Product pitches should be delivered like a three course meal
Product pitches should be delivered like a three course meal
I’ve been on the receiving end of many product, or generally sales, pitches over the years, from vendors reaching out to me with their products and services as well as listening to members of my sales teams pitch products I worked on. I am not by any stretch of the imagination an expert on how to pitch a product, but hearing hundreds of them over the years has given me insights into what works and what doesn’t.
I’ll be covering what I deem to be the perfect pitch - structure-wise - and also some of the anti-patterns I have observed over the years.
The Anti-Patterns
The first, and probably the most common anti-pattern I have observed, is to immediately dive into describing what the product is composed of or how it works. This typically manifests itself in walking the prospect through an architecture diagram and jumping into technical minutiae. There will be a time for technicalities, but not at the outset. You need to set the stage first before diving into what the product is composed of.
Another anti-pattern is to describe the product in terms of what it is not. This is common for crowded categories with all too similar products or when competing against some incumbent. Often times, the default manner when describing products is to contrast it against others and position it as “not like them.”
Finally, the most egregious anti-pattern in my opinion is to completely fail to mention the problem(s) the product solves. Before I jump on a sales call, or a product pitch, I need to know what problems this product solves, and they better be relevant to me.
Let’s see these anti-patterns in action through a simple scenario: a salesperson pitching Tesla (before Tesla became a household name). You would probably never hear that person pitch the car using any of the below:
“This car is composed of a battery pack, a steering wheel, and 4 doors.”
“This car doesn’t contain an internal combustion engine, or even a catalytic converter. You won’t need to worry about that part being stolen from your car like with Prius’.”
Instead, the pitch might focus on the electric nature of the car and how that makes it environmentally friendly and economical relative to ICE cars over the long run.
The Pitch as a Three-Course Meal
Some of the best product pitches I have heard are similar to a rich three-course meal. These pitches have distinct phases, much like in a three-course dinner, each serving its purpose, yet collectively delivering a decadent experience.
The Starter: This is usually the content that is delivered in an email by the product's ISR or BDR team. This should be short, to the point, and clearly articulate what problems this product solves. It’s the hook that gets me excited to learn more about the product.
The Entrée: The bulk of the pitch should be spent here. This is the section in which the value or problems the product solves are fleshed out. Use cases are described, customer testimonials shared, and, if applicable, a dive into how the product works. When I pitch for a sales opportunity or when talking with candidates, I usually prefer to leave the “how does it work” optional. I want the prospect to ask that question, which is a strong signal of interest.
The Dessert: Nothing showcases how a product works like seeing it work for yourself. One of the reasons car dealers offer a test drive is because experiencing a car in person is substantially more rewarding and fulfilling than reading about it.
“Going forward, it is mandatory in North America to install and activate FSD V12.3.1 and take customers on a short test ride before handing over the car,” Musk wrote in an email to staffers on Monday. “Almost no one actually realizes how well (supervised) FSD actually works. I know this will slow down the delivery process, but it is nonetheless a hard requirement.” - Elon Musk
Example: Vanta
I first came across Vanta in 2019/2020. At that time, I was working at a SaaS startup, and we were looking at products to help us with our SOC 2 compliance. I had never heard of Vanta, but I was in the market for a product that could help with SOC 2. I wish I had kept the material I received from the Vanta team, but nonetheless, I will attempt to reconstruct it. It’s worth noting that I was in the market for a product like Vanta, so I was open to being cold-called.
The Starter: The email I received from the Vanta team was simple, short, and to the point. It was something like “Automate SOC2 compliance in minutes.” Now, I know that vendors will exaggerate and that, in all likelihood, it won’t be minutes, but the email had enough for me to ask for a call.
The Entrée: This is where all the magic happened. I don’t recall who from the Vanta team gave me the pitch. However, that person focused on one thing and one thing only: how to automate and gather SOC 2 compliance from my cloud environment. When I asked how the product worked, what I needed to deploy in my environment, and so on, the salesperson had all the right answers. He was able to answer my questions with sufficient detail, yet not diving immediately into agents, APIs, and so on.
The Dessert: That was the best part. The salesperson had a demo environment that showcased how easy and exhaustive Vanta’s product was. I was also able to try out the product in my own environment in a few minutes. Send me the PO, please!
There’s obviously a lot more to giving a product pitch than my simplistic three-course meal approach. Good salespeople ensure that their pitch includes compelling storytelling, highlights unique selling points, uses simple language, addresses objections, is delivered with enthusiasm, has a strong closing, uses clear visuals, acknowledges competitors, maintains consistent messaging, is well-rehearsed, and includes a follow-up. The very best sellers are also masters at the art of listening. These top salespeople are able to weave their story - a pitch is nothing but that - along with what they hear from what the customer shares: her pain points and goals. To use my three-course analogy, these master sellers are able to deliver a delicious meal that is custom-tailored to what the customer wants to eat at that moment in time.
Cultivating such skills takes time and practice, but by avoiding common anti-patterns and structuring your pitch effectively, you can greatly increase your chances of success. Remember, the goal is not just to present a product but to engage the prospect in a way that makes them see the value and relevance of what you’re offering. Happy pitching!