Selling Your Product

Objectives: What you will learn

The importance of making an instant connection to an audience – and the value of doing research about them beforehand.

• How to make a 30-second sales pitch.
• How to create a story for an audience of one or 1001.
• Some thoughts about the content of the story.
• What to keep in mind during your presentation: you as presenter.
• How to write your story.

Once Upon a Time...

We’ve all heard these words. As soon as we hear them, it sets up in our mind an idea of the type of story that is about to be told, and makes us want to know what comes next. It is a powerful phrase, and one that many cultures utilise: ‘the formulation is as near to universal as they come’ (Konnikova 2012). It makes an immediate connection. It could be said that it creates in the audience the mood that the storyteller needs to enable their story to bear results.

When you wish to have someone buy what you are selling, you need to make an immediate connection. Referring to something familiar to your audience helps to set up a desire in them to know what you’re going to say next. You then can go into your sales pitch.

In my Creative Writing class many years ago, the lecturer kept reminding us to ‘show, don’t tell’. That is, tell a story: create a picture in words that your audience can relate to, rather than just setting out the facts. This module is designed to help you a little with that process, so that when you have to get your message across quickly and easily, you can, and in a way that your audience can relate to.

Who is Your Audience?

An audience can be someone who listens to you; reads what you have written; looks at a website or advertisement or brochure; watches a video or movie or television show that you have created. They are customers and potential customers: not necessarily only those people who are going to spend money to buy what you are selling, but also those people who wish to learn something from you, or gain an experience from you. In this module, the two terms (audience and customer) are used interchangeably.

What is Your Product?

The term ‘product’ is used here to cover a product, a process, a service, an idea, a theory, or yourself. It might just be the information that you wish to ‘sell’ to your audience, that is, what you want them to know or learn.

Making the Connection

Telling a story that is relevant to your audience, and makes the right impact, starts with making a connection with them. Each audience will be different, and the things in which they are interested will be different. Each audience will need a slightly different approach to link them with you and what you are selling. So, how do you know how to connect with your audience – to hook them with your ‘once upon a time’? Here are some ideas to help:

• Know your audience. If you know who is going to comprise it (especially if it is only a few people) do some research about each of them beforehand.
• If you are making a pitch to a club or company, in your first few words say something positive about the club or company, preferably from your own experience.
• Or mention something they produce: ‘I was one of those weird kids who enjoyed eating broccoli...'
• Note and mention the profession of the people who comprise your audience: primary producers, medical professionals, or engineers, tradespeople, students, academic staff, politicians.
• If it is a panel, note who is on it. If you know beforehand who it will be, do a little research on each of them. Know your customer, and what they may be likely to ask you.
• Remember something positive that someone in your audience said to you just prior to your pitch. They may have mentioned the weather, or a sport or hobby. You can make a quick reference to it, tying it to your sales pitch. For example, ‘I know what I am about to tell you is better than the weather’.
• Note if your audience has a particular item, such as an electronic device, and mention it: ‘I see you all have a mobile phone: this app will help make your life better because...'
• Mention a subject in the news (but it is usually wise to avoid any mention of politics, sex, or religion).

Knowing who your audience is, and what they might wish to hear from you, will help you prepare your pitch and be ready for questions.

Telling a Joke

Should you start by telling a joke to break the ice? I cannot offer advice on this, except to say that:

• It would need to be a very short one, so that you don’t use up much of your available time (especially if it is only 30 seconds – see below).
• You would have to be very careful that you did not offend anyone. Again, it would pay to avoid the topics of politics, sex, and religion.
• If it is an ‘in-house’ joke, your audience has probably heard it before.

Remember:

Know your audience. Do your research

The Sales Pitch

Of course, you might not be addressing an expected audience: it may be that you have the opportunity suddenly arise. You need to be ready with your sales pitch.

Definition of 'Sales Pitch':

A sales pitch is something that briefly and accurately sums up what it is you wish to ‘sell’. This is not always as easy as it sounds: there is a skill in knowing exactly what it is you want to say, and saying it in as few words and short a time as possible. Some experts in this field suggest that 30 seconds are sufficient to catch someone’s interest. One term for this is the ‘elevator pitch’ – impressing someone during the short ride of an elevator (lift).

If you suddenly have the opportunity, say, to impress a possible employer or investor, what would you tell them? An interesting site to take a look at is Open Colleges’ ‘How to Perfect your Elevator Pitch’.

The advice here is that, should you be asked what you do, you need to:

• Have your story prepared beforehand. Practise it. Write down what you do, then write it again, in a different way. Be imaginative. See below for some help on writing the pitch.
• Remember to include the ‘4Ws and 1H’:
• Who you are.
• What you do.
• Where you work.
• Why they need to know this.
• How you are different from others.

When speaking with the person:

1. Remember to smile and offer a firm handshake.
2. Be aware of your (and their) body language and posture.

Go to Practice and Portfolio module Non-Verbal Communication: Body Language for more information.

All of the above can be adapted to suit any size audience, from one to 1001 (though perhaps shaking 1001 hands might be a little impractical). 

There are also many other sites that can be extremely useful in creation of a sales pitch, but a word of caution: just be aware that many of these sites are themselves selling something (their own product). One site is the Improve Presentation one mentioned above. Another is BPlans.

You can download a one-page template to help you plan a pitch. Bplans also has an interesting YouTube video:

You will notice the advice at the end in relation to creating a pitch: be clear, be concise, and be compelling.

Points to Remember: Creating Your Story

Here are several suggestions that are relevant, no matter whether you are making a 30 second elevator pitch or a 30 minute presentation:

• Be Truthful: You might be telling a story, but it must be based in fact. Be creative but don’t stray from the truth.
  Infuse personality: It is not necessary to do anything bizarre to keep your audience’s attention, but your story ought not to be boring.
• Create characters your audience can relate to and like: You don’t need to create fictional characters. But you need a storyteller, at the very least – that might be you, or a satisfied customer, or a third person.
• Include a beginning, a middle, and an end: All stories (and all good academic works, for that matter) have a structure of beginning, middle, and end. Open strongly, setting up the story and its characters. Present the character’s problem, and the conflicts that stop them solving the problem. Then give the resolution – this will most probably be by them accepting what you are selling.
• Don’t give it all away: Leave your audience wanting more. Give them the story, but leave it open for them to ask questions, or seek more information. ~(Adapted from Gunelius 2013).

On the latter point, back in the 1980s Nescafé ran a serial advertisement in the UK – a romance that developed over a series of ads for coffee. The serial was extremely popular: will they, won’t they, did they. Similar ads ran in the US in the 1990s, and a while later, in Australia. I remember being one of a huge audience, tuning in to an ad, just to see if a romance developed. They certainly left their audience wanting more.

The Content of the Story: Some Thoughts

Make sure you say what the product does, not what it is.

Imagine you are from, say, Mars, and it’s your first time on Earth. You’re extremely thirsty (all that red dust) but don’t know what to drink. As this thirsty alien, would you be interested in knowing that:

A water molecule is formed when two atoms of hydrogen bond covalently with an atom of oxygen. In a covalent bond electrons are shared between atoms. In water the sharing is not equal. The oxygen atom attracts the electrons more strongly than the hydrogen. This gives water an asymmetrical distribution of charge. Molecules that have ends with partial negative and positive charges are known as polar molecules. It is this … [etc. etc. etc.] (New York University 2017)

Or would you prefer to be informed that water is safe to drink and will quench your thirst?

The first description (NYU’s) is quite factual – it tells us what water is. However, it doesn't tell us what it does in a way relevant to what we need to know (whether it is drinkable, and will quench our thirst).

Similarly, if we are using visuals to help with our story/pitch, it is better to keep it simple. Avoid slides or pages or oral presentations full of data that do not tell the audience what the product does.

Let Your Current Customers do the Talking

Don’t be afraid to seek testimonials from current satisfied customers – and use them in your presentation.

Show how they are using your product to make their lives better (‘a picture is worth a thousand words’).

Align Your Product to a Reputation or Current Issue

Making your story topical by aligning it with a confirmed good reputation or a current but non-controversial issue is a powerful way to connect with people. As an example, here are some ideas to use to align your product to Tasmania:

• The State’s ‘green and clean’ image.
• Its reputation for fine foods and wines.
• Its arts and culture (think MONA).
• Its cultural diversity.
• Its reputation as a tourist mecca, especially for its natural beauty and wilderness.

An example that incorporates many of the above ideas is The Tasmanian Food Co. Take a look at their ‘About’ site: the first thing you see is a green vista – trees, paddocks, hills; some of the first words are ‘fresh air, rich soil, pure water’. This not only makes a connection with the audience, it links the company (and therefore their products) with those concepts. Check out their website here.

Tell an Anecdote

Saying, ‘tell an anecdote’ is really only another way of saying, ‘tell a story within a story’. To put it another way, a story can be made up by a series of anecdotes. An anecdote is a real incident that was sad, happy, poignant, or tragic, and is used to make a point. The value of anecdotes in sales stories is that they can serve several purposes: they can set up a mood (‘once upon a time’); they can evoke good memories; and they can tie the product to a reputation or current issue. See is an example from Tourism Tasmania (2017) here.

Use Evocative Language

In the Tourism Tasmania site you will find a selection of videos that help you to see ‘stories from the inside out’. ‘A Label of Love’ (you will note that this is a clever pun) for example, in one and half minutes gives visuals of vineyards, children, and animals, but also you will hear terms relating to childhood, mothers, romance, and a blackwood table: all terms that can evoke good memories. Then you will hear terms such as farm, wine, and customers. The links are subtle, and implicit in the language utilised. As you write your pitch, think of which terms you can use to subtly link good memories with your product.

Presenting

If you are addressing an audience in person, apart from smiling, and being aware of body language (see above), here are a few helpful tips to keep in your mind before, during, and after you tell your story/make your pitch:

• Think how you wish to make your audience feel – help them experience how your product can make them feel – even before trying/buying it. For example, you will want your audience to feel satisfied, not discontented; listened to, not ignored; at ease, not uncomfortable. More, make them feel that their life would be better with your product in it.
• Behave like a friend. This doesn’t mean being palsy-walsy – it means being approachable, responsive, thoughtful, diplomatic, and pleasant.

If you haven’t already done so, take a look at the modules on planning and making presentations here. You will find a lot of help there.

One other suggestion: enjoy yourself. Your quiet pleasure and confidence in telling your story will come across to your audience.

Writing Your Story

Even if your presentation is to be an oral one, it is best to be prepared by writing it down first. Not only will this give you the chance to refine it, it will also be useful should you wish to give hand-outs, or put it up onto a website. The key to writing a good story or pitch is the same as the key to all good writing: it must be professional. That means having good writing skills. Alyssa Rapp (2015), lecturer in Management at the Stanford Graduate School of Business, and founder of Bottlenotes, a site for promoting good wines, craft beers, and artisanal spirits, notes:

Good writing can not only help get your point across, but also can demonstrate to your audience that you are thorough and care about the details: would you want to buy a new you-beaut fertiliser, for example, from someone who couldn’t spell ‘nutrient’?

Here are a few tips from a website called BigCommerce (2017). I think it explains very clearly how to write your story. It incorporates most of what has been suggested above, and can be found here.

Here is their advice, in a nutshell:

• Think about the customer, not the product. Take a ‘customer-centric’ view. As you write, pretend you are speaking directly to your audience.
• Set a scene – tell an anecdote that creates in your audience a mental picture of your product.
• Anticipate customer questions. You might not include detailed descriptions and specifications in your presentation, but have them ready. [See below re ‘anticipate’.]
• Make your descriptions user-friendly. Try a bulleted list, each with a key word and a short elaboration – no more than about eight words.
• Show, don’t tell: For example, avoid terms such as ‘high-quality’: rather, provide the information as to what makes the product of high quality.
• Proofread. Er, I mean, proofread. Typos immediately make something look unprofessional.

A quote from the ‘proofread’ paragraph is worth repeating here:

Anticipate: BigCommerce’s use of the word is not only the currently accepted meaning as a synonym of ‘expect’. It is used literally, to mean ‘to be ready for probable future events’.

In other words, be one step ahead – consider what questions you might be asked by a potential customer, and have an answer ready.

To Recap:

• Make an instant connection to your audience, then take them along with you.
• If possible, research your audience beforehand. If that is not possible, always have a short pitch ready.
• Keep the content direct, honest and interesting.
• Maintain a friendly attitude with your audience.
• Be professional in your writing and make proofreading a vital part of the process.
• Be confident and enjoy telling your story.

References

BigCommerce, ‘How to write product descriptions that tell a story’, viewed 25 September 2017, <https://www.bigcommerce.com.au/ecommerce-answers/how-write-product-descriptions-tell-story/>.

Bplans 2016, ‘How to give the perfect elevator pitch – Bplans explains everything’, YouTube, viewed 2 October 2017, <https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=1&v=8qwmH94BTiw>.

Bplans, 2017 ‘The complete guide to business planning’, viewed 2 October 2017,< http://www.bplans.com/>.

Gunelius, S 2013, ‘5 secrets to use storytelling for brand marketing success’, Forbes, viewed 25 September 2017,< https://www.forbes.com/sites/work-in-progress/2013/02/05/5-secrets-to-using-storytelling-for-brand-marketing-success/#46de09be7d81>.

Jiwa, B 2017, 5 better ways to tell the story of your products and services, viewed 25 September 2017,< http://thestoryoftelling.com/5-ways-to-tell-story-of-products-services/>.

Konnikova, M 2012, ‘The power of once upon a time: a story to tame the wild things’, Scientific American, blog, viewed 29 September 2017, <https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/literally-psyched/the-power-of-once-upon-a-time-a-story-to-tame-the-wild-things/>.

New York University, ‘About water and ice’, viewed 2 October 2017, <https://www.nyu.edu/pages/mathmol/textbook/info_water.html>.

Open Colleges 2017, ‘How to perfect your elevator pitch’, viewed 23 August 2017< http://www.opencolleges.edu.au/careers/elevator-pitch#section4-link>.

Rapp, Alyssa 2015, cited in ‘How to tell the story of your brand, Stanford Graduate School of Business, viewed 25 September 2017, <https://www.gsb.stanford.edu/insights/how-tell-story-your-brand>.

Tasmanian Food Co. 2017, ‘Too good not to share’, viewed 2 October 2017, <https://www.thetasmanianfoodco.com.au/about-tasmanian-food-co/>.

Tourism Tasmania 2017, ‘Tasmania: go behind the scenery’, viewed 2 October 2017,< https://gobehindthescenery.com.au/>.