You’re selling a great product or service, you’re getting a lot of meetings, and you’re going in there confident, but you still can’t seem to seal the deal. You might be wondering just what’s going on during your meetings that is making you lose sales. If you’re constantly leaving meetings without a commitment or even interest, then your sales pitch might be the problem. It’s a hard truth to hear, but maybe your sales pitch just plain sucks. Don’t despair though, we have three reasons why your sales pitch might suck and what you can do to solve the problem.

1. It’s a Sales Pitch

Wait, what? Though it’s called a sales pitch, it really shouldn’t be. It should be renamed a sales conversation, because that’s what it should actually be. It’s not about pitching your product-it’s about having an honest and open discussion with your customer. You have a twenty minute window in your meeting to convince the buyer that your product or service is great so you think that you need to go on and on for those twenty minutes to really make your point. This is so wrong. Your customer will become bored or even frustrated that you won’t stop talking. He probably zoned out half way through your speech. So, how do you actually attract his attention? Easy, get him involved! Talk to him, not at him. Ask him questions and listen to the answers. These answers can give you valuable insight into his thoughts and buying position. What’s more, having a conversation rather than pitching a product or service will allow you to build rapport in order to create a relationship with the client, which is the most important part of selling.

2. It Focuses on You

Is your sales pitch filled with I’s and we’s? If so, it’s time to edit it. A sales pitch that is solely focused on you, your company, your stats, your testimonials, and your products or services isn’t going to entice customers. It might seem natural that your sales pitch should be used to explain your product’s features, cost, and benefits, but this isn’t what works anymore. Your pitch should focus on your customer-his needs, his wants, and his problems. After all, you’re trying to tell a customer that you have a solution to his problem-which you can address his needs-so this is exactly where your pitch’s focus should be. Clients don’t actually care about all the awards you’ve won, how many shops you might own, or what other customers have to say about you. They care about themselves and what you can do for them.

3. You’re Unprepared

You shouldn’t be going into a meeting unprepared. So, now that you know that your sales pitch should focus on your customer, you’re going to have to do research before every meeting in order to tailor your pitch to the specific client you are meeting with. You can’t use the same pitch for every client-you need to make it personal. Even though your sales pitch should be more of a conversation, you can’t just wing it. You need to figure out exactly who your audience is, what their needs are, and how your product or service can be a solution to their problems. You should have all the possible information you’ll need up front in order to be able to answer any questions that might come up during your conversation. Create a checklist of the main points you want to make and try not to deviate from your purpose by rambling on unnecessarily. By writing down your key points, you’ll be able to stay organized and on track.

If you’re not closing deals as often as you should be, your sales pitch could be the problem. To create a great sales pitch, make it a conversation, focus on the customer, and always be prepared.