Tips For Presenting a Successful Sales Pitch & Preparing For Your Meeting

Working in Sales for over a decade of my life now has armed me with many skill sets both for my professional and life toolkit. 

Whether it be time management, overcoming adversity, or knowing how to turn something negative into a positive, the sales world, no matter where you fall within it, is a beast of an industry. 

As the Director of Sales Training at Mondo, I’ve worked with hundreds of new hires over the years and have had exposure with some of our biggest clients. 

Whether you’re about to meet with a Hiring Manager for the first time, interviewing for a job, or calling a potential candidate, one of the most common questions I get asked daily is: “How can I set myself apart?”

The simple answer is… be PREPARED. 

6 tips to best prepare for a first pitch meeting

There are several ways to ensure you’re prepared for a pitch meeting to ensure success: doing your research beforehand, finding ways to connect with your audience, being crystal clear on your proposition and by practicing active listening.

Do your research before your pitch

Before a meeting, either via Zoom, in person, or just a phone call, it’s important to do your research not just on the person you are meeting with, but the company they work for entirely. 

Read the ‘About Page’ on the company website to understand the company’s mission, motivators, and initiatives. 

As a Sales Rep who is trying to bring in new business, going to the career page on the company’s website or on LinkedIn, to understand what types of positions the company has open, will help you to identify where the budget is being allocated even before meeting with the Hiring Manager. 

Find a connection point with your audience

It’s important to take the time to try to find some middle ground with your prospect.

Think of this as something that you can bring up in your meeting as an icebreaker or conversation starter or filler to help build your relationship and make you stand out from others. 

I’ve always advised my trainees to look through the prospect’s LinkedIn page. Where did they go to college? Do you have any mutual connections? Have they written any posts in the last 30/ 90 days? What articles have they shared? 

Know your proposition

As the salesperson, you know the product or service you’re trying to sell like the back of your hand, and if you’re any good at your job, you know that’s not what sets you apart… 

Whether it’s bringing in new business or finding the perfect candidates for an open role for one of your clients, you must always understand your prospect’s “why” or purpose for even meeting with you. 

When you truly understand their why and motivators is when doors open. 

At Mondo, we like to call this the WIIFM – “What’s in it for me?” 

When you take a step back and truly think about it, that’s the first question we all ask ourselves anytime we’re being sold to, “What is in it for me?” 

Come prepared with clear collateral

Living in the digital/ remote world that we’re in, it’s important to use visuals. This will enhance your meeting by elevating the fact you are the subject matter expert and create a memorable experience for your prospect.  

A branded deck, one sheeter, or even Salary Guide goes a long way!

Have targeted questions prepared

Meetings should be conversational and relaxed. Think about the 80/20 rule. Your prospect should be doing 80% of the talking while you do only 20%. 

It’s important your prospect feels heard and understood. The only way to do that is by actively listening. 

Through active listening and storytelling, you want to cover the 5 W’s, and have questions prepared based on the objective of each “W.” 

The 5 W’s of running a meeting:

1. Who: Is this person the right contact?
2. What: Positions they are or will be hiring for? 
3. Where: Geographical hiring locations? 
4. When: Timeline for hiring based on info gathered about the current market state, company initiatives, etc. 
5. Why: Prospects motivators and reasons for hiring? 

Practice active listening 

As I mentioned above, part of being a business owner is active listening and asking follow-up questions for your audience’s benefit. Be direct, be authentic, and be YOU. 

No matter what your sell is as a salesperson, there’s an easy talk track I always tell new hires in any sales role to use when kicking off their meetings.

Sales talk track intro for pitch meetings: 

“I want to use this time to hear from you on (whatever the objective of the meeting is). I want to learn from you and better understand and provide you with solutions.” 

Not only does this talk track help set the agenda for the meeting, but it makes the prospect feel seen off the bat.  

How to know you’ve had a successful meeting

A successful meeting results in action. Whether it’s building your network or working together immediately, you know you’ve had a successful meeting if you and your prospect are in agreement with continuing the conversations and partnership.

This is likely due to the fact that you’ve been able to give the prospect clear “WIIFM”, you’re aligned on the prospect’s 5 W’s, and you’ve managed to secure another meeting. 

How to prepare for your follow-up pitch meeting

Follow-up meetings are just as, if not MORE important than meeting someone for the first time. 

During a follow-up meeting is when your knowledge of the prospects’ wants and desires are really tested because this is where your prospect can tell if you were actively listening to what they told you in the first meeting. 

To master this skill, I always teach trainees to come prepared with updated collateral based on previous conversations. 

Furthermore, reach out to your prospect weeks BEFORE your scheduled follow-up meeting with market insights or updates that made you think of them based on your original conversations. 

Whether that means sending your prospect sample resumes, job descriptions, or informing them of market insights that could add value to their day-to-day, you are doing your due diligence to form a relationship with this person.

How to have a successful pitch meeting

Pitch meetings are a great way to establish yourself as an expert in your industry and build relationships with potential prospects.

Through careful preparation and practice, you can master the art of pitching and gain valuable insight into the wants and needs of each prospect.

Above all, it’s about being yourself. Prospects want to work with YOU, not what you’re selling. It’s important to remember that and let that guide you in your conversations.

Be transparent, be genuine, and make sure to give them a call to action by the end of the meeting.

Don’t forget that your goal is to establish trust with this person and have them walk away feeling like they just had an excellent conversation with an expert in their industry.

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