One place where the use of business English can really come in handy is when making a sales pitch, and even if you’ve never picked up a phone to sell a product, knowing the basics of pitches can be incredibly useful if you’re thinking of joining the professional ranks. Pitches aren’t just for salespeople; they’re for entrepreneurs too. If you’re thinking about starting a business, you’ll need to pitch your business idea to investors if you want to secure funding. Whether you’re in sales or not, these tips are going to take your selling ability to new levels!
Do Some Research
This is the most important part of the sales process. Why waste your time with someone who is not even qualified or remotely interested in buying your product? Or more importantly: what if the person you’re selling to has a question that you can’t answer? A situation like that could kill a deal before it even gets the chance to think about being born. For these reasons, research is the first step to a successful sale: you better know who you’re selling to, why they need your service, and what possible objections or questions they may raise. Then, prepare yourself by gathering the evidence you will need to refute their objections and convince them of your idea’s quality. Doing these things will set you up for success before you even shake their hand.
Enthusiasm and Confidence are More Important Than Words
Believe it or not, enthusiasm, confidence, and passion can be more important than knowledge. Why? Because, these days, knowledge can easily be obtained. Passion? Not so much.
Have you ever tried to make someone care about something when they totally don’t want to? It’s not easy! However, learning something new can be as easy as taking an online English class, or even performing a Google search. Let your natural enthusiasm show through when you speak; don’t try to hide it. Of course, passion isn’t enough: if your idea is terrible, nobody is going to care how passionate you are, or how good your business English skills are.
Master the “Elevator Pitch”
An “elevator pitch” is a term that refers to a 1 to 3 minute pitch that you prepare for important people: and no, it doesn’t have to be done in an elevator. Important people are super busy, so 1 to 3 minutes of their time might be all you get. Be prepared for this possibility by practicing your elevator pitch, making sure to concisely present a problem that only your unique solution can solve. Make sure to tell them what kind of business it is within the first 30 seconds too. When it comes to proving your point, you don’t need to bombard the person with evidence, either: pick one true fact that you can use to convince them of your success.
Also, use humor whenever possible; there’s a reason why people who can make others laugh are more successful, according to some studies. When used responsibly, humor really builds connections!
Verbalize Now is all about helping you get better at English. No matter what your professional goals are, taking business English classes with our friendly and qualified teachers will help you achieve them. Contact us if you’re interested in learning more about how we can help you get better at English and have fun at the same time!
