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7 Tips to Give a Convincing Sales Pitch to Small Businesses
Published on August 1, 2022
If you want to sell websites to small businesses, it's important to craft an effective sales pitch. A sales pitch is a brief explanation or conversation you have with a prospect to get them interested in your services. Your sales pitch can make or break a deal so you want to be prepared and practice your pitch prior to meeting with a client.
It’s also imperative to consider how you will deliver your pitch. Will you be selling face-to-face, over the phone or even via email? Pitching a small business in-person gives you the advantage of being able to read some visual clues like facial expressions and body language. On the other hand, selling over the phone can be just as effective and allows you to expand your reach outside your local market.
In addition, small businesses are more likely to do business with you if they already know and trust you, so try to reach out to them through personal contacts and previous clients if possible. Keeping these factors in mind and utilizing the tips below can help you develop a convincing sales pitch to ultimately land more clients.
In this article, we’ll review seven tips on how to give a convincing sales pitch to small business owners.
1. If you don’t know their business well, do your research
Before you pitch a small business on a new website, it's important to do some research to learn a little about them, their company and the products and services that they have to offer. You'll need to know your audience in order to be effective. Your pitch will be more compelling if you take some time to find out who these people are and what they’re all about before contacting them directly with your proposal. Conducting some due diligence may also help you determine whether or not a particular business is likely to buy a website from you.
Try this: The SiteSwan Local Prospecting Tool enables you to search and find businesses in your area that do or don’t have a website.. If they have a website already, take the time to review it and see if there is room for improvement. If they don't have a website, see if you can find additional information about the business online or social media. You also use the tool to determine if a website is not secure or not mobile optimized which means they could benefit from a new website.
2. Don’t be pushy
When selling websites to small businesses (or anything for that matter) it's never a good idea to be pushy. Being pushy in sales can be a huge turnoff, especially for busy small business owners. Never act desperate. Instead, do your best to appear confident and self-assured while still being humble. Be polite, honest and transparent when speaking to a business owner. Be sure to respect their time and opinions and always act professional. Going over these simple points will make you far more likely to gain trust from someone with whom you're trying to negotiate a deal or sale. Selling is about building trust, not about pushing products and services on people who aren't interested. Focus on helping someone solve problems they are experiencing by offering them information on how they can improve something related to their business.
Try this: Instead of doing a majority of the talking, try to also demonstrate active listening. Active listening means that you're engaged in what the person is saying by your gestures and asking relevant questions. It shows that you understand what they are communicating to you. Writing quick notes as the person is speaking can help you retain the information and respond in a thoughtful manner.
3. Back up your statements with facts
If you're going to talk about why websites are critical for small businesses or why it's important to improve your online presence, it's always best to back up your claims with facts and statistics. This adds credibility to your statements. You can find these by doing quick Google searches on keywords such as increase website traffic or improve web ranking. When writing out your speech/presentation, use quotes around these stats in order to ensure they look uniform when you present them (this will also make them easier for people to read).
Try this: If you plan to include statistics in your pitch, limit it to 2-3 relevant statements. You don’t want to overwhelm the prospective client with too much information. Use them to further support the reasons why and how they would benefit from a website or a redesign.
4. Know how you can help them
Business owners ultimately want to know how a new website will help them. Once they see the value in a new website, they'll be more likely to buy. Be prepared to explain how a website will help them look professional, communicate with their customers, generate leads, save time and grow their business. If you can't answer these questions confidently, reconsider your pitch. The prospective client needs to feel as though you understand their needs and can provide solutions that address those concerns.
Try this: Be prepared with questions to better understand their needs so you can speak to them in terms that are most relevant to them. For example, maybe you ask which part of their business they are looking to grow? Or what are their most profitable products or services? Upon giving their answer, be prepared to explain how a new website can help them accomplish that.
5. Don’t be afraid to ask questions if they don’t agree
Objections are part of the sales process. If a potential client does not agree with what you're saying during your sales pitch, don't be shy about asking questions like "why do you feel this way?" or "what makes you think a website is not worth the investment?". Asking questions will allow the client to explain their thoughts and give you the opportunity to respond positively to their rebuttal. Having an open line of communication can help relieve tension when it comes to selling and closing deals. It's crucial that you learn how to work through objections in order to make money while doing something you love!
Try this: Sometimes the best way to get comfortable with objections is to practice your responses. Make a list of the common objections you hear or have experienced, and craft your reply to each. Every business owner and conversation may be slightly different but how you handle common objections will be relatively the same.
6. Have confidence in yourself
When selling to small businesses, it's important to have confidence in yourself and the products or services you offer. A website is extremely valuable for small businesses, so be confident that you are offering a product that can truly help their business. And before approaching them about your service, put together examples of similar projects that you've worked on previously. This will give them insight into how your service benefits other customers in their industry and will also prove that there’s value in your work.
Try this: If you don’t already have one, it can be helpful to create a portfolio of your best work. Rather than displaying examples of every site you build, create a brief portfolio of just your best work. Use these to show off to potential clients when asked about other sites you built or use for client references. If you’re new to web design, click here for ideas on how to develop a portfolio without any clients.
7. Watch out for nonverbal cues
Just like it's important to listen to what a prospect is saying, it's equally important to look for nonverbal cues like facial expressions and body movements. These nonverbal cues often tell a lot about what the person is thinking and can help you tailor your conversation to ease any concerns. Your tone of voice should also be conducive with their preferences – if they seem engaged, lean forward; if they appear tired or closed off, try speaking more softly or lowering your volume level.
Try this: In addition to altering the tone of your voice or body language, try making the prospective client feel comfortable speaking with you. You can do this by getting them to talk about themselves and their business. Ask questions that are easy for them to answer and will get them talking to you. Also, a compliment can go a long way so consider offering one whether it be about them or something related to their business.
In Conclusion…
Whether you're just getting your web design business off the ground, or looking to scale, how well you can effectively sell to small businesses will ultimately determine your success. Use the 7 tips discussed in this article to give a convincing sales pitch to your next potential client.
Ready to get started with your own business? SiteSwan offers all the tools and resources you need to be successful in running your own web design business. Sign up today!
If you want to sell websites to small businesses, it's important to craft an effective sales pitch. A sales pitch is a brief explanation or conversation you have with a prospect to get them interested in your services. Your sales pitch can make or break a deal so you want to be prepared and practice your pitch prior to meeting with a client.
It’s also imperative to consider how you will deliver your pitch. Will you be selling face-to-face, over the phone or even via email? Pitching a small business in-person gives you the advantage of being able to read some visual clues like facial expressions and body language. On the other hand, selling over the phone can be just as effective and allows you to expand your reach outside your local market.
In addition, small businesses are more likely to do business with you if they already know and trust you, so try to reach out to them through personal contacts and previous clients if possible. Keeping these factors in mind and utilizing the tips below can help you develop a convincing sales pitch to ultimately land more clients.
In this article, we’ll review seven tips on how to give a convincing sales pitch to small business owners.
1. If you don’t know their business well, do your research
Before you pitch a small business on a new website, it's important to do some research to learn a little about them, their company and the products and services that they have to offer. You'll need to know your audience in order to be effective. Your pitch will be more compelling if you take some time to find out who these people are and what they’re all about before contacting them directly with your proposal. Conducting some due diligence may also help you determine whether or not a particular business is likely to buy a website from you.
Try this: The SiteSwan Local Prospecting Tool enables you to search and find businesses in your area that do or don’t have a website.. If they have a website already, take the time to review it and see if there is room for improvement. If they don't have a website, see if you can find additional information about the business online or social media. You also use the tool to determine if a website is not secure or not mobile optimized which means they could benefit from a new website.
2. Don’t be pushy
When selling websites to small businesses (or anything for that matter) it's never a good idea to be pushy. Being pushy in sales can be a huge turnoff, especially for busy small business owners. Never act desperate. Instead, do your best to appear confident and self-assured while still being humble. Be polite, honest and transparent when speaking to a business owner. Be sure to respect their time and opinions and always act professional. Going over these simple points will make you far more likely to gain trust from someone with whom you're trying to negotiate a deal or sale. Selling is about building trust, not about pushing products and services on people who aren't interested. Focus on helping someone solve problems they are experiencing by offering them information on how they can improve something related to their business.
Try this: Instead of doing a majority of the talking, try to also demonstrate active listening. Active listening means that you're engaged in what the person is saying by your gestures and asking relevant questions. It shows that you understand what they are communicating to you. Writing quick notes as the person is speaking can help you retain the information and respond in a thoughtful manner.
3. Back up your statements with facts
If you're going to talk about why websites are critical for small businesses or why it's important to improve your online presence, it's always best to back up your claims with facts and statistics. This adds credibility to your statements. You can find these by doing quick Google searches on keywords such as increase website traffic or improve web ranking. When writing out your speech/presentation, use quotes around these stats in order to ensure they look uniform when you present them (this will also make them easier for people to read).
Try this: If you plan to include statistics in your pitch, limit it to 2-3 relevant statements. You don’t want to overwhelm the prospective client with too much information. Use them to further support the reasons why and how they would benefit from a website or a redesign.
4. Know how you can help them
Business owners ultimately want to know how a new website will help them. Once they see the value in a new website, they'll be more likely to buy. Be prepared to explain how a website will help them look professional, communicate with their customers, generate leads, save time and grow their business. If you can't answer these questions confidently, reconsider your pitch. The prospective client needs to feel as though you understand their needs and can provide solutions that address those concerns.
Try this: Be prepared with questions to better understand their needs so you can speak to them in terms that are most relevant to them. For example, maybe you ask which part of their business they are looking to grow? Or what are their most profitable products or services? Upon giving their answer, be prepared to explain how a new website can help them accomplish that.
5. Don’t be afraid to ask questions if they don’t agree
Objections are part of the sales process. If a potential client does not agree with what you're saying during your sales pitch, don't be shy about asking questions like "why do you feel this way?" or "what makes you think a website is not worth the investment?". Asking questions will allow the client to explain their thoughts and give you the opportunity to respond positively to their rebuttal. Having an open line of communication can help relieve tension when it comes to selling and closing deals. It's crucial that you learn how to work through objections in order to make money while doing something you love!
Try this: Sometimes the best way to get comfortable with objections is to practice your responses. Make a list of the common objections you hear or have experienced, and craft your reply to each. Every business owner and conversation may be slightly different but how you handle common objections will be relatively the same.
6. Have confidence in yourself
When selling to small businesses, it's important to have confidence in yourself and the products or services you offer. A website is extremely valuable for small businesses, so be confident that you are offering a product that can truly help their business. And before approaching them about your service, put together examples of similar projects that you've worked on previously. This will give them insight into how your service benefits other customers in their industry and will also prove that there’s value in your work.
Try this: If you don’t already have one, it can be helpful to create a portfolio of your best work. Rather than displaying examples of every site you build, create a brief portfolio of just your best work. Use these to show off to potential clients when asked about other sites you built or use for client references. If you’re new to web design, click here for ideas on how to develop a portfolio without any clients.
7. Watch out for nonverbal cues
Just like it's important to listen to what a prospect is saying, it's equally important to look for nonverbal cues like facial expressions and body movements. These nonverbal cues often tell a lot about what the person is thinking and can help you tailor your conversation to ease any concerns. Your tone of voice should also be conducive with their preferences – if they seem engaged, lean forward; if they appear tired or closed off, try speaking more softly or lowering your volume level.
Try this: In addition to altering the tone of your voice or body language, try making the prospective client feel comfortable speaking with you. You can do this by getting them to talk about themselves and their business. Ask questions that are easy for them to answer and will get them talking to you. Also, a compliment can go a long way so consider offering one whether it be about them or something related to their business.
In Conclusion…
Whether you're just getting your web design business off the ground, or looking to scale, how well you can effectively sell to small businesses will ultimately determine your success. Use the 7 tips discussed in this article to give a convincing sales pitch to your next potential client.
Ready to get started with your own business? SiteSwan offers all the tools and resources you need to be successful in running your own web design business. Sign up today!