How to create a sales pitch (examples + templates)

What is a sales pitch?

A sales pitch is a brief summary that introduces the product or service to a prospective customer. Its main goal is to grab their attention and keep them engaged throughout the discussion. Sales pitches are typically brief and direct and differ significantly from sales presentations.

A sales pitch meets the customer's needs and conveys the value proposition of your product or service. It's not just about talking to the prospect but engaging them in a meaningful conversation to build a relationship.

The most effective sales pitches involve mutual interaction and an attempt to establish a rapport with the prospect, not just you talking to them. You can make your pitch both unique and personalized.

There’s a certain point in a sales rep’s career when things seem to click and get a little easier. It’s when they stop pitching their solutions and start having conversations about their solutions.

John Barrows, sales guru

When creating a sales pitch, it's crucial to understand your potential clients and their emotional appeal. Some prospects may prefer a direct and assertive approach, while others prefer an indirect one. As a sales rep, it is important to tailor a sales pitch as per the prospect’s preference.

Remember that investing time in understanding your client's preferences and needs can greatly contribute to building a long-lasting business relationship.

How to write a compelling sales pitch in 9 simple steps 

Understanding your target audience, recognizing their pain points, and optimizing your message to appeal to them are necessary for crafting an effective sales pitch. It's about presenting your offering's value proposition in an understandable, concise, and compelling way.

Below are some key sales principles that are critical when making perfect sales pitches:

Step 1: Understand your customer 

As a sales rep, the first and foremost step you should take is to understand your audience. Start with customer profiling to understand your potential buyers, whether they are a 50-year CEO or a 25-year sales professional. This will help you adapt your tone and tailor your pitch to your audience's specific needs, preferences, and pain points. Your pitch should capture their pain point and hit the right note to grab the audience’s attention. It's about crafting a message that not only addresses their challenges but also offers a solution. By doing so, you capture their attention and lay the foundation for a meaningful conversation that can lead to a mutually beneficial partnership.

Step 2: Start with a hook

Capture the attention of the potential buyers from the very beginning. Begin with a powerful statement, a problem, or a compelling statistic. The goal is to engage your prospect right away. Starting your cold call with a hook promises more attention from your prospect.   

Some sales reps start their sales pitch by introducing their product, but this approach falls short. Start with what your prospect resonates with the most. Once you have their attention, you can introduce your product and deliver a successful sales pitch. 

Step 3: Identify the user’s problem

Before making a sales pitch, it’s important to understand your prospect’s problem. What issue are they facing? What keeps them up at night? Once you understand these pain points, you will have a direction for your pitch.

Most importantly, your focus should not be on the benefit of the product but rather on how these problems can be solved.  The focus is not on your product features but rather the critical challenges your prospects are facing.

Start by asking the right questions and engage in active listening during conversations with the prospect. The more you learn about your audience's struggles, the better equipped you'll be to tailor your pitch to address their specific needs.

Additionally, the emotional aspect of their problem should be considered. Beyond the practical implications, how does it make them feel? Frustrated, anxious, or dissatisfied? Acknowledging and empathizing with these emotions in your pitch can establish a deeper connection with your prospect.

Demonstrating that you understand their pain lays the foundation for building trust and credibility, setting the stage for a successful sales conversation.

Step 4: Pitch your solution

After understanding the problem, start pitching how your product solves such issues. Draft your message so that it directly addresses their challenges and illustrates how you can provide a better solution.  

To avoid overwhelming your audience with unnecessary information, focus on the most compelling aspects of your offering. Present your product or service as the ideal solution to the identified problem.

Lastly, communicate the benefits of choosing your product. Focus on how it improves their lives, solves their problems, or saves time and resources.

Step 5: Back your claim with results and data

After you have discussed their problems and pitched your solution, now is the time to build credibility. One effective way to do so is to back your claim with data. For example, it can be significant if you pitch a product that promises to generate leads, showcase success stories, or present the number of leads you’ve helped the brand achieve. 

If you are pitching a product that increases the number of leads, showcase success stories of a brand that you helped previously. Show by how many percentage points you increased their leads by.

As per a report, about 95% of customers read reviews before making a purchase

With this number in mind, make sure facts and statistics support your sales pitch. Ensure your sales pitch includes testimonials and case studies to show the real impact of your business. Offering a solution to their problem is not enough; anchor your sales pitch with enough social proof and results. If your product has helped other people, let your prospects know. 

Step 6: Tailor and personalize every sales pitch 

Tailor your pitch to the individual needs and preferences of each prospect. Use every possible detail to understand your prospects and personalize your sales pitch to meet their expectations. 

Remember, you are talking to a human and not a robot. A person does not solely make buying decisions based on logic; emotion plays a crucial role.  So, creating an emotional connection with your prospect increases your chances of cracking that deal. A great way to connect with your prospect is to use words that evoke emotions like excitement, joy, relief, or satisfaction.

Step 7: Keep it concise

Always remember that your prospect may not have time or be interested in your sales pitch. Therefore, before bombarding your prospect with information, keep your pitch concise and brief. One effective strategy is to start with a question; it keeps the prospect involved and engaged from the beginning. 

Throughout the pitch, remain attentive to the prospect's cues and feedback. Encourage dialogue and invite questions to ensure the conversation remains dynamic and relevant to their interests.

Step 8: Built a connection 

To establish a strong connection with your audience, be personable, empathetic, and genuine. Show them that you understand their concerns and are genuinely interested in helping them.

Once you've established this connection, make your pitch relatable by incorporating storytelling. Storytelling creates an emotional connection and reinforces the value proposition.

However, authenticity is key throughout the communication process. Be genuine and transparent in your communication. Being genuine and transparent builds trust, and paying attention to audience cues allows you to adapt your approach based on their reactions and feedback.

Step 9: Measure the result and refine your sales pitch

Another crucial step is refining your sales pitch. As it's well said, practice makes perfect. If you have made a few sales pitches but failed to convert, it's time to analyze. See where you are going wrong. For instance, If you’re sending an email, check the analytics of your cold email, to understand where it is lagging. 

Create a checklist of do’s and don’ts. See what you are missing out on in your existing cold emails and try to create a new and better version. 

Ways to improve your sales pitch 

• Seek feedback 

• A/B testing

• Iterate and adapt

• Track metrics

Regularly assess the effectiveness of your pitch and make adjustments based on customer feedback and market dynamics.

These are some of the major components of great sales pitches, so ensure yours is always on point. 

5 pro tips to get your sales pitch right

1. Don't pitch features, pitch benefits

The first and foremost tip any expert would give is never to pitch product features. Instead, share the benefits and impact the product will have on your prospect’s life. Focus on the value proposition for the customer rather than simply listing the product’s features.

While features describe what a product or service does, benefits explain how those features solve the customer's problems or fulfill their needs. 

2. Don’t just speak, converse 

Don’t just speak; have a conversation with your prospect. Keep them actively involved by asking questions such as, "Do you think this solution can solve your problem?" or "Will it help streamline your operations?" Or anything else to keep them interested and intrigued. 

It will give you an insight into their thought process as you pitch, so you can adjust if necessary.

3. Modulate and practice tone

A sales pitch is sometimes called an elevator pitch, and it indicates the limited time you have. Practice what you can convey in a minute. Modulate and condense your pitch to perfectly pit in the time frame.

Most importantly, change your tone/pace to emphasize what's most important. Practice to finally get a perfect sales pitch for your business. 

4. Write down your pitch

Follow the steps discussed above to create your own compelling sales pitch. Start by penning down benefits you want to talk about and go on to make a conversation. 

Writing will allow you to craft a product pitch directly targeting your audience. This will also help you efficiently optimize your pitch as and when needed.

5. Don’t forget to follow up

An effective sales pitch extends beyond the first meeting. The immediate goal isn't always to make a sale but rather to have another opportunity for a brief meeting. After the first meeting, get in touch with the lead again. 

Once you've scheduled your follow-up meeting, ensure you stay in touch with your prospect. After demonstrating your solution, it's time for your call to action. 

Whatever actions you expect the prospective clients to take, make it clear in your call to action. Using a compelling call-to-action at the end signals prospects that you are confident your solution is right for them. 

Actionable tips and techniques to deliver your sales pitch

A sales pitch is a brief summary that introduces the product or service to a prospective customer. Its main goal is to grab their attention and keep them engaged during the entire discussion. Sales pitches are typically brief and direct and differ greatly from sales presentations.

Successful sales pitches attract customers and help you make a sale. They promptly address a concern and spark curiosity by resonating with potential customers. To achieve this, sales reps must employ various effective sales pitch strategies and persuasion techniques to stand out. 

1. Start with a question: Starting a sales pitch with a question interests your potential customers and quickly grabs their attention. This approach is particularly effective for strategies targeting the top of the sales funnel.

2. Keep it short but effective: Another lead-generation strategy for the top of the sales funnel involves crafting a brief product pitch that initiates a conversation.

3. Talk data: Talk in numbers and state how much profit they could make by using your products or how your existing clients have performed so far. 

4. Tell a story: Don’t just talk about your product or service; this does not form a good sales pitch. Instead, tell a story. Storytelling is the art of conveying information or ideas through narrative, engaging the audience emotionally and intellectually to communicate a message.

Creating a great sales pitch is different from delivering it. These techniques will help you amp up your game and get the prospect’s attention in no time. 

5 best sales pitch examples from top brands

Now, let's dive into some sales pitch examples that you can use as inspiration for crafting your own. Whether you're pitching to investors, clients, or potential partners, these tried-and-tested formulas can help you make a strong impression and achieve your goals throughout the sales process.

1. Apple

In this sales pitch example, Apple, the well-known innovative tech brand, employs a powerful storytelling method. They begin by setting up a clear problem statement and tapping into prospective customers’ emotions, such as security concerns and limited time. Then, they skillfully position themselves as the solution.

Apple's sales pitch highlights its powerful security feature and emphasizes other key features, such as Apple Facetime, Apple Maps, reminders, and DND

2. Volvo

Volvo embraced safety as its USP, countering how most carmakers saw things in the past. 

This marketing campaign demonstrated Volvo's conviction in its product and served as a classic example of how trust in your product reflects in your sales pitches. 

If you are a sales rep and trust your product, it will also be reflected in your sales pitches. The ad campaign won numerous awards, which signifies its creativity and effectiveness in grabbing attention.

3. G2

G2 Crowd proves that a sales video can be powerful with a clear message. They ditch feature overload and focus on the benefits that matter to you. In 20 seconds, you'll understand how G2Crowd can solve your problems.

This laser focus on value grabs attention quickly and ensures viewers understand G2Crowd's worth within seconds. It's a powerful reminder that effective communication isn't about length but clarity and impact.

4. Dallas Mavericks

Mark Cubin’s perspective on attending a Dallas Mavericks game extends beyond a mere list of features—it's about immersing oneself in an unforgettable experience. 

He emphasizes that such experiences surpass conventional forms of entertainment, like movies, offering invaluable moments to cherish with family. Mark underscores a societal shift towards prioritizing experiences over material possessions, citing a study by Expedia in which 74% of US respondents favored experiential spending. 

In this context, he advocates for selling not just the product but the emotions and memories it evokes—a strategy that resonates deeply in an era where the experience holds more value than the product itself.

Watch Mark Cubans best ever-sales pitch

5. Wix

In this sales pitch, Wix addresses the difficult task of creating a website from scratch by offering a solution accessible to anyone. 

The sales pitch highlights the ease of getting your site up and running with a tailored creation experience. Users can effortlessly add necessary elements for their business and choose a design that reflects their style. The platform allows for complete customization, ensuring every detail aligns with the user's vision. Moreover, users can elevate their website with advanced animations and videos to captivate their audience.

These are some great sales pitch examples that clearly outline the importance of the problem statement and the solution you can use to overcome such hurdles.

Proven sales pitch templates that work

There is no one perfect sales pitch. Every product, customer, and service needs that specific hook that makes a winning pitch. These sales templates are designed to help you get started, but make sure to personalize them using the above-mentioned strategies.  

1. Cold email sales pitch

Hi [Propect Name], 

I'm [Your name] from [Your company]. I understand that managing [Industry Challenge] can be a real headache for businesses like yours.  Are you currently struggling with [Specific pain point]?

At [Your company], we offer [Your product/service], which helps companies like yours [Benefit 1] and [Benefit 2]. In fact, a recent study showed that [Statistics about the benefit].

We achieve this through [Unique selling point]. Would you like a quick demo to see how [Your product/service] can help you specifically?

Example

Subject: Streamline your sales pipeline with Freshsales CRM

Hi James,

I came across your company's impressive growth recently and wanted to see if you're facing any challenges managing your sales pipeline.  At many fast-growing companies, keeping track of leads and opportunities can become a bottleneck.

At Freshsales, we offer comprehensive solutions for all your sales and marketing problems. This powerful yet easy-to-use CRM platform helps businesses like yours [Benefit 1] close more deals faster and [Benefit 2] improve team collaboration. Freshsales offers features like sales pipeline management, contact management, and more.

If it is something that excites you, let’s catch up and discuss this further. 

Best Regards

2. Elevator pitch template

Hi [Name], 

Did you know [Statistics related to their industry]?  Many [Target audience] struggle with [Common pain point].  At [Your company], we [Your product/service] help by [Benefit 1] and [Benefit 2].  Unlike others, we [Unique selling proposition].  Would you be open to a quick chat to see if it could be a good fit for you?

Examples

Hi Jacob, it's so lovely to meet you! 

Did you know that the automobile industry is projected to grow to $3969.84 billion by 2030? With the increasing demand for innovative solutions, this sector has a significant opportunity for investment.

Many investors like yourself understand the potential of the automobile industry yet struggle to find the right opportunities to capitalize on this growth. At Car-O-Tech, we've developed a technology that would change the driver's experience while driving.

Unlike traditional automotive companies, we're changing the industry with our future-ready and advanced electric vehicle technology, autonomous driving solutions, and sustainable manufacturing practices.

With enhanced safety features, increased efficiency, or reduced environmental impact, we're excited to impact the market significantly.

I believe that an investment in Car-O-Tech could be a great opportunity for you. Would you be open to a quick chat about how our innovative approach aligns with your investment goals?

3. Social media outreach template

"Hi, Avery. I noticed that we have a mutual connection—Christina Delgado. She’s a customer of ours. Her company increased its blog visitors by 20% by leveraging our solution. Since you also manage a blog, I assume you would also like to see similar results on your team. 

Would you like to hear more?

- Kaitlyn"

4. Cold call/ Sales call template

Hi [Prospect name], this is [Your name] from [Your company].

I understand that many companies in the [Industry] are struggling to manage customer data efficiently. Has this been something you've encountered at [Prospect’s Company]?

(Listen to their response)

At [Your company], we offer [Your product], a user-friendly CRM platform that helps businesses like yours centralize customer data, streamline communication, and improve sales efficiency.  This can help you [Benefit 1: Close more deals faster] and [Benefit 2: Improve customer satisfaction].  A recent study showed that companies using a CRM saw a 20% increase in sales.  Unlike other options, [Your CRM product] offers a user-friendly interface and integrates seamlessly with popular tools like [Popular integrations].

(Listen to their response)

Would you like a 15-minute demo to see how [Your CRM product] can specifically address your needs at [Prospect Company]?

Convert your prospects into clients

A great sales pitch is a dynamic, engaging conversation that puts the customer at the center. By understanding their needs, articulating a compelling solution, and delivering a persuasive presentation, you create an opportunity for a meaningful connection and successful sales outcomes. It's about building relationships and demonstrating the value you bring to the table.

To streamline this process and enhance your sales efforts, consider using a powerful tool like Freshsales CRM. With its intuitive interface, robust features, and seamless integration capabilities, Freshsales enables you to manage leads, track interactions, and nurture relationships easily.