In Tuesdays Email, I went through how I sell B2B, but I didn't go deep into what I actually say to seal the deal.
So, here's my secret to landing new clients/customers every single time: "sentence stems".
What is a "sentence stem"? It's a way to effectively setup the beginning of a sentence. I use them to frame my pitch to be informative, interesting and brief.
If you're in DTC or something consumer facing you might not think this applies to you, but you can use these in ads, partnership pitches or meetings with your team.
Let's get into it.
Here are my personal stems and examples of how to use them:
Always start with a story about why you built this product or service. Keep it brief, around 1 minute. Make sure that the listener gets the inspiration for why this exists.
Describe what the person is looking at (the screen/image/feature). Just because you are super familiar with it do NOT assume they will be!
This helps them get centered/their bearings before getting into the details.
Briefly hit on the details and implementation of the product or feature you just described. Give them additional context, but keep it BREIF.
While explaining how it works, share some of they "sexy" tech jargon (Is it built in React? Does it process a ton of data?) Again, keep it brief, but weave it in.
THIS IS THE MOST IMPORTANT PART OF THE DEMO!
Prep a story or specific example. Find something real and authentic! Don't make it dry or boring.
Imagine the listener will get off your call and someone will ask them "How'd your meeting go?". They're going to have to describe the "differentiators" of your product or service. Don't make them wonder or guess, be explicit!
This is the most often forgotten part of the sales pitch...even if you have revolutionary technology. Answer "SO WHAT?"
Show me the money. Make sure the dots connect for them!
Don't forget the roadmap and tease what else is on your mind. People choose partners, not products. They want to know where you're going and if they can see themselves riding along.
See it in action:
Most things can be demo'd in a good 5min. Use these stems and give the listener all the relevant info, but keep it brief.
Here's an example of a script I wrote for an old Kahani demo:
Reply to me with how you're going to use stems in your next pitch!
Jesse