{"id":41440,"date":"2021-07-14T06:52:41","date_gmt":"2021-07-14T10:52:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/?p=41440"},"modified":"2021-07-19T08:37:22","modified_gmt":"2021-07-19T12:37:22","slug":"sales-pitching-techniques","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/sales-pitching-techniques\/","title":{"rendered":"Sales Pitching Techniques: 6 Pitches for Success"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Why is the elevator pitch no longer useful in the modern day? What are the best, modern sales<\/a> pitching techniques?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In his book To Sell Is Human, <\/em>Daniel Pink explains that the elevator pitch is obsolete in today’s world of hierarchies and ease of information. Luckily, there are six sales pitch techniques that are perfect for today which Pink describes in detail.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here are Pink’s six pitches for success along with some extra pitch tips and tricks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

Throw Your Best Pitch<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

In this article, you\u2019ll learn about the \u201cpitch\u201d and how it has evolved for modern selling. Pitching is the ability to make a quick, persuasive appeal for an idea or product. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Origin of the Elevator Pitch<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The Elevator Pitch<\/em> was created as a method for moving others with a complex statement communicated in a quick, simple way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why Has the Elevator Pitch Lost Relevance?<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Reason #1: The elevator pitch was designed for a more closed-off environment, where it was necessary to catch people in elevators or break rooms if you wanted to connect. There were hierarchies, as well. It was uncommon to get a chance to talk to the higher-ups. The modern world of business is much more democratic than the traditional world was. There is a focus on openness and collaboration in the workplace<\/a>. It\u2019s not as difficult to get a conversation started with the right people<\/a>, so the elevator pitch is no longer a critical skill.    <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Reason #2: There is an overabundance of information and access to information. People are constantly overwhelmed and distracted (especially people in positions of power). Meeting someone at random, and pitching them quickly doesn\u2019t inspire movement anymore, it adds to the overwhelm.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Solution: Six Pitches for Success<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

We need to clarify our pitches for this new age of over-information. We also need to gear them towards caveat venditor<\/a> (being of service to the receiver). There are 6 types of sales pitching techniques that can be used successfully in place of the elevator pitch.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pitch #1: The One-Word Pitch<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Brutally simplify your ideas down to one single word. Doing this creates clarity, and develops discipline. It also gets right to the heart of an idea, inspiring movement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For example, during Barack Obama\u2019s first presidential campaign, his one-word pitch was \u201cchange.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pitch #2: The Question Pitch<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Take your idea, and pose a question that makes a statement. For example, instead of making the statement, \u201cYou will benefit from therapy,\u201d you can ask the question, \u201cHow do you want to feel about yourself a year from now?\u201d Research in the 1980s found that questions are more effective than statements when it comes to movement. Statements are ultimately passive and don\u2019t allow for collaboration. Questions invite connection, contemplation, and collaboration, which creates movement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pitch #3: The Rhyming Pitch<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Create a rhyming statement or question that gets to the core of your idea. A 2000 study at Lafayette College showed that rhyming facilitates reason because from a linguistic standpoint rhymes are more easily received and processed in comparison to non-rhyming sentences.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Examples: \u201cAn apple a day keeps the doctor away,\u201d or, \u201cIf it doesn\u2019t fit, you must acquit\u201d (from the OJ Simpson trial).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pitch #4: The Subject-Line Pitch<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re sending a pitch through email, place the core pitch in the subject line. Make it intriguing, make it useful, and make it specific. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Example: \u201c3 Ways to Heal Your Childhood Wounds\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pitch #5: The Twitter Pitch<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Use Twitter and the character count limit on posts to make a pitch for your idea. Successful tweet pitches are engaging and actionable. A 2011 study on tweets showed that tweets with the lowest engagement are tweets complaining, self-interested tweets, and tweets that solely communicate presence with no substance. Tweets with the highest engagement are tweets with good questions, informative tweets, and self-promotion tweets (a sales pitch tweet that provides useful info or service).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pitch #6: The Pixar Pitch<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

This is your standard Hollywood film pitch that uses engaging narrative to inspire movement. It\u2019s concise, persuasive, and disciplined. This type of pitch is effective if the person receiving it feels like a creative collaborator. This requires the pitcher to come across as both creative and engaging enough that those receiving the pitch feel like contributing to their ideas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The template for the pitch is generally, \u201cOnce upon a time\u2026..one day\u2026..because of that\u2026..because of that\u2026.until finally.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here\u2019s a fully fleshed out example. \u201cOnce upon a time<\/strong> there was a young man who had no shoes. One day<\/strong>, he met a shoemaker. The shoemaker had an apprentice, but the apprentice quit. Because of that<\/strong>, the shoemaker was sad. The young man said he would love to learn how to make shoes. Because of that<\/strong>, the shoemaker offered him the apprentice job. He worked with the shoemaker all week until finally<\/strong>, he had a pair of shoes of his very own.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Additional Tips and Tricks<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Prepare for a pitch by answering these questions beforehand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n