In this Forbes article, we contributed one of the ten tips on how to ensure your pitch stands out to large clients, by mastering the art of storytelling.
Our advice: Sellers are all too quick to talk about themselves, their company and the product and not address the buyer. To ensure that you are differentiating your pitch from the rest, consider leveraging the CLOSE methodology: Challenge, Loss, Opportunity, Solution, Evidence.
When taking this approach, your seller conversations are used to tell a story around your unique value:
1. Challenge – Discuss what challenges your buyer might be facing, based on what you see at other firms in their industry, of their same size, etc.
2. Loss – Quantify the impact of sticking with legacy solutions and practices (the status quo), so they understand there is a cost of “do nothing”
3. Opportunity – Paint a vision for a better future, in contrast to the status quo
4. Solution – Propose your solution and unique features and business value
5. Evidence – Show how others similar to the prospect have achieved significant value and return on investment.
