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 tracks is that you have to be an effective communicator when it comes to your sales pitch and your personal style.

A clear-cut value proposition must demonstrate what’s in it for the consumer you’re targeting. You also have to understand the persona of your target audience and what motivates them. When you’re making your appeal, you have to establish both credibility and trust, which is why your brand’s unique value proposition and key differentiators are so crucial to define.

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

Keep reading for advice and insights that explain why some efforts fail to resonate, helpful ideas for retooling your strategy, and six specific, impactful ways to supercharge your sales pitch and close more deals.

Related: How to Master Your Sales Success — Why Every Answer and Rejection Matters

Attributes of a poor sales pitch

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

If you happen to note any of the following shortcomings in your sales materials, improvement of some kind is not only necessary, it’s required:

• No Personalization – when your sales pitch is overly generic, it’s likely not addressing the specific needs or interests of your target market, leaving them uninspired
• Lack of Empathy – failing to connect with your consumer’s specific pain points properly makes your effort seem disconnected. Or even worse, out-of-touch
• Inauthentic — If you default to 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 Engagement – Another key mistake is getting so caught up in your messaging and attributes that you fail to engage with your target audience. Lack of engagement almost always results in a lack of investment.

Related: Your Differentiators Suck. Follow These 5 Steps to Stand Out From Your Competition.

How to retool your sales pitch

If you recognize any of the aforementioned problems in your current sales materials and efforts, it’s time to retool them. Here are some specific ways to go about it:

• Seek Unbiased Feedback – send your sales pitch to a close friend or colleague and ask them to give you a 100% honest assessment. Pay close attention to their feedback
• Marketplace Review: It may be time to examine market conditions and the current level of demand among your target audience more closely. If things seem off, update your positioning.
• Competitive Analysis – if you’re not paying attention to the sales efforts of your direct competitors, begin some opposition research right away
• Upgrade Your Design Elements – maybe your message is getting lost because you’re not paying enough attention to the visual aspect of your sales pitch. Consider compelling images and videos.
• Diversify Your Pitches – no rule says you can only use one version of your pitch at a time. Consider diversifying your pitch and using multiple versions. Then, track and assess which messages are breaking through

Related: Why Interactive Content Will Boost Your Customer Loyalty

6 impactful ways to supercharge your sales pitch

If you’ve done your homework and put in the required effort, it’s now time to revamp and relaunch your revised sales pitch. But before you do, review this helpful checklist to get started on the right foot:

1. Lead With a Strong Hook – within your first couple of 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 the personas of your target audience 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, a case study, or a testimonial that boosts the value of what you’re selling.
4. Focus on Benefits, Not Features – all of your bells and whistles make good copy, but it’s important to emphasize the benefits of your product or service. How will it improve your customer’s lives?
5. Build credibility – don’t just spew facts, data and statistics. Support them, and you’ll build credibility.
6. Ask for 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 a deal. It’s a feeling that doesn’t subside over time, especially if you truly 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 advice, 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 Get Your Business Ahead