How do you research and qualify your prospects before your sales pitch?

Linkedin is a power source of information. Look at their page, their company page and try to find mutual connections and relevant information that could aid you. Engage with their post, find a champion that is close to your decision maker, but not directly involved in the process and ask questions to understand the company's priorities and challenges. If you have the money, buy a database to look at intent data, relevant news that would increase their score before even talking with the prospect. Search online for keywords that would indicate they are in the market for your solution. Think outside the box and find creative ways to add value that could be tied back to a first commitment with you.

There is nothing more frustrating in a pitch meeting than presenter who is unprepared. In my experience, a simple Google search and a review of their website might provide 2-3 key pieces of information to bring your unique insight to the conversation. However, sometimes your research needs to go a bit deeper, where superficial, obvious observations just won't cut it. Either way... Do your homework!

Know your audience inside and out. If you don’t understand who you’re talking to, your pitch will miss the mark. Always. Research their industry, challenges, and goals. The more you know, the better you can tailor your message to resonate with their specific needs.

Only some people are your customers. Once you realize this, life gets easier. If you know who your perfect customer is, you can then craft your sales pitches to those who will listen and have the budget to purchase.

A value proposition plays a crucial role in a business's marketing strategy. It goes beyond merely listing features as it connects what a company offers with what a customer needs. It aims to answer the question, "What do I gain from this?" In today's competitive market, a compelling value proposition focuses on relevance rather than just differentiation. The key lies in identifying customer pain points and positioning your product or service as the ultimate solution. Crafting a strong value proposition requires an understanding of your target audience, recognising your product's unique strengths, and then effectively communicating all these to your market.

It is vitally important at this stage to personalize and tailor your value proposition to the unique needs of the person (or buying group) you're presenenting to, based on their specific situation.

Craft your value proposition carefully. This is absolutely vital - if you can't verbailise your value, you're dead in the water. If you can’t clearly articulate why they need you, they won’t care. Really, they won't. Highlight what sets you apart and how you can solve their problems - what's actually in it for them? Not you. Your value proposition should be compelling and directly address their pain points. They will have some and if you don't know them, you'd best start asking.

If you know your audience, you can craft a value proposition to your target audience. In this value proposition, summarize what you offer, how you solve their pain points, and why you are better than your competition.

In my opinion, who you are is less important than how your solution/product/service specifically addresses and solves a challenge your prospect is facing. Focus the bulk of your attention and presentation on your prospect and their challenges.

Seriously, do this bit with precision. If your pitch is all over the place, you’ll lose them. Quickly. Start with a strong opening, know their needs, clearly define the relevance to them follow with a beautiful picture of an outcome, then end with a clear call to action and next steps. A well-structured pitch will them engaged and drives home your message. You dive in with the "let's talk about us, how great we are, how many awards we have blah, blah, blah" and forget it - there's the door, thanks for coming.

If you know your numbers, you can usually prequalify your prospects before investing much time. Once they have been prequalified, structure your pitch to address their pain points and how you can relieve them of that pain.

Research and qualify prospects by understanding their industry, pain points, and needs before the pitch. Deliver the pitch confidently and clearly, adapting to the communication channel. A salesperson may practice their pitch with colleagues and use visual aids to engage the prospect during a virtual presentation. Create a dialogue by asking open-ended questions and actively listening to feedback. Use positive body language, tone of voice, and eye contact to build rapport. A salesperson might maintain good posture and smile during a face-to-face meeting to convey enthusiasm. Demonstrate passion for the solution and how it can benefit the prospect. A sales rep may share success stories to showcase the value of their product or service.

One last important element is your ability to "read the room" throughout your presentation. Gauge the level of interaction and the body language (including facial expressions) of your audience. When necessary, pause to ask a "knowledge check" question to make you're still aligned each step of the way.

Be confident, not cocky. If you don’t believe in what you’re saying, neither will they. Practice until you can present smoothly and respond to questions effortlessly. Your delivery can make or break the effectiveness of your pitch. Know your stuff. Know their stuff. Bingo.

Following up is crucial. Make sure you agree on next steps at the end of your pitch, and keep your prospect politely accountable by reaching out in the agreed upon manner. I usually send an email as soon as I finish the meeting to recap what was said and the next steps, and follow up again within the next 7 days. The rule of thumb is: do what you said you would do, better and faster than expected. This will raise your credibility and build trust while minimizing the risk of falling out of their priorities.

Do this WITHOUT FAIL. And not just once... You're almost certainly going to be dealing with busy people. Be respectful but always ask, suggest next steps (again). Keep momentum, reiterate key points. A timely follow-up keeps you on their radar and increases the likelihood of closing the deal.

A structure of consistent, persistent follow-up in the late stages of your sales cycles will be the difference between winning and losing most deals. Be professional, but aggressive. Good luck and go get 'em!