BY Jessica Helinski
The elevator speech for sales representatives is still a tried-and-true part of the sales process. In these days of social distancing, your pitch can be effective over the phone and in video chats. As James Meincke points out in an article for Closer IQ, “An elevator pitch is one of the most basic and essential tools in any successful salesperson’s repertoire.” Ideally, these pitches are no longer than two minutes, and they should be as concise as possible. These days, time is limited for most, so you need to get your message out clearly and efficiently.
5 elements that make up an effective elevator speech for sales representatives
Relate. You must be able to immediately relate your product or service directly to the buyer’s need or want during an elevator speech for sales representatives. Basically, why should they care? Say their basement is flooded. You should open dialogue by briefly stating the services you offer that specifically address that problem.
What if you actually sell a complex product or solution that addresses multiple issues? “You want to distill them down to the big, overarching problem that your product solves,” Meincke explains. “At the same time, specificity is necessary. The problem can’t be so broad that you risk over-selling it all in a simple elevator pitch. "Try to trim it down to a sentence, and if you can, add a touch of personalization by including their specific issue.
Explain. Next, your elevator speech for sales representatives should explain how exactly your solution is a perfect fit. Your explanation should directly match the problem you just addressed, and why your solution benefits the buyer. This should be a bit more detailed, coming in at a few sentences to make up the middle of your elevator speech. Meincke cautions sellers against using too many adjectives or hyperbole. “Instead, describe what your product does in concrete terms. Does it reduce time-consuming workflows or provide useful data?” If you aren’t sure what wording to use, check out your company's website or marketing materials for key phrases and descriptions.
These two tips, along with Meincke's other three, will get you started on crafting an effective elevator speech for sales representatives. Also, be sure to check out his examples for further clarification. And remember, it will probably take a few tries until you get your pitch perfect. “Practice, ask for feedback and experiment with variations,” he suggests. “When you do find the pitch that works for you, the results will be well worth the effort.”
Examples
If you're looking for good elevator speech examples for sales representatives, check out this post at close.com. One way to succeed, especially when you're using Challenger sale methodology, is to challenge a person's thinking with a provocative question. Start by citing research about how much time the average worker wastes on routine emails. Ask if they've considered that automation could save workers huge amounts of time. And then mention that you have a solution that might help them and offer to send them information or access to a free trial. Good elevator speech examples for sales representatives are widely available online. Look at a few and adapt them so they'll work for your unique situation.