Want High-Tech Sales Success? Ditch the Pitch
The traditional sales pitch is a thing of the past — and just doesn’t cut it in high-tech sales. With specialized technologies evolving at a rapid pace, management teams turn to high-tech salespeople for more than specs and prices. Prospects now, more than ever, need a partner they can trust to consultatively guide them to the right solution.
How, then, can you be more successful and effective in high-tech sales?
Know as much as you can about your products and prospects. Learn what makes each prospect unique, and don’t expect a tired sales pitch to get anyone to engage in a conversation with you, return your calls, or respond to your emails. Today’s high-tech sales requires perseverance and grit, and the ability to pick up on nuance and tailor your conversation accordingly.
The more you know about the needs of your prospect, the more likely he or she is to talk to you. In this sense, your initial sales pitch isn’t really a pitch at all, so you can safely “ditch the pitch,” as this Forbes article advises. What can you do instead? Here are some guidelines, along with common mistakes you’ll want to avoid when approaching your next prospect.
Start a conversation, not a speech
In an ever-complex sales environment, you want to start a conversation with potential clients, not give them a presentation of how and why your technology is the best on the market. Avoid the traditional “one-size-fits-all” sales pitch when speaking to prospective clients, as their challenges and needs probably skew to the left or right of your original design.
When giving a sales pitch, try to “flip the script” by allowing the prospective client to do the majority of the talking, instead of the other way around. Ask them to tell you about the challenges they face, and focus the conversation on uncovering their needs rather than on your own potential value. This kind of an exchange takes a high degree of emotional intelligence, and differs greatly from the one-way presentations associated with traditional sales. Ultimately, it allows you and your prospect to build a relationship that benefits you both.
Don’t push the prospect too far
Reaching out to the right potential customer holds tremendously more value to both you and your prospect than chasing a lead that is likely to go nowhere. Do your due diligence when speaking to potential clients, and ensure that those moved along your pipeline stand to benefit from your solution. Qualifying your prospects is key.
Avoid going after prospects who are out of your target market, or otherwise do not fit your profile of a (near) ideal customer. And don’t push prospects who have disqualified themselves too far. Remember: your objective is not necessarily to make a sale but to discover whether you and your potential client are a good fit.
Know your objectives
Goals and objectives are essential in any aspect of life, be it your choice of a career or how you spend your free time. Your conversations with prospects are no different. Set an objective with every call, and your conversations will be more productive (and your results more positive).
The overall purpose of every meeting is to make sure that both you and your prospect get something from your time together, so make sure you know what you want. Go into the conversation with set points you want to discuss and check them off as you cover them. This will keep your conversation on-topic and moving.
Think you can create solutions instead of pitches for high-tech clients? If you’re driven, ambitious, and talented, find out if a career at memoryBlue is a good fit for you.
