The best sales pitch I’ve ever seen

At Inflexion, a company that I founded and whose operation I have been running for 8 years, we have been fortunate to have various accelerations that have brought with them mentors and high-caliber training, in particular to cover the topic of a sales pitch, which is today the number one step of our process to create technology-based products and companies at Inflexion.

But no sales pitch as good as the man who sells bikes in the park.
It is already a Sunday tradition for me and my family to visit a nearby park so that my son can release his energy and be happy … and with it we because he falls asleep earlier from fatigue. During one of those walks, we passed a stall that sold bicycles, albeit bikes without pedals. History promises, How do you sell a bicycle without pedals? Well, more or less like this:

Salesperson: Hi, how old is your little one?
Us: Almost 2
Salesperson: He’s big for his age, ah? Look at mine (he shows us a brochure with photos of his son using the bikes without pedals)
Us: Aja
Salesperson: Well, look, this bike that you see here, it’s going to last you until … what’s your son’s name?
Us: Emilio
Salesperson: Until Emilio is 6 years old, and you will not have to invest more than in a bicycle. The problem with traditional bicycles is that they are from 3 years old, but at 5 you already have to buy another one, and worst of all, while they are with the wheels they do not learn anything, with this how long do you think it will take Emilio to learn to balance?
Us: Well … like 2 days?
Salesperson: Close close, 2 minutes
Us: Isn’t he very little?
Salesperson: No no, do you want to see ?, Get on Emilio
<Demo, in effect at 2 minutes he was already balancing itself>
Salesperson: And the best thing at 3 years old Emilio will have 6-pack and cyclist calves, with this bike he exercises that, with the traditional one leg.
Us: But don’t you get tired after a long time of pushing yourself?
Salesperson: With a good impulse he advances a lot, my son uses this bike for more than 3 km, and in the competitions that we organize it is much more, watch this video <Show well-edited video of the competitions that they organize>, I left my job and I started selling these bikes, the best decision I have ever made.
Us: Well, how much does it cost?

I stop here because clearly we were already hooked there, we exchanged data and the seller did not put “pushy” to close at that moment, he only gave us his whatsapp and told us that as soon as we wanted we would talk to him and he would give us the bike.

As the pitch progressed, in my head I was reviewing the checklist that we use at Inflexion to create sales presentations for our clients, one of our services, which was being fully fulfilled, and which is more or less like this:

• Describe a “pain” in the market or your competitor’s products.
• Describe the solution that your product gives to this problem, in detail.
• Create clear content to demonstrate how your product solves the problem, content that tells a story
• Tell a bit about where you come from and who your team is
• Describe the state of the market and your differentiator
• Describe your business model
• For the closing, do not “sell”, but rather help your client to buy (Cliché I know, but useful)

I leave you the task of comparing our tips with the history of the bicycle vendor. It is very likely that in the early years of Inflexion all those mentoring sessions already had this content, but seeing them in practice some Sunday afternoon does not happen to me often.
At Inflexion, the “sales pitch” is the first step in our process of creating products and technology companies, every week I will be telling you about the other steps, hoping that if you or someone you know has a technology project in charge, or an investment dedicated to technology we can help you, and if not, just enjoy this post as part of your day.

Alejandro Valdés Calderón is a Systems Engineer and Psychologist, currently founder and director of operations of Inflexion