want to blow it. You basically have one chance to offer a sales pitch to your prospect. If you have a sales pitch style that the prospect does not like, you are not only risking losing this sale, but you are also risking any chance of future sales with this customer. Make sure you don’t fall into any of the bad sales pitch traps. When you make your sales pitch, prospects should know that you value their time and the time that they have provided to you.

Shut up already!

This is probably the easiest traps to fall into when you sales pitch prospects. It happens when you over state your case and talk far too much. Often, when you have not properly prepared your sales pitch, prospects will know right away. One of the top rules of sales, is to keep your mouth shut and your ears open. When you keep talking, you do not give yourself the opportunity to learn what the customers need or expectations are. You will need to develop an elevator pitch. One that you can do in about 30 seconds that will peak the interest of your prospect and allow them to ask questions.

Show me!

When you get the opportunity to sales pitch, prospects want to see your information as well as hear it. An all talk sales presentation is boring. There are so many ways to use visuals when making a sales pitch; prospects expect you to have them. Make your visuals interesting, appropriate and fun.

Not for me!

When you make your sales pitch, prospects deserve information that is specific to them. If you have done your homework, you will have the inside scoop on what exactly this prospect is looking for. You cannot really have a canned presentation. Each time you get the opportunity to make a sales presentation it should be fresh and directed specifically to the prospect you are presenting to. Your visuals, handouts and speech should all be client specific.

Get to the point!

Be succinct. When you make a sales pitch, prospects don’t want to have their time wasted. You need to have an outline of what is important and follow it. If your sales presentation is all over the place you risk confusing the prospect, diluting your information, and losing the sale. When hearing a sales pitch, prospects want to know right at the very beginning what your product or service can do for them. By being unorganized and long-winded, you are wasting your time and the prospect’s time as well.

You’re not ready!

The absolute worst mistake you can make is to be unprepared. You have been given the chance to make a sales pitch; prospects expect you to be ready and able to make a professional presentation that will speak directly to their needs. Many sales people feel that they know their product or service so well that they can wing it when making important sales presentations. Others prepare but don’t practice and end up reading through a sales pitch as if they are seeing it for the first time. When you give a sales pitch, prospects should see that you have put the time into learning about who they are and what they need. Being prepared helps you to be more articulate and confident. Confidence builds trust. Lack of preparedness is insulting to the prospect.

When you have the opportunity to do a sales pitch, prospects deserve the best that you have to offer. You need prepare a presentation that is concise, targeted to the customer, interesting and direct.