Your reps need an elevator speech: a 15 to 30 second sales sound bite that succinctly communicates your company’s offerings. Dianna Booher, author of Speak With Confidence, offers these guidelines:
1. State what you do in terms of benefits. People don’t really care what you do; they care what you can do for them. A rep for a sales consulting company might say, “We help salespeople really engage buyers when they deliver sales presentations. ” This causes listeners to say, “Great –we have problems with that.
2. Add a credibility builder. Mentioning well-known clients shows that others value your services. A marketer could reference a high-profile project by saying, “We just wrapped a big web campaign for XYZ Co. that boosted sales by 20% in the third quarter.”
3. End with an open question to engage the other person. A rep pitching an event-planning company might ask, “How could your last event have been improved?”
4. Be quotable. Make the speech memorable enough to be passed on to others who may be interested.
5. Say your speech off the cuff. Instruct reps to talk as an advisor or a friend, rather than a salesperson.
6. Skip industry jargon. A rep should sound like he’s talking to his brother, not to a prospective boss.