Chapter 5 2. Check your phrasing. It’s very easy to fall into the “I feel . . .” or “I’ve found . . .” trap. Punch with the weight of your organization and build credibility by changing your phrasing to “we” or “our customers have found . . .” 3. Get your customer stories straight. Your customers have found success with your solutions. Writing those stories down and sharing them is the best way to ensure they’re told consistently and help new sales and marketing people ramp up quickly. 4. Build your arsenal of belief statements. Leading with what you believe is very powerful. Craft these messages and ensure your team delivers them with conviction across their customer-facing activities. 5. Practice pitching without slides. An easy-to-understand sales pitch should be quick, simple, and compelling. Next time, ditch the slides and practice nailing your pitch in 10 seconds or less. Every business has strategic and operational pains they need to address. They also have unprecedented choice and access to information about solutions that can address those pains. Add to that ample amounts of internal distractions and conflicting priorities, and your customers have created a fortress even the most seasoned sales and marketing machine will have trouble breaching. Arming yourself with a sound strategy for ensuring your sales and marketing messages are customer centric is critical to breaking through those defenses and generating high-intent leads. But like all positive habits, mindful practice and repetition are the key to making these strategies second nature. Good luck! 7070