Make it Fast - I've only Got 10 Minutes!

Have you ever made a sales call only to have the prospect tell you they've only got 10 minutes to talk? Ugh! How do you handle it?

Let's first talk about the sales pitch. In today's fast paced business world, sometimes you are not offered the time needed to effectively present your cleaning business and the services you provide. A normal prospect meeting should last around 30 minutes but you may be allotted only 10 minutes or less. Now what?

This can be a daunting challenge to say the least, but being prepared and by rehearsing, you can make the most of it and confidently deliver a polished pitch. As the great Vince Lombardi once said, “Practice does not make perfect. Only perfect practice makes perfect.”

To be a successful “pitcher”, you need know what you are talking about. Understanding the cleaning industry, the services and products your company can deliver, how those products and services can be useful and beneficial to the prospect, and how your cleaning business is different from all the rest is half the battle.

Try to avoid making your pitch sound generic or rehearsed. Think of it as having a casual conversation with an acquaintance, not giving a speech out in front of an audience behind a podium. Use simple language, maintain eye contact, and deliver your speech at a controlled pace. Allow the prospect to intervene if they have questions, or ask if they have any questions at the end.

And finally, be gracious and thank them for their time.

OK, so you have to make it fast. You've got only 10 minutes!

You have a few different choices when given a short period of time to talk:

1. Choice One:
   Take advantage of the 10 minutes they've given you and talk about your cleaning services and products.
2. Choice Two:
   Ask them to reschedule the meeting for a time when they have more than 10 minutes to talk.
3. Choice Three:
   Do the opposite of Choice One and try to get them to talk for 10 minutes. 

Choice One: If you are comfortable and confident with your “pitch” then this may be your one and only chance. But if you feel nervous, jittery, and uncomfortable, you will sound like just another salesperson, which isn't a good thing. This choice also gives them the chance to say at the end of your 10 minutes, "Well I'm afraid I've got to go. I'll be in touch."  And you never hear from them again.

Choice Two: This might sound like a good alternative (rescheduling the meeting), but it's not. If they are in fact busy and have just 10 minutes to give you, they're probably not going to want to set aside more time for you later. And if they used the "I've only got 10 minutes" as an excuse to get rid of you quickly, then they'll just find another excuse not to see you.

Choice Three: This is the one that gets the best results. If you can get them to see the value in talking with you, then they'll want to hear more and go over their 10 minutes or ask you to come back for another appointment. To get them to see the value, or "what's in it for me," start asking questions.

You want to get the prospect talking so you can spend the time listening. With this approach, you no longer sound like a salesperson trying to sell cleaning services. Begin by asking targeted questions to get them talking. They will begin to realize that you're not selling to them, but actively listening and learning about their concerns and problems.

People want to talk to people who are interested in helping them improve their situation or solve their issues. If they feel you are sincere and want to help, they'll start to see the value in doing business with you.

Here's an example of how you could reply when a prospect says, "I've only got 10 minutes."

"There is so much I could tell you about our cleaning services, but I'd hate to waste any more of your time by talking about services that might not be relevant to your situation.  Instead I'd like to spend the next 10 minutes finding out about any issues you might have. That way, I'll be able to tell you what we can do to help resolve those issues. To do that, I'd like to ask you a few questions..."

Here are a few targeted questions you can ask to get the prospect talking:

• What are you currently struggling with?
• What quality issues concern you the most?
• If you could have one extra service from your current provider, what would that be?
• How are you currently handling _____?
• What criteria did you use to select your current service provider?

So the next time someone says, "I only have 10 minutes," don't fall into the trap of trying to sell your services in 10 minutes. Instead, get them talking by asking targeted questions that will get them thinking. Your 10 minutes just may end up being a 30-minute meeting! 

Need help putting together your sales pitch? Check out the following in the download library:

Need help putting together your sales pitch? Check out the following in the download library:

The Download Library has over 20 Sales Forms to help guide you, including... Announcing New Service Letter 19 pages of sales question you might ask Qualifying Questions will help you determine if a prospect is a good fit for your business Overcoming Objections - Scripts and Questions to ask the prospect.

Cold Calling Scripts Included are the following documents: The Script Formula 4 Cold Calling Script Templates Phone Scripts Appointment Setting Scripts Cold Calling Scripts for Initial Resistance Gatekeeper Scripts How to Handle Voice Mail

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