Getting Them to Buy: The Two Most Important Pieces to the Sales Pitch

Why are some sales pitches more persuasive than others? Arethe salespeople just naturally more convincing, or do theyknow secrets about creating a sales pitch that the rest ofus don't?

Well, in most cases, convincing salespeople use specialelements within their pitches to help increase theirpersuasiveness. These elements are not heavily guardedsecrets, though they are not commonly discussed in generalconversation either.

Two of the most overlooked and forgotten elements to aneffective sales pitch are:

1. The Visualization Step
2. The Call-to-action

Each element is easy to create and incredibly persuasive ifdone correctly.

VISUALIZATION STEP - PUT THE BUYER IN THE PICTURE

A Visualization Step is a sentence (or two) which helps thepotential customer imagine or visualize what would happen ifthey did, or did not, do what you are trying to persuadethem to do.

People think in pictures, not words. It's so much easier toexplain something with a picture than it is with a set ofdirections.

Just think about the last time you put together a piece offurniture or constructed a toy for a child's birthday gift.Which was more helpful to putting the item togethercorrectly: the picture of the item on the box or the printeddirections? Of course, it was the picture.

Let's look at an example of how you could use avisualization step while selling a new product - SuperPrint.

"Imagine how much better your life would be if you used thenew SuperPrint product to handle all your printing needs -not only could you reduce your printing budget by up to 68%,you could also cut your printing time in half! What wouldyou do with all the extra money in your budget or theadditional time in your day?"

This example helps encourage the potential buyer to envisionher life if she did what you wanted her to do - buy theSuperPrint product. She should start imaging herself doingthe things she just can't seem to find the time for - likereading, taking a seminar, or working on a new project.

In fact, to help solidify the image in her mind, get answersfrom the potential client on what she would do with theextra time or money gained by not using other slower, moreexpensive printers. Once the customer uses her own words toexplain what would happen with the additional time or money,she is more likely to buy, buy, buy.

=======>>> "If you had an additional two hours a week, whatwould you do?"

=======>>> "If you had an additional $1,000 a month in yourbudget, how would you spend it?"

=======>> How would an additional $1,000 a month help yourcompany?

This approach makes it personal to the potential customerand her unique situation. If she uses the new SuperPrintproduct, she'll have more money and more time. What couldbe better than that?

Let's look at another example, one where you have topersuade someone to give something up for nothing. Thistough sales situation is one that non-profit organizationsdeal with all the time.

You work for a charitable organization that works to raiseawareness about the need to donate blood. Your job is toincrease the amount of blood which is donated every month,and therefore, you obviously want more people to bepersuaded to give blood.

You need to create a Visualization Step that will cause thepotential donors to think about all the wonderful thingsthat would happen if they did give blood, or all of theterrible things that would happen if they did not giveblood.

The visualization could sound something like:

"Think about your mother... brother... daughter... niece....What if they were in an accident and badly needed blood fora life-saving operation, but there wasn't enough bloodavailable for them to have this operation because too fewpeople donated blood? Donating blood could save the life ofsomeone you care about."

"If they don't donate blood, perhaps someone close to themmay die. If they do donate blood, someone close to them maybe saved."

Let's use selling a house as a third example.

As the potential buyer wanders through the house, you canuse the Visualization Step to get him to begin imaging whatlife would be like if he were to live in the house.

The potential buyer tells you he's a consultant and authorand that he's looking for a house where he can set up a homeoffice.

As you go through the house with the potential buyer, askhim, "Where would you put your office in this house?"

As he answers, he will start imagining where his office willbe, where he will put his desk, and where he will set up hisfiling cabinets.

Once he answers you, ask him why he chose that particularroom for his office.

This will make him think about his office in greater detail,imagining working in the office, looking out the window, andwriting his next best seller.

How can you use a Visualization Step to help persuade yournext audience?

CALL-TO-ACTION - TELL THE BUYER WHAT TO DO

In addition to a Visualization Step, you also need a Call-to-action in your persuasive speech. This is the easiest,yet most forgotten part of a persuasion speech.

A Call-to-action is simply telling the potential buyerexactly what you expect him to do once you finish yourpitch. It should be a simple, unambiguous statement whichcauses the buyer to act.

For example, referring back to the sales pitch on blooddonation, a Call-to-action could sound something like:

"Go to your nearest blood bank and donate blood today."

Referring to the SuperPrint product speech, the Call-to-action could be:

"Call the phone number today to order your SuperPrintproduct and start saving money and time!"

Referring to the house sale:

"Let's put in an offer now."

Each of these elements are effective by themselves but workmuch more effectively when used together. So manysalespeople use only one of these two elements and missopportunities to sell their product or service simplybecause the didn't get the potential client to imaginethemselves using the item or didn't ask for the sale.

Get your potential buyer to visualize what their life wouldbe like if they did (or did not) do what you want them todo, then hit them with the Call-to-action. If you use themeffectively and together, your close ratio should increaseas well as your commission check!

Kirstin Carey is a consultant, award winning speaker, and author of "PowHERful Communications for Women Who Want to be Heard." As a woman business owner, Kirstin fully understands what is necessary for women to be successful entrepreneurs. To find out how you too can love your business everyday and live the entrepreneurial life you want, visit http://www.powherful.com