We've all been there. You check your inbox, scroll LinkedIn, and there they are: ten messages from people pitching their services before they've even said hello. It's loud, it's pushy, and honestly, it's not working.
I recorded Episode 78 of The Stern Truth about this very topic and why it’s the best business strategy. And in this post, I'm going to share why the constant pitch is costing you clients and what to do instead.
The Old Way Isn't Working
For years, the gold standard in sales was ABC, Always Be Closing. Push hard. Pitch fast so you can close the deal. But the world has changed. Buyers are smarter and a lot more skeptical. They’re also completely overwhelmed with options and offers.
If you lead with a pitch before you've built any real connection, you've already lost them. Especially if your prospects aren't a good fit for what you sell. You can't know that without asking questions first.
I’ve worked with a lot of business owners that skip straight to "here's what I offer" pitch without even finding out if there's a need. Honestly, that feels gross for everyone involved.
A New ABC: Always Be Connecting
Here's the shift I want you to make. Forget Always Be Closing. Start thinking Always Be Connecting. It sounds simple, but trust me, it changes everything.
Years ago, my wife and I went to Whistler for a "free weekend" through a timeshare promotion. I told our friends, "We're not buying anything."
We came back with a big binder. Yes, we bought into that timeshare and have been members ever since (nearly thirty years.)
The salesperson never once felt like a salesperson. She asked about our lifestyle, our travel habits, our plans for a family. She painted a picture of raising our kids at those properties, coming back year after year. The connection is what sold us.
About 12 years later, the company had been bought by a bigger hotelier. We went back for an "update meeting," and the experience was completely different.
The new sales rep spent 25 minutes talking about trips to Egypt, Japan, and Switzerland. We were never asked one question about us or our kids, what we thought. It was just pitch, pitch, pitch.
We left early. If that had been the first experience, we never would have bought.
How to Do This in Real Life
I recently did a role-play exercise with one of my coaching clients. She asked one question about my objective, then immediately launched into her screen share, showing her pricing packages and every detail of her services. It was too much, too fast.
Her offerings are genuinely excellent. But she fell into the same trap so many business owners do by pitching before there's a real connection.
Here's what I want you to try instead, whether you're in a sales call, at a networking event, or in a casual conversation:
Ask them about their business first – what are their challenges, what are they working towards. Listen more than you talk.
Find out if you can truly help before you ever mention your services
My mentor always said, "Be interested, not interesting." That one line has shaped how I show up in every business conversation.
Connection is the Strategy
You don't need a slicker pitch. You need a genuine conversation. If there's a fit, the sale will happen naturally. If there isn't, you've still built a relationship, and maybe a future referral. Either way, you've done something that sets you apart from every other person in that person's inbox.
So, this week, I challenge you to go into your next conversation with one goal: connect first. That's it.
And if you're ready to grow alongside entrepreneurs who get it, join the ONtrepreneur Inner Circle.
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