How to Write a Sales Pitch: Tips + Examples

A great sales pitch can be the difference between landing a deal or losing out to the competition. It’s not just about presenting your product or service—it’s about connecting with your audience and showing them exactly how you can solve their problems. As a sales rep, crafting a sales or client pitch that resonates with your audience isn’t just about creating good talking points. It requires an in-depth understanding of your audience, drafting a message around their unique needs, delivering it clearly, and making your offer irresistible.

Below, we’ll explain how to write a sales pitch and highlight the best sales pitch examples. Before we get into sales pitch examples, let’s review what a sales pitch is.

What is a sales pitch?

A sales pitch is a persuasive conversation. It’s where you start the conversation with customers and introduce your product or service to them. The goal is to convince a prospect it’s the right solution for their needs. Here’s an example of a sales pitch: Say you’re trying to sell an old bike on a classifieds website or a cold call, you wouldn’t just say: ‘Here’s a bike; it’s for sale.’ You highlight the bike’s features—how it’s great for commuting, how smoothly the gears shift, why it’s in excellent condition, and anything else that makes it clear why buyers or potential prospects should choose your bike over others.

The same ideal or concept is true in the business world. A sales pitch is a sales rep’s chance to quickly grab someone’s attention and park their interest. It’s also a chance to showcase your value proposition, and lead customers’ to the conclusion that your product or service is exactly what they’re looking for. If your sales team sells software that streamlines billing for doctor’s offices, for example, your pitch might focus on how it saves time or reduces data errors. You might also highlight how it increases revenue, all while making life easier for busy healthcare professionals.

A sales pitch, at its core, is about showing the value of what you’re offering, not just listing features. The goal of the sales pitch is to understand what your audience cares about and speak directly to those specific needs.

When it comes to sales pitches, there’s a few different types and templates to choose from, including an elevator pitch, consultative pitch, and product-focused pitch. Depending on the situation and the person you’re talking to, you’ll want to switch things up. Below we’ll discuss each of these three common sales pitches and how your salespeople can use them in their talk tracks, sales decks, or other sales approaches.

Elevator Pitch: Your High-Level Overview

The elevator pitch is all about being short and concise. Picture this: you’re stuck in an elevator with a potential client, and you have about 30 seconds to grab their attention. That’s the essence of the elevator pitch—it’s a short, but compelling introduction that highlights the most important parts of your product or service as well as your value proposition. It’s not meant to be an in-depth explanation of your product but rather to spark some interest in your product. An elevator pitch is particularly helpful for salespeople if they’re cold calling. Or in initial presentations with prospects. They’re also a great way to start a sales deck.

For example, a good elevator pitch for an app that helps organize team projects could be: “Our app helps busy teams keep things organized by providing them with a simple, all-in-one place to track tasks, deadlines, and communication, saving hours every week.”

The goal of an elevator pitch is to leave your customers wanting to know more, not to close the deal right then and there.

Product-Focused Pitch: It’s All About Your Product

A product-focused pitch goes deeper into what you’re actually selling. It’s where you explain more about how exactly your product works, its features, why it’s better than the competition, and give a look into pricing.

A sales pitch example could be this: If you or your sales reps are selling a new coffee maker, you might emphasize how it brews coffee faster, has customizable settings for different tastes, or uses eco-friendly materials. This type of pitch is ideal when your prospect is already somewhat interested in your product, or when you’re talking to someone who’s researching similar products. Remember, tailor this sales pitch to someone’s specific, unique needs and their pain points—focus on the features that are most relevant to them.

Consultative Pitch: The Personal Approach to Selling

Another sales pitch example is the consultative pitch. This type of pitch takes a more personalized, problem-solving approach with your potential customers or prospects. Rather than leading with what your product does, you start off by asking questions to understand the prospect’s pain points, then tailor your sales pitch to show how well, fast, or cost-effectively your products solve those issues.

A consultative pitch is the perfect approach if you’re wanting to build trust because it’s not just about pushing a product; it’s about listening to your customers and offering a solution that actually solves their problems. For example, if salespeople are selling a marketing service, they might start by asking questions like: ‘What challenges are you facing in your current advertising strategy?’ Then you could explain how your service can address those specific issues.

By focusing on their unique challenges, sales reps make it clear you’re offering more than just a generic solution—you’re providing something that can actually make a difference for them and solve their pain points.

How To Write a Sales Pitch in 5 Steps

Now that we’ve talked about what a sales pitch is and the different types, let’s discuss how to write a sales pitch or a sales deck.

1. Reel Them in with a Hook. Start your sales pitch with something that resonates with your prospect’s pain points or interests. You could use a bold statement, a thought-provoking question, or a relevant statistic.

For example, sales reps selling time-management tools could start with: “Did you know the average employee spends two hours a day just organizing their tasks?” A hook creates instant relevance and curiosity.

2. Understand Your Prospect’s Needs and Acknowledge Them: Next, sales reps need to show they understand the prospect’s challenges. This step is especially important in consultative pitches, but it applies to all sales pitch ideas. Ask questions or make observations that demonstrate you’ve done your homework and are actively interested in their problems and solving them.

For instance, the conversation could start with: “I noticed that your team is struggling with keeping deadlines on track. Does that sound familiar?” It helps build rapport and shows your pitch isn’t just about pushing a product—but actually finding a solution.

3. Clearly Show Why Your Product is the Best: Now it’s time to talk about what you’re offering. Keep this part simple, direct, and focused on your product’s benefits. Your sales pitch shouldn’t just rattle off features—explain how those features translate into real value.

If you’re selling a CRM system, rather than saying: “Our CRM tracks customer interactions,” in a cold call, say: “Our CRM gives your sales team a 360-degree view of each customer, so they can close deals faster and build stronger relationships.” Highlight how your product will make their life easier and solve their problems.

4. Address Customers’ Concerns Right off the Bat: Make sure you anticipate any questions or issues your prospect might have and address them before they bring them up in the conversation. If you know they might be worried about cost, explain how the value you’re offering justifies the price. If they’re hesitant about time constraints, show them how easy and quick it will be to implement.

For example, your sales deck or pitch could address issues around budget by saying: “I get you’re on a tight budget, but by streamlining your processes with our tool, you’ll actually save money long-term by reducing inefficiencies.”

5. End with Something that Encourages Action: The closing of your sales pitch idea is just as important as the opening. End with a prompt that encourages the prospect to take the next step and move beyond their pain points. Whether it’s scheduling a meeting with you or signing up for a free trial, make it easy for them to say “yes.” Be specific and confident as well.

For example, salespeople could say: “Let’s set up a demo next week so you can see how our product works.” Or “I’ll send over the contract for you to review today.” A strong call to action gives your prospect a clear direction and keeps the momentum going.

6 Sales Pitch Examples and Templates You Can Use for Inspiration

To give you a better idea of what a successful sales pitch looks like, let’s walk through some of the best sales pitch examples in a few different contexts. These pitch examples can help you know how to start a sales pitch on your own and boost salespeople’s chances of success.

1. Slack: “Be less busy.”

Slack’s simple tagline cuts straight to the heart of what their product does. It shows how the tool makes work more efficient and isn’t as overwhelming. The sales pitch is short and benefits-driven, appealing to busy professionals who want to save time and be more productive.

Here’s the takeaway from Slack’s sales pitch: Keep your message simple. Focus on the clear benefits. Address the audience’s pain points directly, and use language that evokes an emotional response from your prospects.

2. Airbnb: “Belong anywhere.”

Airbnb isn’t just selling a place to stay; they’re selling an experience—feeling at home anywhere in the world. Their pitch taps into the deep human desire to connect with others and to belong somewhere, offering travelers a unique, local, and personal experience when traveling.

Make sure you use a value proposition that speaks to someone’s deeper emotional needs. A compelling pitch isn’t just selling a product; it sells the experience and the feelings associated with it.

3. Tesla: “Accelerating the world’s shift to sustainable energy.”

Tesla’s sales pitch is more than about selling electric cars—it’s a bold vision for the future. This pitch clearly articulates the company’s mission and appeals to people who want to be part of something bigger than just a car purchase.

Take some inspiration from Tesla and ensure your sales pitch is about more than just the product. If you have a bigger vision, make sure you communicate it in your conversations with prospects. Remember: People want to be part of something meaningful.

4. Dropbox: “Simplify your life.”

Dropbox’s pitch is centered on solving a very simple problem among businesses: file storage and sharing. By framing their product as a way to simplify everyday tasks, they appeal to people looking for an easy, no-fuss solution.

Your sales pitch idea should do the same—focus on how your product makes the customer’s life easier. A sales pitch that is centered on benefits rather than features is often more compelling.

5. Dollar Shave Club: “Our blades are f*ing great”

Dollar Shave Club’s pitch is both humorous and bold. By using everyday, simple language and humor with their prospects, they disrupt the typical razor pitch template and are seen as memorable in today’s noisy marketing world. They also back it up with a strong, memorable slogan and direct value (great blades at a low price).

The lesson: Don’t be afraid to inject personality into your pitch—whether it’s in your sales deck or cold calls. Humor, when done right, can be an easy way to make your pitch or conversation more memorable and resonate more with your prospects.

6. Nike: “Just do it.”

Nike’s iconic slogan doesn’t focus on specific products; instead, it motivates and inspires people to go beyond their limits and achieve greatness in whatever physical goals they’re chasing. It’s a call to action that really sticks with athletes and non-athletes alike.

The takeaway: A short, impactful, and concise pitch that resonates with people’s aspirations can be more effective than one that focuses solely on the product.

Increasing Your Sales with Podium

To truly boost your sales, it’s not enough just to have a great client pitch. It’s all about the right tools—ones that connect you with your customers in meaningful ways. That’s where Podium can help.

With Podium, you can seamlessly engage and connect with your customers across all your channels—including social media, text messaging, web chat, and email. By streamlining communication, nurturing leads, and responding quickly, Podium not only increases your efficiency but also boosts audience trust in your brand, opening the door for more sales. Plus, these insights give you the direction needed to create a more personalized sales pitch that sticks with your prospects.

Ready to see Podium in action? Watch a demo today.