It's been said that when you make a sale, people aren't necessarily buying the product or service you're offering – they're buying you. The reason this statement sticks is that you need to be effective communicative when it comes to yours sales pitch and your personal style.

A clear value proposition should show what's in it for the customer you're targeting. You also need to understand the personality of your target audience and what motivates them. When you're making your appeal, you need to build credibility and trust, which is why your brand's unique value proposition and key differentiators are so important to define.

In today's world of hustle and bustle, where attention spans continue to shrink, it's more important than ever to be concise and focused. And you can never leave a sales pitch without some form of call to action. Whether it's a product or a service, it's important to lay out the next steps of your sales process.

Read on for tips and insights that explain why some efforts fail to resonate, helpful ideas for revamping your strategy, and six specific, impactful ways to beef up your sales pitch and close more deals.

Related: How to Own Your Sales Success – Why Every Reply and Rejection Matters

Attributes of a poor sales pitch

Practice makes perfect, but revitalizing your sales pitch it can take considerable time. However, you should always start with an audit and review of your current efforts.

If you notice any of the following deficiencies in your sales materials, improvement of some kind is not only necessary, but required:

• There is no customization – when your sales pitch is too general, it likely doesn't address the specific needs or interests of your target market, leaving them uninspired
• Lack of Empathy – Failing to connect to your customer's specific pain points makes your effort seem disjointed. Or even worse, no contact
• unauthentic – If you default ChatGPT to develop your sales pitch, you'll end up with an overly scripted, generic, and insincere message.
• Lack of key differentiators – sure, you may have a stellar product or service to offer, but if you're not highlighting exactly what sets you apart from the competition, you're missing the mark. If you've built a better mousetrap, explain the key differentiators.
• Lack of Commitment – Another key mistake is getting so caught up in your messaging and attributes that you fail to engage with your target audience. A lack of commitment almost always results in a lack of investment.

Related: Your differentiators absorb you. Follow these 5 steps to stand out from your competition.

How to retool your sales pitch

If you spot any of the above problems in your current sales materials and efforts, it's time to rework them. Here are some specific ways to do this:

• Ask for unbiased feedback – send your sales pitch to a close friend or colleague and ask them to give you a 100% honest rating. Pay attention to their reactions
• Market review: It may be time to examine market conditions and the current level of demand among your target closer audience. If things look off, update your positioning.
• Competitive Analysis – if you're not paying attention to the sales efforts of your direct competitors, start some opposition research right away
• Improve your design elements – maybe your message is getting lost because you're not paying enough attention to the visual aspect of your sales plan. Consider compelling images and videos.
• Diversify your fields – No rule says you can only use one version of your step at a time. Consider diversifying your pitch and using multiple versions. Then track and assess which messages are getting through

Related: Why interactive content will increase your customer loyalty

6 Impactful Ways to Overcome Sales

If you've done your homework and put in the necessary effort, now is the time to revamp and relaunch your revised sales plan. But before you do, review this handy checklist to get you started on the right foot:

1. Bullet with a strong impact – within your first two sentences, you need to grab their attention. Tease your target audience with an intriguing question, statistic or data point.
2. Know your audience – Take the time to review your target audience personas and determine what motivates them to take action.
3. Tell a story – at least one version of your new sales pitch materials should feature a relatable story, case study, or testimonial that enhances the value of what you're selling.
4. Focus on benefits, not features – all your bells and whistles copy well, but it's important to highlight the benefits of your product or service. How will it improve your customer's life?
5. Build credibility – don't just share facts, data and statistics. Support them and you will build credibility.
6. Request the order – make your specific call to action and direct the recipient to the next step in the sales process. Don't just leave them hanging.

As any good salesperson will tell you, nothing compares to the thrill of closing one deal. It's a feeling that doesn't diminish over time, especially if you really care about your performance and the goal of meeting your sales KPIs. Revamping your sales materials shouldn't feel like a chore, but a mission. If you follow this helpful tip, don't be surprised when it results in more engagement, more discussion, and ultimately – more sales.

Related: 5 tips to master the art of sales and grow your business