By Pit Crew member, Laura Allen
previously published in 2017
Are you feeling stuck in a summer sales slump? You are not alone. Most industries feel it. You don’t need to resign yourself to the dog days of summer being so slow – You can pitch your way out of that slump! Here’s how:
1. Embrace your inner weirdo.
You know that thing that you think makes you weird? It’s also what makes you AWESOME!
Think about how your “weirdness” is an asset to your clients. Then, apply it. Use it to give your pitch a uniqueness that is all you. Be memorable!
I see so many people that are using the same stale sales pitch. Sigh.
And guess what? It doesn’t work!
Here is an example: Have you had a financial adviser say, “I help my clients sleep at night”?
Yeah me too…. because so many of them use it! How boring! Yawn. Zero impact.
Why not, instead, be the financial adviser who keeps clients up at night because they’re busy planning their next luxury vacation to Paris? That has an impact. That is memorable.
To help pull out of the summer slump, take the time to create a sales pitch that showcases your uniqueness. That is how people will remember you when they need what you offer. Be you! Even if YOU think you are weird. It is powerful.
2. Know your audience intimately and pitch them accordingly.
If you want to pull out of a sales slump, using the exact same pitch on everyone is NOT the way to do it. You wouldn’t try to sell a 10 million-dollar condo to someone just out of college and working as an administrative assistant. That makes no sense. It is craziness. Yet, I am amazed at how often I see it!
I believe in creating a “pitch for every niche”. If you are serious about closing more deals faster, it is a must. If I was a real estate agent wanting to court the 10 million-dollar condo crowd, I’d use a “Park Avenue Pitch” that appealed exactly to that demographic.
On the other hand, administrative assistants need housing too. Some real estate agents target that demographic because they are building their book of businesses. That’s smart. They would use a pitch that focuses on the challenges of renting your first apartment or buying your first home. That pitch resonates with the recent college grad.
Those are examples of why it is so important to know your audience. Apply this knowledge to create pitches that hit the right nerves and say goodbye to summer slump!
3: Sell deeper to your raving fans.
Who are your raving fans? They are the die-hards, the tried-and-true, faithful and loyal people who love you. They are your tribe. Think of them, and with them in mind, create a new product or service, tailored to them, to pitch to them – THIS WEEK!
If you are immediately saying, “there is just no way that I can create and pitch something this week,” give me a call. We will talk and I am betting you will find that, yes, you can!
4: Reach out to your current clients.
It’s a HELL of a lot easier to keep your existing clients happy than to find new ones. That is a fact of business to remember during a sales slump. Stop to take some time to nurture them.
Brainstorm and think of ways you can go above and beyond for them. Select the best ideas and apply one or two this week. The key is to take immediate action. Just do it.
Never forget either, these people are the most likely to refer NEW clients to you. This is a grand time to ask for referrals.
5: Don’t panic!
Panic never helps anything. Instead, take advantage of the slower period to perfect your skills. Take time to really analyze how you are pitching yourself and how effective it is. Look at what is working and what isn’t. Then simply focus more on using what is proven to work.
You don’t ever want to be in a position where you must wing it and risk losing a sale. Stay focused, use exactly what you know works. That is how you close the deal.
Now that you have five actionable steps you can take, it is time to commit to taking them!
Reread the five, then I want you to pick the one that feels most doable for you, NOW. Then, go do it and feel some relief from the heat of HOTTER sales numbers.
If you’d like to see one of my examples, head over to my pitch for Kong Skull Island – CLICK HERE!
Laura Allen will help you Uplevel Like the Devil with her approach to creating the 15 second pitch. She’s a speaker, trainer, and motivator, and we are happy to have her participating in the team. Got any questions for Laura? Visit our Go Far, Go Fast! Facebook and LinkedIn pages to share your feedback or leave a comment.