A sales pitch isn’t always a polished presentation in a client’s office. Sometimes it’s a quick conversation or a follow-up email. Whatever format it takes, a sales pitch is all about sparking enough interest start the next merch project.
Mailshake’s Sujan Patel thinks about it like this: A sales pitch isn’t the full presentation or the closing conversation. It’s the wedge that opens the door. To get attention, the pitch needs to reference something specific and articulate a clear problem the prospect is facing. And most of all, it needs to propose a clear next step.
In this issue of PromoPro Daily, we share Patel’s 6 steps for writing sales pitches that get prospects to respond.
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Step 1: Research your prospect before you write a single word. Patel recommends spending just 5 minutes locating a specific detail about your prospect’s company, role or recent activity. The goal is to look for a trigger event — something that signals a problem you solve. If you skip this step, everything else falls flat.
Step 2: Name the problem they’re feeling. Open your pitch with the prospect’s pain, not your solution. This is where most reps get it wrong, Patel says. People pay attention when someone accurately describes a frustration they experience daily. Keep this to 1-2 sentences maximum.
Step 3: Present your solution as the bridge. Now connect the problem to your merch solution. Instead of listing features, Patel suggests describing the outcome your solution creates.
Step 4: Add some social proof. Patel believes that a single proof point is more persuasive than 3 paragraphs of claims. Mention a recognizable client, a specific result or a relevant metric. If you don’t have client-approved case studies, he says you could reference industry results or the number of companies using your merch. Something concrete always beats nothing.
Step 5: Deliver a clear CTA. Just ask for one thing, like a 15-minute call or if you can send them a case study. If you give them multiple options, you risk bogging them down. He suggests matching the CTA to the relationship stage. For example, cold outreach should ask for a conversation rather than a signed contract.
Step 6: Edit ruthlessly. Read your pitch out loud. If any sentence doesn’t earn the next sentence, cut it. For email pitches, Patel advises aiming for 75 to 125 words. For phone scripts, aim for 30 seconds of talk time before your first pause. A pitch that respects the prospect’s time signals professionalism and confidence.
A sales pitch isn’t about saying more but about saying the right things. Open with your client’s challenge and make it easy to take the next step. This is how you can build rapport and stand out as a merch expert.
Compiled by Audrey Sellers
Source: Sujan Patel is the founder of Mailshake, a sales engagement software.
