Man am I glad that sales pitches are totally ineffective. By no means is this breaking news but I think that most people under-think what’s behind this.  Many an old school salesman will lament about how relationships used to matter and now it’s all about the convenience and the bottom line.

That seems like a BS excuse to me. Relationships matter more than ever- it’s just how you build them that has changed.  It used to be that business was conducted face to face and over the phone when necessary. Before, Don Draper-like looks and charisma was necessary to be heard, no more.

Information is virtually instant, thus the ability to fact-check and comparison shop means that thinly veiled sales pitches can be easily blown apart.  Now relationships are built on: ideas, integrity and transparency.

• Familiarize yourself with your customer’s industry, organization, role and their needs. The best way to do this is to ask them.
• Sell yourself, not your product: describe your products exactly as you would to a family member you’ve known for a long time.
• Be straightforward about your expectations of them and acknowledge what your product doesn’t do

Inform your customer and let them make an informed decision. Push information and you push the customer away.