There’s no overestimating the importance of a good sales pitch — but where do the best pitch ideas come from? Do you always have to use sales pitch templates or is it better to do what feels best? And is there even a “right” way to sell something?
At the end of the day, it’s up to you and your teams to perfect your approach. Fortunately, there are plenty of good sales pitch examples out there to light the way.
Here’s how to make a sales pitch that really shines.
- What is a sales pitch and why is it important?
- What makes a good sales pitch?
- Types of sales pitch
- Mistakes to avoid while creating your sales pitch
- Craft your perfect sales pitch
What is a sales pitch and why is it important?
According to Merriam-Webster, a sales pitch is “a speech that is given […] to persuade someone to buy something.” Seems simple, right?
Not so fast.
The complexity comes in when you consider a few key parts of that definition:
- Format & pacing: How long should this pitch be? What format should it take?
- Interactivity & engagement: Should you talk the whole time, or can customers ask questions?
- Trust, credibility, & persuasion: What words do you use to establish trust, credibility, and persuade someone ? How much pressure is the right amount of pressure? What stats, testimonials, and other validation can you use to build trust?
- Someone: Who is the customer? What do they want? What do they not want?
- Something: What are you selling, what problem does it solve and how are you going to frame that?
That’s why it can be so difficult to know how to pitch a product: These variables mean there’s no “magic bullet” that will always win you a sale. Still, pitches are vital to customer experiences, relationships and potential transactions — so you can’t afford to wing it.
Instead, you need to find a template or approach that can be changed on the fly. The bones stay the same, but you dress them up in different ways depending on factors such as “who,” “what,” “why” and “how.”
Your mission is to build good bones — and that requires knowing what makes a good sales pitch.
What makes a good sales pitch?
Just a few factors are standing between compelling, memorable sales pitch ideas and totally forgettable ones:
Research
If you want to master the “who” and “why” elements of your pitch, it’s critical to research your target audience and create buyer personas. This helps you know how to tailor your message depending on buyer intent, job description, pain points and more.
Unique selling proposition
Your unique selling proposition, or USP, is the thing that makes you stand out from the crowd; it’s the “what” and “how.” In many ways, all sales pitch templates should be built around your USP — because otherwise, you could be selling any product or service in the world.
Goals
Clear goals and objectives help keep your pitch on track. They also give you an easy way to judge success after the conversation — and to make improvements where necessary.
Structure
A sales pitch should always follow some kind of structure, for the same reason good stories have clear plots: You don’t want to lose your listener. The most basic example is:
- Opening statement: This is your hook, where you get the customer’s attention or pique their curiosity.
- Body: Here, you’ll share specific details, stats, use cases or benefits that highlight your USP and put your product or service in the spotlight.
- CTA: The call to action inspires the customer to — you guessed it — take a specific action.
7 good sales pitch types
Need an example of a sales pitch? Look no further:
#1: Email sales pitch
All good sales pitch email examples have one thing in common: brevity. Here, powerful subject lines and preview text can work wonders — and simple, compelling body copy (ideally with bullet points) is your best friend. Most of the power rests on an eye-catching CTA button with clear value for your reader.
Example:
Hey [Recipient’s Name],
Hope you’re doing well. I came across your [work/article/profile] recently and was genuinely impressed. Would love to chat and share some ideas around [helping you solve Y problem]. Are you up for a virtual coffee next week?
Cheers, [Your Name]
#2: Phone pitch/cold call script for B2B sales
Business-to-business or B2B sales pitch examples are a little more difficult to pin down, particularly when they’re done over the phone. Cold calls can still work — they should just be highly personalized, relevant, and full of immediate value.
“Hey [Recipient’s Name], it’s [Your Name] here from [Your Company/Organization]. I stumbled upon your [work/profile/website] recently, and [X specific thing] caught my attention. Got a quick moment to chat?”
#3: Sales presentation pitch
If you go looking for sales pitch presentation examples, you’ll probably find a whole lot of PowerPoint. That’s not a problem, but it can be a limitation if you don’t follow best practices. Focus on creativity and clarity, keep your customer’s attention, and use the format to your advantage (that is, don’t just read exactly what’s written on your slides — let the media enhance your message).
What a great sales deck should include:
- Strong opening: Capture your audience’s attention immediately. Start with a compelling customer story or fact related to your product or service.
- Problem statement: Clearly identify the problem your product or service solves.
- Solution: Introduce your product or service as the solution to the previously stated problem.
- Benefits: Highlight the key benefits of your product or service, and how it stands out from competitors.
- Testimonials and case studies: Showcase success stories or quotes from satisfied clients or customers.
Product Demo or - Screenshots: If applicable, visually demonstrate how your product works.
- Pricing and packages: Clearly lay out the cost and what’s included.
- Team: Introduce key team members and their credentials, especially if they add credibility to your offering.
- Call to Action: End with a clear CTA, whether that’s scheduling a follow-up meeting, starting a free trial, or another desired next step.
- Contact Information: Always include an easy way for potential clients or investors to reach out.
#4: In-person sales pitch
In-person pitches present unique opportunities for connection. You can use tone indicators and body language cues that might not work as well in other formats — plus, you can read these same things from your customer. Build these pitches around real-time interactions and physical examples or visual aids where possible.
- Build rapport: Utilize face-to-face interactions to create a personal connection. Start with small talk, read body language, and establish trust
- Physical materials: Take advantage of tangible materials like brochures, samples, or prototypes.
- Engage with demos: Live product demos can be more interactive. Let prospects touch, use, or experience your product/service.
- Read the room: Observe audience reactions and adjust your pitch on-the-fly based on their body language and facial expressions.
- Q&A: Spontaneous questions can arise, and you have the opportunity to address concerns immediately.
- Venue considerations: Think about the location’s logistics, seating arrangements, audio/visual capabilities, and potential distractions
#5: Elevator pitch
An elevator pitch summarizes a lot of details in a short period of time — which means it has to be informative and compelling at the same time. Prioritize the most important, interesting, or valuable parts of your story and leave the details for a longer conversation.
Here’s an example of an elevator pitch you can use in your own outreach:
“Hi, I’m Alex from AquaPure.
Did you know that over 2 billion people lack access to safe drinking water? Our portable, eco-friendly water purification system can purify any freshwater source in just 30 seconds, making it safe to drink.
We envision a world where clean drinking water is always within reach, no matter where you are. Imagine the impact we could make together!”
This pitch is effective because it:
- States the problem: Highlights a significant global issue.
- Introduces a solution: Describes the product’s unique selling point.
- Invokes emotion: The idea of making a positive change in the world.
- Ends with a Call to Action: Invites the listener to be part of the solution
#6: Follow-up sales pitch
When making a follow-up sales pitch, the focus is on continuing, expanding, and enriching a conversation to close more deals. That means you want to recall specific details from the previous interaction and respond intuitively to approaches that worked.
Subject: Thank you for Yesterday’s Discussion – Next Steps for [Your Product/Service]
Hello [Recipient’s Name],
I hope this email finds you well. Firstly, thank you for taking the time yesterday to discuss [Your Product/Service]. I appreciate your insights and feedback on how it aligns with [Recipient’s Company’s objectives/needs].
To recap our conversation:
- Benefit A of our product can address [specific challenge they have].
- Our recent success with [similar company or case study] showcases the results you can anticipate.
- I’ve attached [a case study, product specs, trial version, etc.] for your further consideration, as discussed.
You had a great question about [specific question]. I’ve looked into this and [provide a detailed answer or solution].
#7: Social media pitch
With internet users worldwide spending an average of 151 minutes per day on social media, this is a perfect chance to reach customers where they’re at. Social media pitches should be slightly less formal, more action-oriented and — above all — brief.
Here’s an example of a social media pitch:
Hi [Recipient’s Name],
I hope this message finds you well. I’ve been following [Company’s Name] and am truly impressed with your recent [specific campaign or content piece, e.g., “brand relaunch”]. As a Content Marketing Strategist with over 7 years in the industry, I’ve assisted brands like [Brand A, Brand B] in boosting their online engagement by an average of 40%.
I see potential areas where [Company’s Name] could further enhance its content reach and engagement, especially in [specific area, e.g., “interactive content” or “SEO-driven blog posts”]. I’d love to discuss a few strategies that could align with your current efforts and drive tangible results.
Would you be open to a brief call or discussion next week? I promise to keep it concise and value-packed.
Best regards,
[Your Name]
Mistakes to avoid while creating your sales pitch
Fine-tune your sales pitch templates with these 10 tips:
Do
Don't
Craft your perfect sales pitch
At the end of the day, all the B2B sales pitch examples in the world won’t make a difference if you don’t have the right content management and sales enablement solutions on your side. Fortunately, Mindtickle is here to help.
By providing the perfect coaching and training to your reps, Mindtickle helps you master the “who,” “what,” “why” and “how.” Deliver the right content at the right time, learn from previous conversations, and help your teams bring sales pitch templates to life.
Train all your sellers on the perfect pitch
Connect with our team to see how Mindtickle will help you build a team of sellers who can deliver the perfect pitch each time.
Get a DemoThis post was originally published in September 2023 and was updated in May 2024.
By Helen Waite
By Rahul Mathew