In today’s hyper-connected world, the average cold outreach isn’t going to cut it.
Every day, buyers are inundated with sales pitches. With so many voices to compete with, it’s harder for reps to cut through the noise — and buyers can afford to be choosy. Today, an average of 72% of sales pitches go unanswered, which often prompts reps to repeatedly follow up with buyers. But what if instead of this high-volume, low-touch strategy, you were to take the opposite approach? Instead of sending buyers irrelevant, salesy, or unsolicited pitches over and over again, what if you spent that energy learning more about your buyer and catering your pitch to them, specifically?
The stats about this personalized outreach speak for themselves:
Sources: SuperOffice 2022 | HubSpot 2022
So, how can you personalize your messaging and take your sales pitches to the next level? It all starts with having a basic understanding of your buyer. Read on to discover how to get granular with your messaging, and cater your pitches to specific personality types.
Top sellers spend an average of 6 hours every week researching their prospects — and it makes sense. In order to effectively pitch your product to a buyer, you have to know who you’re talking to.
It’s important to know the basics: what is the buyer’s name? What is their job title? What is the company they work for, and what does the company do? You can infer quite a bit about a person and their needs or interests based on this information, but a staff directory isn’t going to help you understand the natural personality of your buyer.
Traditionally, the only way to fully understand a buyer’s personality is by having a pre-established relationship with them or asking them to take a personality test. In the game of cold outreach, you wouldn’t have access to this information, given that you’re attempting to connect with someone you’ve never interacted with before. Luckily, adaptive selling tools like Crystal can help you gain insight into the personality types of individual buyers — without ever meeting the prospect or requiring them to take a personality assessment. The software works by analyzing publicly available information on websites like LinkedIn to determine exactly what type of prospect you’re pitching to.
Once you have an understanding of your buyer’s personality, you can begin to craft your perfect pitch.
Before you dive in head first with a potential buyer, you need to make sure you have a clear understanding of what you’re asking of them.
As you begin your pitch, your goal should be top-of-mind. Are you looking for them to set up a 15-minute meeting? Are you hoping to make a sale directly from the pitch? Whatever it is, if your goal is unclear, your pitch won’t matter — regardless of personality type.
Once you clearly understand your goal, you can begin to craft your pitch. The words and phrases that you use in your pitch can completely make or break its chances of success — and you only get one chance to make a first impression. This is where you can begin to hone in on your buyer’s personality type and cater your messaging to use language that would most likely resonate with them.
More than 70% of potential buyers feel frustrated when their experience is impersonal, but what can you do to personalize it? Using specific language and messaging tactics to fit an individual’s personality can make a huge difference. Crystal uses a framework called DISC to classify personalities into a few categories that we refer to as D (dominant), I (imaginative), S (stabilizing), and C (conscientious). Below is a breakdown of common personality traits within each of the categories in DISC, and what kinds of language would likely resonate with each:
Motivated by control over the future and personal authority
Tend to prefer instant, concrete results and having an advantage over competition
Communicate clearly and succinctly — use language that is concise and confident, and avoid small talk.
Motivated by innovative, unique, creative ideas and excited by the future
Tend to prefer building new relationships and experiences
Communicate in a casual, expressive way — engage in some small talk before diving into your pitch.
Motivated by peace, safety, and others’ wellbeing
Tend to prefer security, reliability and trust
Communicate in a friendly and genuine way — avoid language that is overly pushy or salesy.
Motivated by logic, information, and problem-solving
Tend to prefer accurate information and quality solutions (quality over quantity)
Communicate in a business-like, fact-based way — use language that is quick and to the point, and avoid asking irrelevant personal questions.
Once you’ve taken the steps to understand the personality type of your buyer, you can implement these sales pitch examples to help you close the deal.
When you pitch to a D-Type, you should shoot them a quick, informative email that gets straight to the point and highlights why your product or service will give them an edge over their competition. A sales pitch to a D-Type could look like:
Hey Amanda,
My name is David and I’m a sales rep for [Company]. I love the work you’re doing for [Company Name] and I’m very impressed with your growth in 2022 — however, our platform can offer you a competitive edge that can take you even further in 2023. I’d love to have a quick 15-minute conversation about what we can do for you in the new year. Shoot me a quick email if you’re interested and we can set up a time.
Thanks,
David
When you pitch to an I-Type, you should send an email using a casual, friendly tone and show an interest in what they’re doing for their company. I-Types are relational, so you should engage them in some small talk before getting into your pitch. A sales pitch to an I-Type could look like:
Hi Amanda,
How’s it going? My name is David and I’m a sales rep for [Company]. I’ve taken a look into your company, and I am amazed by your stellar growth in 2022! I’d love to hear about the tactics you implemented this year that led to your success.
If you’re looking for a way to gain even more traction in 2023, I know our product could work well for you. We offer several packages that could help you reach new heights in the new year, and if you’re interested, I’d love to chat with you about a plan that would work well for your team. Respond to this email if you’re interested and we can find a time that works well for you.
Thank you so much for your time, and I look forward to our conversation.
Best,
David
When you pitch to an S-Type, you should send them a friendly introductory email that helps them get to know you. Help them relax by asking them how their day is going and respect their schedule by being brief and honest. A sales pitch to an S-Type could look like:
Hi Amanda!
I’m David, and I work with [Company] to help companies like [Company name] reach new heights. I was so impressed with the work your team put in this year, and I wanted to reach out and see if you were interested in a partnership that could help take you even further.
I want to respect your time, so I’ll keep it brief. Just shoot me an email if you’d like to continue the conversation.
Have a great day!
David
When you pitch to a C-Type, you should send them an up-front email that lets them know exactly what they can expect from you. Be intentional about showing respect for their time and demonstrating your expertise. A sales pitch to a C-Type could look like:
Hi Amanda,
I’m David, and I’m a sales rep for [Company]. I’ve been so impressed with the work you and your team have accomplished this year, and I’d love to have a conversation with you about how we can take you even further in 2023.
In the last year, we’ve helped companies like yours excel in unprecedented ways, and I feel confident that we can do the same for you. If you’d like to learn more about what we can achieve together, reply to this email and let me know. We’ll find a time that works well for you!
Hope to talk soon,
David
Your sales pitch can make or break a relationship with your buyer. It’s not just about saying the right thing — it’s also about saying it in a way that makes sense to your audience. Your pitch is an opportunity to not only communicate your product or service but also build a relationship. By knowing who you’re pitching to and tailoring your message accordingly, you can gain customers that stick around for the long haul.
If you’re interested in learning more about the difference personalized sales pitches can make for your team, schedule a demo with us today.
In the meantime, download our "How to Optimize Your Pitch" PDF below.