A sales pitch script is a marketing tool that is sent via regular mail or email with the intention of getting a desired response. This usually means taking a potential client to the next step of the buyer’s journey (a meeting, presentation, or signing a contract). Depending on the type of sales pitch script, the particular tasks of the tool, as well as its length and content, may differ slightly.
Sooner or later, any salesperson has to develop a sales pitch script for their company. It is an essential element of any sales process.
A sales pitch script often takes the form of a document intended for a business partner.
When considering a sales pitch script, people often think it means some kind of sales-based text. In fact, it should contain a general description of all the services of the organization as well as the distinctive features of its products and services and the company itself—in short, everything to pique a potential client's interest.
The Main Tasks of Sales Pitch Scripts
A sales pitch script is an integral part of any marketing campaign; therefore, it is important to set the right goal when creating one—the structure and success of the future script depend on it. The operative question to ask is, “How do we want potential customers to react when they read information about our company on flyers or the internet?”
First of all, a sales pitch script should be drawn up in such a way as to:
- Interest the reader
- Attract the attention of a potential buyer
- Encourage the recipient to purchase goods or services
- Encourage the person to become further acquainted with the company
So before starting to develop your sales pitch script, keep these criteria in mind. Also be sure to have dialed in exactly which target audience you are addressing, since different audiences have different interests and needs. You wouldn’t want to run an ad for dentures using youth-relevant marketing tools, for example.
Only a properly drafted document can attract the right customers. Thankfully, however, finding a suitable example to base your script on is not too difficult a task.
Types of Sales Pitch Scripts
There are two types of sales pitches: cold and hot. Which you should use depends on your audience. Let’s take a look at each in turn.
1. The cold sales pitch.
Cold sales pitches are those sent to unprepared (“cold”) clients. You might know it by another name: spam. In general, people hate spam—unless the topics interest them, that is.
To make cold pitches effective, you need a quality target list (i.e., list of recipients). The cleaner this list is, the higher the response rate tends to be. If there are only general addresses in your target list—addresses like [email protected]—the performance of your sales pitch will be extremely low, on the order of less than a 1 percent response rate.
The main task of a cold sales pitch is to get the recipient to read it through to the end. Make a single mistake, however, and your email will go straight to the recycle bin.
This is why there are three main “discard” risks to consider when designing a cold sales pitch:
- At receipt. How will you get the recipient’s attention? This could be achieved with a subject line if the pitch is sent via email or a custom envelope with a unique color or form factor if delivered by mail.
- After opening. Is there an attractive offer? We will discuss this more below.
- While reading. Are there appropriate elements of persuasion and marketing features? We will also consider this in greater detail later on.
There’s one more thing to note: as a rule, the length of a cold sales pitch is one page of text, no more. This is due to the fact that your recipient is not coming in ready to read your document, and they certainly aren’t ready to read more than one page.
The main advantage of a cold sales pitch is the sheer number you can send out; however, a more personalized document always results in a better response rate.
2. The hot sales pitch.
Unlike cold pitches, hot sales pitches are sent to prepared recipients (i.e., a person who requested a quote or who was previously contacted by a company representative).
Hot sales pitches differ from cold ones both in length—they are much bigger and can range in length from 10–15 pages or slides or more—and in the approach to their development. More than that, they provide a person with the information needed to make a decision, such as price, availability, and terms and conditions. Recently, hot sales pitches designed as PowerPoint presentations or in PDF format have become especially popular.
The Structure of a Sales Pitch
As for its structure, a sales pitch is somewhat like a sales text. And in fact, it is a kind of commercial. But there is one element that makes sales pitches stand out from the mass of other tools: an offer. So, let’s review the elements of a sales pitch.
Running title
Most often the document header contains a logo (so that the sales pitch is associated with a specific company) and contact details, along with with a mini-call-to-action. This is made to save time and space. One has only to look at the top of the document to immediately find out what it is about and how to contact you. As a rule, the header should not exceed 1” in height. After all, every inch is important.
Headline
This is a vital element, especially for cold sales pitches. The task of the headline is to attract attention and immediately explain the benefit your product or service offers.
When it comes to a cold sales pitch, starting with “Sales pitch…” is not the best option. It is not informative at all, it takes up valuable space, and doesn’t stand out from the dozens of others sent by your competitors. Besides, if your recipient isn’t expecting any email from you and receives something so generic, they will most likely send your message straight to their spam folder.
For a hot sales pitch, however, using such a headline can be appropriate if immediately followed by your company’s name.
Lead (first paragraph)
The main task of the lead is to arouse interest in what you are going to say next. Otherwise, people won't listen to you. A good lead can literally make your potential clients read the rest of your sales pitch. A lead always speaks about what is important to the reader. There are four approaches to crafting a quality lead:
- Around the problem (most often).
- Around the solution (if there is no problem as such).
- Around objections (if relevant).
- Around emotions (very rare).
Offer
An offer should pique your potential client’s interest as to the benefit so they continue reading your sales pitch. Experience has shown that if the offer is not interesting to your readers, the sales pitch goes straight into the trash (the second wave of rejection).
To make an offer, you can use the general formula of a product with an “extra,” also called an “amplifier link.” Examples include:
• Product + another product at a bargain price
• Product + service
• Product + gift, etc.
At the end of the offer, you can make a graphic anchor if there is enough space. This thins out the text and adds some white space. In addition, it makes your sales pitch easier to scan.
Benefits to the client
The next block of text should focus on the benefits. In other words, tell the recipient what they will get when they accept your sales pitch. It is important to be able to distinguish benefits from properties and features.
Objection handling
It is not always possible to include answers to every objection in your sales pitch. Even so, the main objections can be countered by simply answering questions like, “Who are you?”, “Why can you be trusted?”, “Who already uses your services?”, and “Where are you located?”
Social proof and authority triggers are often used as objection handlers. Another powerful persuasion technique in sales pitches is utilizing warranties. Warranties can be both expected (e.g., 12 months for office equipment) and unexpected (e.g., if something breaks down, your company will repair it at its own expense and provide a similar model of equipment for the duration of the repair).
To inspire even more trust, tell the reader something about your company but without unnecessary praise; be specific and to the point, and use only facts.
Call to action
Another essential attribute of a good sales pitch is appeal. There should be only one call to a specific action. This action could be filling out a form on a website, scheduling a visit with the sales department, making a call, or sending an email.
The call should include a strong verb; this will help the response rate to be higher. Compare these two options:
• “Call me!” (strong verb = better response)
• “You can call me at…” (weak verb = worse response)
There’s one more important point to mention. You might be surprised, but sometimes people making sales pitches forget to add their contact information. Imagine a potential client wanting to order a product or service, but they physically can’t do it because they don’t know how to contact the company! It’s a comical scenario—unless you’re the salesperson.
Postscript
The final element of all outstanding sales pitches, and one of the most important aspects, is a postscript (P.S.). When used correctly, a postscript becomes a very powerful motivating force. Research shows that people read postscripts more than any other part of an email or letter, second only to captions under pictures. That is why if you want to strengthen your sales pitch, what you write after the letter “P.S.” is critical.
One good option that many people fail to consider is to insert a deadline or purchase restrictions into the postscript. If you are sending a hot sales pitch, a manager can call and remind the potential client about the company. Regarding cold sales pitches, the absence of a deadline or restriction can hurt the response rate by 50 percent or more.
You can set limits with regard to either time or number of goods. For example:
• “Only five fax machines left.”
• “The offer is valid only until August 31. After that, the price doubles.”
It is worth mentioning that if you set a restriction, you must fulfill it. And if you say you’re going to double the price tomorrow, you need to follow through with it.
How to Write a Sales Pitch (Step-by-Step Guide)
In order to prepare a proper sales pitch, you need to complete the following steps:
Step 1: Create a template according to the recommendations given above.
Step 2: Add your logo and your contacts.
Step 3: Write a catchy headline.
Step 4: Describe the client's pain in the first paragraph.
Step 5: Compose your offer with a solution that addresses this pain point.
Step 7: Describe the additional benefits of your proposal.
Step 8: Remove key objections.
Step 8: Briefly describe your company.
Step 9: Make a call to action and write a postscript with a deadline.
Common Sales Pitch Mistakes
There are many forms, templates, and samples of sales pitches around the Web. And most of them have two things in common: they do not work, and no one reads them. This is because they mostly contain the same typical errors:
1. Flattering overpraise of your company. “We are professional, customer-oriented, young, dynamic, aspiring, reliable….” Clients are not interested in your company unless you present them with a worthwhile offer.
2. Flattering overpraise of the client. “Your company has always been a model of quality and reliability, stability and prosperity…” It is especially funny to read this in cold sales pitches. Flattery is good in moderation. When it goes overboard, the reader is put off, and the sales pitch immediately goes into the trash.
3. Buzzwords and jargon. Another common mistake is beginning a sales pitch with an excess of information, using meaningless and hard-to-pronounce words. For example, “Our company strives to stand out from the average market and provides services of unprecedented high quality, showing an individual approach to each client through the prism of symbiotic interaction.”
4. Too much all at once. Many companies consider it their duty to send the quote, the price list, the presentation, the card with the details, the catalog, and a host of other electronic waste in a single email, which is annoying and doesn’t help to solve their problem.
5. Poor target list. Purchased or old contact lists become stale over time, and it’s very easy to end up in spam filters when using one. In the worst-case scenario, your company can be subject to sanctions on mail services. Then even respectable letters will often end up in spam.
6. Abstract or vague language. The fewer specifics, the more time the recipient needs to catch the essence of your offer. Get to the point and be specific so as not to waste the reader’s time.
7. Overly generalized content. Many companies believe a sales pitch is a formalized document and end up writing one just like everyone else’s. That is not a good plan. Or they send a quote without segmentation—to everyone in their contact list—when in reality, the same product can have different target groups with different interests. This also needs to be taken into account.
There are a lot of similar errors like these in online templates. Another common mistake is to be boring. Many people think that if a sales pitch is made by a company CEO, it must be official, dry, and boring, but nothing could be further from the truth. There are already enough dry and boring emails from CEOs in the world—there’s no need to add to the pile. And a CEO is also a human being, after all, so even they are allowed to write like one.
Example Sales Pitches
Basic sales pitch template
Hi, my name is , and I'm a sales representative with .
I'm calling because we offer a solution that can help you with . Boasting over years of experience in the , we have accumulated a huge amount of expertise to offer our clients.
The best part about it? Our solution is unique because:
• Feature #1
• Feature #2
• Feature #3
Would you be interested in learning more about how we can help solve ?
I understand you might be hesitant. The sales process can be daunting, but I assure you that we're here to help you every step of the way.
The best way to find out if our solution is right for you is to schedule a .
I have some time in my schedule tomorrow that I can block off for you. Would work for you?
If not, no worries. When would be the best to reach you?
Thank you for listening. I look forward to hearing from you soon.
Objection-handling pitch template
Hello, , I'm with .
We were in touch a few ago about our new product, and I wanted to follow up to see if you had any questions.
I understand that you're hesitant because of . This is not a sales call, and I'm not trying to pressure you into anything.
I just want to answer any questions you might have to help you make an informed decision. Also, if you need a separate call to discuss this with your team, I'm happy to do that.
Thank you for your time.
How to Send a Sales Pitch
And finally, let’s talk about sending a sales pitch. In the vast majority of cases, a sales pitch is sent to users via email. But you should not insert the text of your document into the body of the email itself, because you will lose all formatting and structure and it will be very difficult for the recipient to print the text. A better approach is to make a sales pitch in PDF format and send it as an attached file.
You must make sure you are remembered. If this is your target audience and they need your product, it’s imperative that they know and remember you. Luckily, there are things you can do to help ensure your sales pitch hits the mark.
If you just send pitches out, it’s almost certain no one will read them. If you call first, there is still a chance they will not remember you or read your pitch.
The best days to send a pitch are Tuesday through Thursday, since Monday is usually a busy day for people, and Fridays people are looking forward to the weekend. Therefore, midweek is a very good time both for sending pitches and negotiating.
Let’s assume you have sent a sales pitch. What next?
The last stage of a sales pitch is following up. After sending the pitch, you can call recipients and ask questions like, “Did you receive our sales pitch?”, “Is everything fine?,” and “Is everything readable?” This approach gives your potential clients an additional motive to look in their mailboxes and find the pitch.
Once you’ve confirmed that the potential client has received your sales pitch, be sure to agree on when it would be possible to call again to discuss the proposal further. Be sure to call within the deadline or time frame, and don’t give up.
Anyone engaged in business knows that success is not guaranteed, but there are things you can do to tip the scales in your favor. You can focus on writing a good, high-quality sales pitch and, of course, offer something that your competitors can’t. And hopefully, this will lead to a stronger response and, most importantly, more sales.
Conclusion
As we reach the end of our exploration into the world of Sales Engineering, we hope we have sparked a desire in you to step into this promising profession. With immense opportunities for growth, competitive salaries, and the chance to be at the forefront of technological innovation, Sales Engineering is more than just a job—it's a rewarding, fulfilling career path.
So, don't let hesitation or doubt hold you back. Embrace the exciting world of technology sales, and join us in building the future, one solution at a time.
Now is the time to act. Sign up for our comprehensive Sales Engineering course today. Don't miss out on this opportunity to empower yourself with the skills, knowledge, and credentials that will propel your career to new heights.
Click here to apply for the training now. Remember, your journey to becoming a Sales Engineer is just a click away!
Join us. Shape your future. Define the future of technology. We're excited to welcome you aboard!