What to Remember When Pitching a Sales Prospect

Posted by: on June 23

How many times have you received a sales call in which the other person only wants to tell you all about what they’re selling? Despite new savvy marketing efforts to ease the need for cold calling, most people still don’t know how to properly prepare for a business meeting.

When pitching your company’s products or services to a prospect, make sure you know enough about their business to ask intelligent questions. It is imperative that you know how they make their money and how well they are faring in today’s difficult economy. They even may have seen an uptick in business in the last six to eight months.

You can become more informed by reading recent press releases from your prospect’s Web site, searching the Web for relevant news stories, and—most importantly—understanding how their customers are affected by the recession. This insight arms you with an ability to ask probing and insightful questions that usually result in a healthy exchange of information.

Isn’t it a bit presumptuous for a sales rep to announce what a prospect needs and should consider purchasing without knowing anything about that person’s business? Research. Understand. Ask questions.

The net result of conversations with prospects is not only a higher likelihood of a sale because you build instant credibility, but also a better sense of where a potential customer should sit in your sales funnel.

Scott Noll
Managing Director
Knob Hill Partners
Boston