August 19, 2014 by Dave Hiatt in Prospecting & Qualifying
Think about the last time someone asked you to tell them a little about yourself. Did you stumble? Did you regret how you answered? Did you miss an opportunity to fit in something important?
Sandler Training advises that all professionals – especially salespeople – take time to craft their "thirty-second commercial."
Thirty-second commercials can be used for prospecting and to introduce yourself at networking events. A great thirty-second commercial does two things, lets a prospect know what you do and answers the question "why is this person and their business relevant to me?"
To be successful, you must quickly relate your product or service to the prospect's pain and establish how you can help to eliminate that pain and achieve their goals. This is not the time to use buzzwords or to make the conversation all about you. A smart thirty-second commercial is more about the prospect.
Here are the main components of the thirty-second commercial:
Opening statement: Quickly and concisely describes you and your company while giving the prospect insight into what your typical client looks like. Knowing this helps them envision themselves as one of your clients. Your thirty-second commercial is not the time to go into detail about the many different products or services you offer.
Pain statement: Based on the research and knowledge you've gleaned, attempt to address a particular challenge or pain the prospect may be facing. Then begin to move away from the pain and towards pleasure by sharing how you would fix their problem. These will likely be surface pains that may be present in the prospect's world.
Positioning statement: This is your chance to give the prospect a clear reason why they might be interested in what you have to offer. Let the prospect know what differentiates your product/service from others.
Provide value: Conclude your thirty-second commercial by answering their question "what's in it for me?"
Contact information: If appropriate, make it easy for the prospect to get in touch with you after you go your separate ways.
Share your tips for perfecting the thirty-second commercial in the comments below
David Hiatt works in the Global Accounts division at Sandler Training Home Office. After 10 years of owning and operating a successful Sandler training center, David was recruited by Sandler corporate to facilitate national and international training of corporate clients.
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