How to Use a Compelling Opening Line in a Sales Pitch

Any sales pro knows that nothing is as important as the start of your sales pitch. You only have a matter of seconds to convince your prospect that you are trustworthy. Your opening line can make or break your chance of converting a lead so you want to make sure you get it right. Crafting a compelling opening statement is the first step toward making a sale, so let’s take a look at some of the best strategies for opening lines and why they work. 

Start with a Personal Anecdote

A great way to start a sales pitch is by telling something personal about yourself. Starting with a personal anecdote can make you more relatable and can help you build rapport with your prospect. Personal statements allow you to speak with more authenticity and connect with your listeners. Your personal anecdote should, however, be related to a personal problem that you experienced and how you solved it and it should relate to your product or service. For example, “I personally needed assistance with X and this product helped me achieve X results in X amount of time.â€Â 

Ask a Question About a Problem You Can Solve

You may have seen this strategy used in several product demonstrations. Let’s use a carpet cleaning solution as an example. If you were trying to sell your carpet cleaner, you might begin with a question such as, “Do you have stubborn pet stains that you can’t get rid of?†This question relates to a problem that you can solve. It’s a great way to relate to the prospect and also lead right into your pitch. 

Start with a Startling Statistic

Your opening line should be an attention grabber, so a startling statistic can be a very effective way to begin a sales pitch. Let’s say you are pitching an internet service and you begin with this statement, “Nearly 25% of rural Americans have problems accessing high-speed internet but roughly one in five workers in America work from home.†Obviously this is a huge problem that you can offer a solution to so this is a great way to capture your prospect’s attention. Choose a statistic that relates to your business and tailor your pitch around this statement. 

When you begin your sales pitch with the standard, “Hello, my name is X and I would like to talk with you about X,†you are likely to lose your prospect before you even begin. If you begin a phone call this way, it is unlikely that your prospect will even let you continue. That’s why it’s important to think outside of the box a bit and choose an opening line that is tailored to your prospect’s specific needs. Your opening line should be interesting, clear, concise, and demonstrate that you have a solution to their problem.