How to Customize Sales Pitches for Client Relationships

Small tweaks in your sales script can turn “no thanks” into qualified sales calls. We reviewed a client’s outbound calls, made five key adjustments, and saw a 20% boost in engagement. Here’s what worked: 1. Start with a Permission-Based Opener Jumping straight into the pitch made prospects feel cornered, often leading to resistance. What We Changed: We switched to a permission-based opener like, “Hey, this is (name) from (company), we haven’t spoken before, I’m calling you out of the blue, but it'll take me 30 seconds to tell you why I called and then you can tell me if you even want to keep talking after that, does that sound fair” This gave prospects control and set a respectful tone. Prospects felt more comfortable and engaged when they had the option to continue, leading to smoother, more productive conversations. 2. Use “You” Instead of “We” The scripts were too brand-focused with “we” and “our” statements, making it sound impersonal. Shifting to “you” language made a huge difference. Instead of “We offer the best solution,” we said, “You deserve a solution that actually fits.” Prospects felt the call was about them, not us. 3. Add Specific Social Proof Generic claims weren’t cutting it. Instead of “We’ve helped hundreds,” we got specific: “Last quarter, we helped [X industry] achieve [result].” Specifics boosted credibility and helped prospects see the potential value for themselves. 4. Ask Open-Ended Questions Closed questions led to dead-ends. We replaced “Do you struggle with [problem]?” with “What challenges are you facing with [problem]?” This invited prospects to share more, making the conversation richer and helping us respond better. 5. Frame Price with Value Mentioning price early often scared people off. Instead, we tied price to benefits: “With an investment of $X, you can achieve [result].” Positioning price in correlation to perceived value kept the conversation moving forward. These small changes led to big improvements in qualified booked appointments. ___________________________________ Follow Dylan Rich for more tips on scaling your sales team

I was speaking with someone a few days ago about FAB (Features, Advantages, Benefits), and then it struck me—how often we skip straight to features and wonder why sometimes our pitches don’t resonate with the customers. The truth? Features might inform, but it’s the benefits that sell. Here’s the breakdown: Features are the specs, processes, or tools behind the service—important for credibility, but not what convinces a client. Advantages start to show why our approach or tools stand out compared to alternatives. This is good, but it often doesn’t spark that client “aha” moment. Benefits? That’s where we connect to the client’s needs, aspirations, and goals. Benefits say, “Here’s how our service makes a real impact on your business.” Take, for example, a supply chain visibility solution: - Feature: Real-time, end-to-end visibility across the supply chain. - Advantage: Enables faster response to disruptions than standard reporting. - Benefit: Reduce stockouts, improve customer satisfaction, and build a resilient brand that’s prepared for the unexpected. So, how do you implement FAB effectively? 1. Customize for Each Client: Benefits vary depending on the client’s priorities. For a premium brand, it might be about “ensuring product availability for demanding customers.” For a value-oriented brand, it could be “optimizing costs through efficient inventory management.” Speak to each client’s unique goals. 2. Tell a Story: Clients remember scenarios, not specs. Frame FAB through real-world examples that show how your service addresses their specific challenges. Example: For a client struggling with fluctuating product availability, share a story about another brand that used real-time visibility to catch bottlenecks before they happened, keeping shelves stocked even during a sudden demand spike. Relate how this enhanced customer loyalty and built trust in the brand’s reliability. By crafting a vivid scenario around FAB, you help the client picture your solution working for them, making the benefits tangible and memorable. 3. Balance in Messaging: FAB is perfect for deep dives like presentations or proposals, but in shorter interactions, focus on benefits and let features and advantages subtly support. Example: In a short pitch, instead of listing “real-time visibility” (feature) or “faster response times” (advantage), highlight how “our solution ensures shelves stay stocked and customers keep coming back” (benefit). You might briefly mention the underlying feature (“using real-time data”), but let the benefit drive the message. This way, you’re speaking directly to the client’s goals, catching their attention with what matters to them most, and making a memorable impact, even in a short touchpoint. When talking about services, lean heavily into benefits. Clients want to see how your services drive tangible impact—not just what’s under the hood. How have you used FAB in your pitches? #cpg #cpgindustry #consumerproducts

Founder-led sales can only take you so far—what’s next? Founder-led growth posts dominate my LinkedIn feed. It's a valuable strategy when you’re getting off the ground and it’s the founder’s experience and reputation that buyers are attracted to. But the reality is, if the founder is doing all of the marketing and selling, who is leading the company? How are you going to scale? One of the biggest challenges CEOs of growing companies face is stepping out of the sales lead role without losing momentum. Until one of the tech giants invents a cloning machine, this approach is not sustainable. At some point, you need a more advanced approach to scaling revenue. In S1 E57, 𝙒𝙞𝙣𝙣𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙀𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙮 𝙎𝙩𝙖𝙜𝙚: 𝘼 𝙎𝙖𝙡𝙚𝙨 𝙁𝙧𝙖𝙢𝙚𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙠 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙎𝙪𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙞𝙣𝙖𝙗𝙡𝙚 𝙍𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙣𝙪𝙚 𝙎𝙪𝙘𝙘𝙚𝙨𝙨, I’m joined by my mentor and former boss, Paul Wilson, a seasoned consultant and former agency CRO (🔗in comments). Paul and I discuss proven processes to scale sustainable revenue growth including:  ✅ How to transition from founder-led sales: CEOs should gradually delegate sales by bringing in team members, running team-led pitches, and stepping back over time ✅ Team selling is crucial: Clients don’t just buy from a CEO; they buy from a company. ✅ Stop pitching, start listening: Many sales teams talk at prospects instead of engaging them in real conversations ✅ Disqualify to win: Not every lead deserves a full pitch. Prioritize the most qualified opportunities to close more higher value deals ✅ Retention fuels growth: Regular client check-ins (NPS, feedback loops) help keep customers before renewal time Paul breaks this down in his “Win at Every Stage” framework: 🔹 𝗞𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗜𝗖𝗣: Clearly define your best-fit customers based on size, industry, and common challenges 🔹 𝗚𝗲𝘁 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 discovery call: No pitching! Ask questions to get pain points, goals, and decision-making criteria 🔹 Customize your pitch: Tailor proposals based on discovery call insights. Focus on their challenges and objectives, not just your company creds 🔹 Engage, don’t talk at: Sales pitches should be a conversation. Ask open-ended questions every few slides to gauge reactions and adjust in real-time 🔹 Strategic closing techniques: Move from open-ended to direct closing questions: "𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘰𝘭𝘥 𝘶𝘴 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘵𝘰𝘱 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘴 𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘟, 𝘠, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘡. 𝘕𝘰𝘸 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘸𝘦’𝘷𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘴𝘦, 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘺 𝘵𝘰 𝘮𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘸𝘢𝘳𝘥?" 🔹 Continuous qualification & disqualification: Evaluate if the prospect is a good fit before investing time 🔹 Client retention & growth: Implement structured feedback loops (e.g., Net Promoter Score) to ensure clients are engaged and satisfied 💡 Key takeaway: Winning isn’t just about closing deals—it’s about optimizing every stage of the sales journey to drive long-term growth. #revenueboost #marketingpodcast #revenuebasedmarketing

LinkedIn friends, I wanted to share a concept with you that I shared with one of my clients: Don't be a one-way street.... It's a very simple concept: eliminate self-interest. I know it sounds off, but you must become more collaborative. Both the selling and buying centers should have aligned interests. Selling center, you should become a trusted advisor. It's been interesting to see what salespeople are trying to do for the sale and others trying to be problem solvers. Here are some ways of ensuring that you are not a 'one way street' but become a trusted advisor in the sales process. - Foster Two-Way Communication: Encourage prospects to share their thoughts, needs, and concerns. Actively listen and respond thoughtfully rather than dominating the conversation with your sales pitch. This approach helps you understand the client's needs and tailor your solutions accordingly. - Understand Customer Needs: Make a concerted effort to genuinely understand your prospects' challenges, needs, and goals. This understanding should guide how you present your product or service, ensuring that you address their specific situation rather than offering a generic solution. - Provide Value First: This is the most important thing. Think of demonstrating your value and how you can be a problem solver. This could be in the form of helpful information, insights, or solutions that address the prospect's immediate concerns or objectives. Demonstrating value upfront can build trust and credibility, making prospects more open to the sales conversation. - Be Consultative, Not Transactional: Position yourself as a consultant or advisor rather than just a salesperson. This means offering advice, sharing expertise, and suggesting solutions that best meet the prospect's needs, even if it means recommending a lesser sale or acknowledging when your solution might not be the best fit. - Follow Up Thoughtfully: Rather than sending generic follow-up messages or pressuring for a sale, tailor your follow-ups based on what you've learned about the prospect's needs and your previous interactions. Thoughtful follow-ups show that you're paying attention and care about helping them find the right solution. - Encourage Input/Feedback: Ask for feedback throughout the sales process, including after a sale has been made or lost. This shows that you value the prospect's opinion and are committed to continuous improvement. Feedback can also provide insights into how you can serve them better in the future. - Build a Relationship, Not Just a Client List: Aim to build long-term relationships with your prospects, regardless of whether they make a purchase. Showing genuine interest in their success and staying in touch (without always trying to sell something) can turn one-time prospects into lifelong customers and advocates for your business. I hope this helps; I wanted to share this with you because this is what I have been seeing from my side of the table. We're here to help. 

"Hey Nemanja, what are you doing to close those high ACV tech companies, where the sales journey is more of a marathon than a sprint?" It made me think and summarize 👇 Sometimes it looks effortless, but it's as far from that as possible. It's not just about having great service. It's about understanding the depths of this unique ecosystem. 🔍 Let's break down the crucial things 👇 • These companies are not just looking for a vendor. They are looking for a partner—a thought leader. So what do I do? I provide insights, not just information. I share content that speaks to their pain points and showcases my deep understanding of their industry. Simply put, for this target group, my knowledge is my power. • With longer sales cycles, trust is my currency. This is not a one-night stand; it's a committed relationship. This is why I engage consistently and create trust through thought leadership content (even if videos don't get much reach here, they build trust) or insightful articles, podcasts, etc. But there are also offline events. I let them see me as a reliable beacon in a sea of vendors. The key is to build trust over time. • Understand their unique challenges and tailor your approach. One-size-fits-all? More like a one-size-fits-none I need to customize my solutions to resonate with their specific needs. And this is where it gets tricky. Why? Because I need them to answer some questions if I want to give them a specific offer (and I do, and they do, too). So I need to make them sooo interested in me and what I do to realize that making time to answer those questions is worth it. But yes, tailored solutions, not generic pitches. • Narratives matter. I need to, and I do share success stories, case studies, and testimonials. I let them see the journeys of others like them and envision their success with your partnership. Now, this is also an obstacle. I work with tech companies, and I'm often under the NDA, which means I can't share the name of the company, and it makes it nearly impossible to craft a success story and/or testimonials with the biggest clients. So what do I do? I look at my company, primarily Funky Marketing, but also at Business Talks Network, as a client, and share the results I make with them. To make it short, you need to know storytelling. • Overall, the key is in being patient and being persistent. Remember, Rome wasn't built in a day. I need to nurture these relationships, provide value at every touchpoint, and be patient. I don't try to sell; I want them to come to me ready to buy. The payoff is not just a client but a loyal advocate. In this funky dance of B2B sales, especially in tech, it's not just about selling. It's about building a legacy of trust, knowledge, and tailored solutions. This is what I do. Now tell me, what strategies have you found effective in engaging with high-value B2B clients? #b2bsales #tech #highacv #salescycle #businesstrategy #funkymarketing  

Reading ‘𝗛𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗼 [𝗙𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝗡𝗮𝗺𝗲], 𝗜 𝘀𝗲𝗲 𝘄𝗲 𝗯𝗼𝘁𝗵 𝗯𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗼𝘅𝘆𝗴𝗲𝗻’ feels like walking into a party wearing a wet sock. 🧦💦 Let’s not do that, okay? 👌 Personalization is the MVP of social selling—and trust me, I’ve seen what happens when people skip it. Nothing kills a conversation faster than a cookie-cutter pitch slap. 🍪 But guess what’s just as important as personalization? 𝗥𝗲𝗹𝗲𝘃𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀. If you’re referencing something from two months ago that’s no longer relevant—or bringing up an event that already happened—your pitch can go stale before it even lands. 𝗛𝗲𝗿𝗲’𝘀 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝗜 𝗸𝗲𝗲𝗽 𝗶𝘁 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹 (𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲), 𝘄𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝘁𝘆𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝘁 𝗯𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗼𝗻 𝗜’𝗺 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝘂𝘁: 📖 𝗔𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗳𝗶𝗹𝗲 If you notice they love CrossFit or just got promoted, mention it. Show genuine interest in what matters to them—but make sure it’s recent. Bringing up a marathon they ran three years ago might not have the same spark as congratulating them on a new role they started last week. Tie it back to how your solution or outreach can help them in this next chapter. 💡 𝗧𝘂𝗿𝗻 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗼 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗴𝘂𝗲 Instead of “Hey, saw you’re in marketing,” try: “Hey Taylor, I loved your LinkedIn post on brand voice—especially how you handled that coffee machine fiasco!” 𝗕𝗼𝗻𝘂𝘀: If they just published that post yesterday, you’re showing them you’re not only personalizing—but also paying attention in real time. Highlight how your offering relates to the topic they’re discussing or the challenge they overcame. ❤️ 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝘆 𝗵𝘂𝗺𝗮𝗻 (𝗯𝘂𝘁 𝗽𝘂𝗿𝗽𝗼𝘀𝗲𝗳𝘂𝗹) At the end of the day, it’s a conversation. Make it sound like one. Keep your outreach friendly, relevant, and timely—if you see they just shared something about an upcoming conference, wish them luck or ask if they’ll be on a panel. Show you’re up-to-date with their world. A bit of random chit chat can help break the ice—just make sure you eventually guide it toward the reason you reached out (e.g., “By the way, I’d love to discuss how our platform can streamline your process.”). If you approach someone like you already know a bit about them (and not in a creepy way), you’ll be leagues ahead of the “mass-blast” crowd. Tailor your message to what’s fresh in their life, and then smoothly pivot to how you can support or collaborate with them. That’s the difference between a conversation that fizzles and one that leads to “Sure, let’s book a meeting!” What’s the funniest personalized pitch you’ve ever received—or sent? - ♻️ Like + Repost if you found this helpful. Follow me, Evan Patterson, for more! P.S. I'm taking on new clients for fractional marketing support, leadership, and consulting. DM me!