Learn the differences between leads, prospects, and opportunities. Understand how to turn leads into prospects and opportunities.
A sales pitch is the long-form expression of your unique selling proposition (USP) that communicates the value of your offering to a prospect. Salespeople deliver soft sales pitches or shorter elevator pitches to prospects throughout the sales process, such as during a cold email or call. However, at the end of the nurturing phase of the sale, reps often deliver a more formal, final sales pitch via phone, email, or in-person meeting, transitioning the deal into the closing phase.
There is a specific structure you can follow to craft a formal sales pitch that effectively convinces a prospect to move into the closing phase of the sale. The crucial elements of the sales pitch are a segue from small talk into the pitch, the identification of the problem, an explanation of how a product or service will solve it, the benefits they’ll receive, and a CTA with next steps. It’s okay to rearrange components or add your own if you feel it produces a better pitch for you.
Below are the classic sales script elements and structure:
Typically, sales reps create one sales pitch script template that they can then tailor to fit each individual prospect before delivering it. This helps them sound confident while still allowing for personalization to each buyer’s unique situation. That said, we created a free sales pitch script article and template that you can tailor to each specific prospect you pitch.
If you’re looking for a smaller, more generic pitch that you can deliver to cold leads in under 30 seconds, check out our article about creating an elevator pitch. Most sellers choose to write the sales pitch first, then shorten it into an elevator pitch, but you can also write them separately.
There is a process you can follow to write a successful sales pitch. First, create your USP and build a sales pitch template. Next, pick which of your prospect’s problems and goals you’re going to focus on addressing in the pitch. Write down the costs of not solving the problem, the benefits of solving it, and an explanation of how your solution fixes the issue. Lastly, write your sales pitch script and then turn it into an elevator pitch.
More specifically, here are the eight steps to create a sales pitch:
Below, we've written a more in-depth explanation of the steps for creating your pitch:
Your USP describes why your product or service is better than the competition. Having a USP as your starting point makes writing the full sales pitch easier. We wrote a guide on how to create your USP. Check it out for the steps for writing one, including identifying your differentiator, turning it into the best USP, then using that USP in your messaging. Also included are the common value propositions expressed in the most effective USPs and examples from real companies for inspiration.
A sales pitch script is a customizable document that guides you in writing your pitch by telling you what main components you need to hit and what information about your prospect you should include. You can either use a premade script template and modify it to your needs, or you can start from scratch. If you build your own, ensure that you hit the five crucial elements of a sales pitch script (segue, problem, solution, benefits, and CTA).
Below is our free generic sales pitch script template:
Consider the prospect’s main goal and the key problem preventing them from reaching it. Review your notes, especially from the discovery call, and emails with your prospect to refresh yourself on their main issue and goal. Knowing these before you start writing will help you create a script that expresses your business’s value in a way that’s meaningful to this specific prospect.
Brainstorm ways that the prospect will suffer if they don’t buy your solution. Including this in the script will raise the stakes and give them more reason to purchase quickly. For example, a negative consequence of not fixing an outdated business website might be that visitors hop right off and head to the competition’s sites. Playing to your prospect’s fears and worries increases the likelihood that they’ll have an emotional response to your pitch.
Next, in 1–2 sentences, explain how your product or service works to remove this prospect’s main challenge. Before this formal pitch, you’ve likely already given them a demo or presentation, so keep the mechanics surface level. There’s no need to get overly technical. Just jog your prospect’s memory. Name the 1–2 relevant features or services that directly solve the issue. Including this in the pitch will help them believe that your solution makes sense and will work.
Think of three benefits that your prospect will receive once they buy the solution. Your marketing materials likely list numerous benefits of your product and service, but pick just the three that will relate most to your buyer. Relatable means they help the buyer reach their specific long-term goal or they are something the prospect has already mentioned they want.
For example, a prospecting tool rep selling a VP of sales might say “your team will find better leads, research them more quickly, and send better emails, enabling you to reach your revenue targets.” Placing three benefits in the pitch serves to further excite the prospect and raise the chances they say yes to the purchase when you ask for the sale at the end of your script.
Now, referencing all the notes you’ve jotted down, write out each of the sales pitch components we discussed earlier in this article. This is where you really dig into and personalize the segue, problem, solution, benefits, and CTA:
If you’re using a sales pitch template, you can simply fill it out, or just use it as a guide. Regardless of your approach, you should now have a written personalized sales pitch that you’ll be able to deliver to your prospect in 2–3 minutes. Also, consider checking out our article on unique sales pitch ideas culled from sales experts to find ways to enhance your current sales pitch.
Having an elevator pitch in your back pocket will make it easy for you to quickly explain the value of your product or service to a potential buyer when you’re short on time. Delivered in under 30 seconds, the elevator pitch keeps only the bare necessities of your sales pitch: the identification of a common problem you solve, how your product or service solves it, and a CTA. Check out our guide on how to create an elevator pitch for the exact steps and examples.
After you're comfortable with how you've written your sales pitch, it's time to prepare to deliver it to your prospect, then actually give your pitch with confidence.
Once your sales pitch is written, choose when to deliver it, practice saying it out loud, and set up the meeting space with any sales materials. Lastly, hold the sales meeting, begin with some small talk to lighten the mood, transition into and deliver your written pitch, and make your CTA.
These are the key details on the steps for delivering your sales pitch:
For more depth on these seven steps, expand the below:
You will likely deliver your formal, hard sales pitch at the end of the lead nurturing phase of the sale, when the prospect is already familiar with your solution and in a buying mood. But, how do you tell if the lead is in the mood to make the purchase? Refer to your call notes and history with the prospect and look for buying signals.
Below are some buying signals that indicate your prospect is ready to enter the closing phase:
Once you know it’s a good time to pitch, set a meeting with the prospect. This could be a phone call, in-person, or video conference meeting. Do what you find most comfortable. You might already have a meeting on the calendar if you closed out your last call in that way. If not, tell them you’d like to call to review the solution and answer their final questions. If they're as interested as you expect based on buying signs, they should accept.
Before your meeting with your prospect, practice saying your pitch out loud to yourself and to a peer a couple of times so that you memorize it. If you’re using a sales deck or other sales materials, practice with them as well. Also, if there’s a specific office room where you’ll pitch, practice in there so you start to feel comfortable in the space. When you practice, you’ll become more confident, emotive, and articulate, which will make your sales pitch more impactful.
You don’t need to have materials when you pitch, but some salespeople might use a visual aid such as a sales deck or a handout to make parts of the pitch more engaging or clear. They might also use props or recorded demos to better illustrate what they say during the pitch. For example, a SaaS salesperson might show a video of how a software feature solves the prospect’s specific problem after explaining it. If you go this route, set everything up beforehand.
Once you and your prospect are in a meeting together, initiate a bit of small talk before getting down to business. This lightens the mood. Small talk can be as simple as asking them what they’ve been up to in their personal lives since you last spoke. You could also bring up some industry news they might find interesting. Regardless of the topic, the goal is to get them in a friendly state of mind so that they’re more likely to trust you and say yes to your pitch.
The best way to start your sales pitch is to ask your prospect if they’d like to hear a recap of what you and they have learned throughout this sales process. The recap will be your pitch, highlighting their problem, how you solve it, and more. But this transition into the pitch is much smoother and softer than saying “Alright, I’m going to give you the hard pitch now.” Instead of setting up their defenses, the prospect should remain relaxed if you use a softer approach.
Here’s an example of how to start your sales pitch:
Segue into the sales pitch from free template
Now that the prospect has agreed to hear a recap of the sale so far, start delivering the pitch as you’ve memorized it. Begin by naming their goal, the problem you’ll solve for them, and the negative consequence of not fixing it. Then explain how your solution solves the issue, and share three desirable benefits they’ll receive if they decide to buy your product or service. At this point, they should be excited about the opportunity. All you have to do now is ask for the sale.
Delivery of the sales pitch from free template
Finish the sales pitch by briefly explaining the next steps in the purchasing process (e.g., you send over a contract). Then, ask the prospect if they’re ready to move forward with these next steps. This is a straightforward approach to asking for the sale that works well. If the prospect says no, they’ll tell you why, and then you’ll have to overcome objections. But, that’s okay. The objections illuminate a pathway to the close — you'll know the hurdles you have to overcome.
Strong CTA & next steps from free template
As you practice creating and delivering your sales pitch, you'll sound more natural to your prospects and should find more and more success.
Sales pitch examples can help you form your own sales pitch by providing you with inspiration, verbiage, and tactics. The below examples follow our ideal script structure for the most part. If the example pitches do invert or rearrange the structure, it’s only slightly. Read on to see sales pitches for products, services, marketing services, car sales, and insurance sales.
This example depicts a software salesperson pitching a CRM product to a prospect. It focuses on reminding the prospect about their needs and mentioning the features that provide for those needs. The pitch also follows the ideal sales pitch structure we laid out earlier. To end, the pitch asks the prospect if they’re ready to move forward with the next steps of the sale.
Segue Into the Sales Pitch: “To summarize, you told us that you need a better way to track your leads and clients because you’re currently using excel and this system is becoming incompatible with your growing business.”
The Key Problem: “Specifically, you mentioned you want to be able to score leads automatically because inbound leads have increased drastically, overwhelming your sales team.”
The Solution and How It Works: “Our CRM is therefore perfect for you. Not only does it have one of the easiest to use contact management features around. But, as you’ve seen, it also has an incredible lead scoring component that allows you to set up your own rules so that leads are marked qualified according to your standards. Plus, leads will be routed to the right sales rep automatically, according to the size of the account.”
The Benefits: “That means your sales team can spend less time trying to stay organized and vetting leads, and more time talking with qualified potential buyers.”
The Call-to-Action: “We’re very excited about the opportunity to serve your growing business, and we are confident in our ability to do so. That said, next steps would be to send over a proposal. Are you ready to move forward with this?”
This service sales pitch shows a plumber pitching a homeowner about their service after the plumber has evaluated and diagnosed the issue. The pitch describes the main problem, how they’ll solve it, and the cost, which the plumber justifies with the many benefits the homeowner will receive.
The Key Problem: “Alright, so I checked your pipes and it seems one is extremely clogged down in your basement. That’s what’s causing all the flooding in your sink and dishwasher.”
The Solution and How It Works: “To restore things to normal, I have to get in there, put the snake through, and clean up the mess. Now, our rate for this type of job is $250.”
The Benefits: “It’s well worth the price. Once it’s done, you’ll have full use of your sink and dishwasher, while also avoiding other possible problems like a backup and basement flood. And your pipes will be as good as new, so your system won’t need a procedure like this for a long time, if ever again.”
The Call to Action: “Next steps would be to get to work. I have all the tools I need for this job in the truck, and some free time on my schedule. How does that sound?”
This is an example of a service sales pitch that someone at a marketing or content agency might deliver to a prospect. It follows the ideal sales pitch structure by beginning with the prospect’s main issue and then telling them how the service will help them overcome the issue and provide other benefits that will help them reach their goal. The pitch ends with an assumptive call-to-action that asks the prospect when they want the contract sent over.
The Segue Into the Pitch and Problem: “So, Mike, from our multiple conversations it’s become evident that your team lacks the bandwidth to engage in the keyword research and writing necessary to create a blog that generates leads for your business.”
The Solution and How It Works: “And we found that our golden package, where we create a content plan and write eight posts per month, was the perfect way to build your blog.”
The Benefits: “In just 8–10 months, your website will have double the traffic, as we’ve done successfully for {Reputable Company A}, who's also in your industry. Not to mention, you’ll also have more content to send to potential leads and share on social media, both of which will help you reach your ultimate goal of generating more leads.”
The Call-to-Action: “That said, next steps would be for us to send a proposal outlining the specifics of the project. When would you like us to send this over?”
This car sales pitch example would likely be delivered at a dealership, either while standing next to the chosen car or sitting at the sales rep’s desk. The pitch focuses on reminding the prospect of what they wanted, then explaining how the chosen car satisfies those desires. Near the end of the pitch, it also uses an expiring 10%-off sale to create some urgency, which is helpful if a seller wants to close the deal at the lot before the prospect leaves to mull it over.
Because many people come into a dealership and leave with a car on the same day, this sales pitch jumps straight to starting and wrapping up a deal close rather than sending a proposal.
Restating the Prospect's Needs: “From our earliest conversations, you explained that you needed a car that wouldn’t break the bank by requiring repairs and frequent gas fill-ups. You wanted something reliable and energy efficient, because from past experience you know those costs add up.”
The Solution and Its Benefits: “We found that the {Car Model} fits your needs perfectly, and even has one of the best safety ratings in the industry — something I know family men like you and me prioritize. You took it for a test drive and loved it, and we’re currently in the middle of a 10%-off sale, ending in two days.”
The Call-to-Action: "Are you ready to move forward with the paperwork?”
This insurance product sales pitch example is one a health insurance salesperson might deliver to a prospect who is considering buying their plan. The main pain point the salesperson solves is the high cost of their current plan. The seller also brings up a few other features of the plan that the prospect mentioned in previous conversations. Effectively following the ideal pitch structure, this pitch should work to close an insurance deal.
The Key Problem: “So, one of your biggest problems with your current provider is that you feel you’re paying too much and receiving too little in return. After talking with you and learning about your situation and needs, I’m completely in agreement.”
The Solution, How It Works, and Benefits: “Our silver plan is 30% the cost of your current plan and offers you the free annual routine checkups you said you wanted as well as lower costs on your medications and a lower max out-of-pocket cost.”
The Call-to-Action: “That said, I think you’ll save a lot of money with this plan and also have better health care. Would you like me to go over the paperwork with you?”
As you can see, some of the examples follow the five-component script structure to a T, while others switch it up a bit so it's appropriate for the unique situation. When you create and fill out your script template, modify it to fit the needs of your business and your relationship with each prospect.
Whether you create your own sales pitch from scratch or use a template, there are some best practices you can follow to ensure it influences your prospects to make a purchase. They are speaking with confidence, name-dropping well-known customers, trying new sales pitch formats, and addressing common objections in your pitch. Let’s take a closer look at each tip.
If you follow the above tips, your sales pitch will progress toward optimization and you’ll progress toward mastery over it. Your quality pitch can then be used for other purposes, such as to help establish your product positioning.
Sales pitches are similar to investor pitches in that your goal is to convey the value of your product or service in roughly the same time and format. Sales pitches are different, however, in that the intended audience are prospective customers who may buy your solution, whereas investor pitches are intended for people looking to make an investment in your business for a return on their money. For more, check out this article on the do's and don'ts of investor pitches.
An elevator pitch is the shortened version of a full sales pitch. It can be stated in under 30 seconds when you have a time constraint, such as at a networking event. The sales pitch on the other hand is longer, typically 2–3 minutes in duration, and is delivered to later-stage prospects. Unlike the elevator pitch, which is general and appeals to almost any lead, the sales pitch is personalized and addresses the needs of one specific prospect.
Both, however, have the goal of moving a potential buyer forward in the sales process, and they do so by stating a problem, positioning their product or service as the solution, and making a CTA.
A sales pitch is a 2- to 3-minute long statement that explains to a prospect why they should buy a product or service. It usually falls toward the end of the lead nurturing phase, enabling the seller to personalize it to the prospect using information they’ve learned throughout discovery, presentations, and other conversations. Your sales pitch is often the most important short speech you’ll give in the sale and helps move prospects into the deal close phase, so make it count.
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