As a small business owner, you have to constantly be selling. It’s not just about selling products to customers, either. You have to sell investors on your company, sell new employees on jobs with your business and sell ideas to clients.
Michelle Weinstein, a.k.a. The Pitch Queen, is well aware of the importance of selling. She recently spoke with me as part of Small Business Trends’ exclusive Smart Hustle Report, where she discussed her journey to entrepreneurship and the important lessons she’s learned along the way.
“In the world of being an entrepreneur and working for yourself and starting your own company, you are always pitching yourself,” she said.
A former financial analyst, fitness coach and meal planning service provider, Weinstein has built up her sales experience in a variety of industries. She’s pitched to major outlets like Costco and the Vitamin Shoppe and appeared on Shark Tank.
Now, she shares that knowledge as a strategist and online using platforms like Facebook Live and her podcast, Success Unfiltered. She mainly focuses on high value selling. But she also offers some valuable insights for any business owner that could use some sales help.
Check out some of the top tips from the discussion below. You can listen to the full episode here for even more insights.
Sales Pitch Tips
Take Lessons from Every Situation
You don’t have to be pitching a huge investor to learn valuable sales lessons. Weinstein actually says she learned some of her most valuable lessons by working as a cocktail waitress when she was 18.
She explains, “All of these things relate to everything I do today and what I teach today. It is about building rapport and relationships.”
So whether you’re crafting a major pitch or just asking for a raise at your day job, you can take it as an opportunity to craft your pitching skills.
Listen for Pain Points
But when it comes to pitching, it’s not actually all about what you have to say. It’s more important to listen to the person you’re selling to. Specifically, Weinstein says, you should listen for complaints or pain points so you can find ways to frame your product or service as a solution.
Weinstein says, “The number one thing for you to work on when it comes to pitching whatever it is, especially if it’s a high ticket offer, that you’re doing about 20 percent of the talking and 80 percent of the listening.”
Actually Ask for What You Want
From there, you have to learn how to actually ask for what you want. According to Weinstein, too many entrepreneurs craft great pitches that leave out a specific call to action.
Weinstein says, “I would say a lot of us start businesses and have these great programs and then you’re on the phone with a client or you’re pitching to raise money and you never even ask for the money. You don’t ask for the sale.”
Image: Michelle Weinstein