Build a Successful B2B Sales Pitch to Enhance Your Outreach

Richard Crjijevschii
Author: Richard Crjijevschii
Published: 2022-02-17
Reading time: 13m
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Numerous sales reps struggle with a challenge of how to create a successful sales pitch that will bring them customers. If you’re one of those people, we have great tips for you. Get acquainted with professional suggestions Belkins experts provided in this article to win the hearts and minds of your prospects.

What Exactly is a B2B Sales Pitch?

In a nutshell, a sales pitch is a presentation made by a salesperson to persuade a potential client (or lead) to proceed with the purchase. There are many forms of sales pitches. For example, it could be an email, a traditional phone call, or a live in-person presentation in front of an audience or the prospect privately.

A successful pitch lasts for only a few minutes and follows a straightforward structure. It discusses the client's problem, potential solutions, and agreement to proceed.

Most B2B customers reportedly say that their companies’ needs aren't met during the first contact.

But if you do not meet your lead’s needs, they are unlikely to return. There should be a way to satisfy your potential client. And there is one — it’s your individual and thoughtful approach to each client.

How Do You Attract Leads and Make Them Stay?

Making an extremely relevant offer at the right time and in the right manner makes all the difference. In a nutshell, what you should do is target a prospect's pain points and then tailor your sales pitch to assist them in overcoming their problem. Simple as that. And how do you achieve that? Start with a series of profound questions to ask your client.

We’ve prepared some cool examples to help you discover the misfortunes that your prospect might be dealing with. They’re a great starting point, so check them out:

  1. What are your company's short- and long-term objectives?
  2. Name one thing you’d like to change about your company.
  3. What, in your opinion, are your greatest strengths and weaknesses? (old but gold);
  4. What about your taboos?
  5. Do you have any upcoming deadlines? Tell me in detail.

This tactic is hugely successful as it focuses on the prospect and their pain points, which is more effective than a traditional pushy sales approach.

Can I Go Without a B2B Sales Pitch?

You may be on Forbes’ Top 10 Businesses list, and your offer may be super relevant to your potential clients, solving their problems at a perfect time and on a perfect day.

But who cares about all these benefits if your sales pitch is no good? Exactly, nobody.

The B2B sales pitch is quite a big deal, that’s why marketers pay special attention to it. They put a lot of effort into crafting a decent piece of content and then delivering it in the best possible manner. But some of them spend days and even weeks on generating an effective sales presentation only to discover later that the client is not ready to move forward. When you've worked hard on your B2B sales pitch, the last thing you want is to be rejected. Unfortunately, that happens too, and this misfortune is every marketer’s worst nightmare. 

Stay tuned in order to learn how to avoid it.

Every sales rep knows that you should be a pro at creating and delivering killer sales pitches. Let’s take a look at some of the most exemplary B2B sales pitch ideas in 2022.

Practical B2B Sales Pitch Ideas

There are several pitch-building techniques, and while some are perfect for one industry, others are more useful elsewhere. However, it’s still crucial to be aware of all of them and use them interchangeably. 

1) The Opener Pitch 

Let’s start here. They say that you never get a second chance to make an excellent first impression, whether in private life or business. Well, for a good reason — from the moment the door opens, you're instantly judged.

All you have is 7 seconds — this is how much it takes to make an impression (preferably, good).

In fact, nonverbal communication means no less than verbal while making an impression. On the contrary, non-verbal language is responsible for over 90 percent of a person’s assessment of you, so you may want to pay some special attention to your body language and tone of voice. But this doesn’t mean that you can just say whatever you want. No, the words that will come out of your mouth will also contribute to the result. So focus on non-verbal cues but don’t neglect your actual speech. Being genuine, friendly, nice, and authentic, as well as focusing on the person who answers the door, will allow you to engage more quickly. 

When it comes to openers, they can be complete or incomplete.

  • Incomplete Openers

Incomplete openers don’t reveal all the information right away. Instead, they are made to catch the customer’s attention, intrigue them, and leave them wanting more. For example, a simple “Good morning! How are you doing?” is an incomplete opener. But you can go the extra mile and attempt to intrigue the listener, saying something like, “What if I told you that you can save X$ each month with my product?”

  • Complete Openers

This type of opener reveals your offer right away. Then what’s the trick? The trick is that it’s free information you’re giving away. “Hi, my name is Will. I’m from Powertech company, and I see you’re dealing with [problem]. I happen to know how to help you with… [gives advice]”. This way, you’ve helped the lead, and he considers you credible. In the future, this credibility will bring you his trust and, most likely, his friends’ loyalty.

2) The Pain-Based Pitch

One of the most popular mistakes among amateurs is discussing the features and benefits of your product or service. This is the quickest way to get someone to tune out and start thinking about the duties they’ll have to perform. Instead, inquire about how they are currently dealing with their situation, how that is working out for them, and what they would change. Remember the questions from the first paragraph? They’re a great kick-off point. So get to know your potential client and his chief pain points. 

3) The Storyteller Pitch

Storytelling dates back to ancient times when a storyteller would engage an audience, usually in a close and warm setting. As the story unfolded, the presenter would select words and situations to strike a chord with the audience. This, in turn, created a personal connection between the presenter and the audience and made them more trustworthy. The same approach works for businesses worldwide nowadays.

Think of this sales pitch as the next step after making the first impression. Once you've used an effective opener, make sure there is a connection between you and the customer and continue building your credibility in front of the potential customer.

Storytelling is a non-intrusive approach that allows you to connect with the person at the door. All you have to do is share a real-life example of your product or service that meets their most urgent needs. Let’s get into details.

Examples

A good sales pitch in this technique uses a special formula to convey the necessity of buying your products and services without persuading the prospect to do so. The formula is based on three pillars (Telling, Offering, and Establishing, or TOE):

  • Telling a client about a situation from your own (thus, real) life that could actually happen to them as well.
  • Offering the product the sales rep promotes as the solution.
  • Establishing the sales reps’ company as a unique expert by name-dropping their firm’s title.

“A few years ago, I had a problem. My lead generation simply didn’t work. New clients weren’t coming in, and I was basically on the verge of closing my business. That’s when I encountered Belkins. I talked to their sales team, they gave a one-month-long free trial and, after an effective sales meeting, we quickly realized what the problem was and already started discussing the next steps for solving my company’s problem. Their sales reps are real pros at what they do, so you definitely may want to check out their website.”

See the difference? The story above truly resonates with your customer and doesn’t push them into doing the things he doesn’t want to do (or at least he’s not aware of it).

4) The Elevator Pitch

The main rule for building an efficient elevator pitch is brevity. In other words, your pitch should be short, precise, intriguing, and it shouldn’t last longer than 25 seconds. Think of an elevator pitch as a bright flash of light— it’s super quick, right? So should be your elevator pitch. 

When compiling an elevator sales pitch, be concise. Your pitch should answer the following questions:

  1. Who you personally are
  2. What company you are from (specify the name)
  3. What your company does
  4. What your duties are
  5. The purpose of your call
  6. The value proposition
  7. Next steps to take (Step 1, Step 2, and so on)

Here’s an example of an effective elevator pitch:

“Hi, my name is James. I’m from Delta company, head of the marketing team. At Delta, we help people collect hot target audiences, qualify their leads, create fruitful online marketing campaigns and then scale the best results for broader relevant communities. If by any chance, you’re currently struggling with lead generation or content marketing, Delta will make sure your client database is successfully updated and your marketing campaign is bringing terrific results. Message me on Facebook, and I’ll get in touch with you soon. What’s the most convenient time for you?”

Do you see why this pitch should work? You’re giving the lead a solution to their problem and suggesting the next steps so that they don’t get lost in the process. Sometimes, all it takes is directing a potential client, so make sure they never leave you confused or in doubt.

5) The Sales-Closing Pitch

Let’s suppose you've done your homework and established the value. Now it’s time to close the deal. How to do that? Simply by making a recommendation with reference to feedback from your previous clients. Yes, this has to do a lot with claiming your credibility. 

This part of any successful pitch comes after all other stages of the pitching process. Your prospect knows who you are, what you do in life, and how you can help them. They’re aware of all the benefits your product may bring and are pretty excited to hear more. Thankfully, value-based selling has worked. Now move on to the final, sales-closing pitch. 

Since now is the best time to start pricing discussions, go for it. The customer is most likely ready for it. But the transition from your previous speech to a recommendation should be smooth. Make sure it’s clear, natural, and seamless.

So, to keep the conversation customer-focused, present the pitch from the prospect's point of view— use your previous clients’ opinions about your work. For example, say, “Businesses worldwide rely on us because…” or “One of our latest clients has told us he’ll never work with another company after buying from us because…” Explain to your prospect why he should believe in you. Essentially, this is introducing real case studies without actually introducing them.

Check out this sales-closing pitch:

“We’ve been helping B2B and B2C companies attract hot leads for over a decade now. The issues you’re talking about sound extremely familiar to me as I’ve faced them myself at the beginning of my career. After all these years, I know that you don’t necessarily have to sell a kidney to launch an effective marketing campaign. We have several subscription plans suitable for you, but it’s best you talk to our sales rep and discuss all the details together. I’ll give him your contacts, and if you two get in touch by next Monday, you’ll most certainly get a five percent discount for our services. So, when is the best time for you?”

This pitch leaves the client no choice but to buy from you, which, in turn, closes a deal for you. A real win-win situation here.

B2B Sales Pitch Best Practices  

Congrats! Now you’re a pro at pitch types, and it’s time to move on to the next level — learning to create truly effective sales pitches. Here are some proven tips and insider life hacks that’ll get you speeches that close deals.

I. Customization

How many times have you heard your friends or family members say they trust sales reps? Probably not that many. Because salespeople are often too pushy and think only about their own well-being, not caring what the client ends up with, there is a stereotype that you can’t trust them. Typically, all they care about is your first name, last name, and the size of your wallet. Well, here is a great chance to break it and transform it into income.

Your best friend in this situation is customization. Think about all the things that occur before the actual sales presentation: the research on the client, their company’s statistical performance, their needs and expectations. These are inevitable when preparing a good sales pitch, meaning you can’t go without them. 

But the most important part is the prospect’s pain points. What are they worried about? What was their last failure and why did it happen? Find out about all these things to later strike them with your offer, which should remind of “a sign from above.” Customization does wonders.

II. Intrigue

One of the finest ways to draw a prospect’s full attention is by intriguing them. There are undoubtedly multiple ways of doing this (like making a joke or mentioning a famous relevant quote), but when it comes to marketing, questions could be the best option. Begin your sales pitch with a hook. For instance:

  1. I couldn’t help noticing that you’re a fan of …[insert his hobby or interest here]?
  2. Would you like to boost your income by …[give a real number or a range]?
  3. Can’t believe you’re also…[find some common features and discuss them]!
  4. I read a comment about that campaign you did [insert a successful campaign] and I really admire your work!

Starting your sales presentation with an intriguing question isn’t that hard — just find something realistic you could talk about with the client and merely point it out.

III. Call-to-action technique

At this point, you’ve done your best to attract the lead, nurture and channel them toward a purchase. Now it is time to tell him precisely what to do. This is a critical stage of the buying process, which many newbies miss. But if you don’t direct the prospect toward a purchase, in most cases, he simply will not do it. This is why experienced sales reps always use a call-to-action (or CTA) at the end of their B2B sales pitch.

Guide your potential client toward the sale. Tell them what to do next. This could be anything from offering a free trial to letting them know that you will call them back.

To get a better understanding of what an effective B2B sales pitch is, check out the following examples:

  • Will you be available on Monday to make a quick call with our sales rep?
  • Does it make sense to schedule a Zoom sales meeting next week and talk through the details?
  • What about a ten-minute talk this Thursday?

Sometimes, leads are in doubt and want to know more about your offer. In this case, it is more effective to ask questions they won’t be able to say “no” to. For instance:

  • Would you prefer to discuss the details over the phone or in person? (Here, you create an illusion of making a choice.)
  • What time should we contact you tomorrow to talk about our cooperation? (This question states that you will contact him in any case, and he just has to pick the time.)

If you’re unsure which approach to use with a particular client, analyze their personality and opt for a CTA that will most likely get them to buy from you.

IV. Soft Skills

The soft skills of a person giving the sales presentation are a very underrated aspect of the entire sales process. But, in fact, who you are as a person makes all the difference. Sometimes, even your B2B sales knowledge and experience don’t mean as much as your soft skills. For this reason, make sure you sound confident and credible in your lead’s eyes. During a sales meeting, show the prospect that they can and should trust you. Take a look at the following tips:

  • Exude confidence — if you don’t radiate a high level of confidence, the prospect might subconsciously think, “Well, this guy seems unconfident. If he doesn’t believe in his own product, why should I?” Mind your tone of voice, body language, and enthusiasm about your services.
  • Use simple words — long and sophisticated speeches are history. The client has to understand you and the concept of your product. Don’t try to impress them with your vocabulary— leave this job to your product’s efficacy.
  • Stay human — don’t forget that we are all humans. This is actually a huge benefit because humans trust humans more than any positive feedback or sales promises. Be simple: tell a joke or two, speak about your own experience, figure out the client’s pain points and show empathy. Staying human works wonders.

Sales Pitch Ideas That Close Deals 

Yes, not all sales pitches close deals. However, if you load up with practical knowledge, radiate confidence, put yourself in your prospect’s shoes and practice a lot, magic will definitely work. Even though there isn’t really a lot of magic behind a B2B sales pitch that closes deals.

The formula is pretty simple: offer a product that soothes the client’s problem in a way that will resonate exclusively with them. That’s it. So start building your successful sales pitch right now, and if you need any help, don’t hesitate to send a request to Belkins professionals.

Richard Crjijevschii
Richard CrjijevschiiiconSales Team Lead at Belkins
It is a known fact that no successful business can go without a professional sales manager heading the team. Richard is a constant learner and that is what makes him among the best sales manager in the industry.
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