When you break down some of the best sales pitches, you’ll notice something that can change your business.
You’ll notice that being GREAT at sales has nothing to do with “natural talent.”
(As far as I know, there’s no “sales gene.”)
Instead, when you break down the pitch, you’ll find that the world’s greatest salesmen follow a framework for selling.
A framework that’s repeatable. A framework that anyone can learn. A framework that YOU can learn – and be better at selling TODAY.
What is it?
Here’s the Deal…
I’m PUMPED to announce the return of the Social Triggers Insider podcast.
Because on this NEW podcast, I’ve got an amazing guest. His name is Mike Del Ponte, and he’s going to share a sales framework he used to sell more than $100,000 of a product that did not yet exist – and MORE.
Who is Mike Del Ponte? He’s the co-founder of Soma, a beautiful water filter that took the world by storm. It started with an idea, a successful Kickstarter campaign that raised $147,444 in less than 10 days, and desire to change the game in what was a “boring” water filter industry. I bought mine last week ;-).
You’ll hear the full story, and get proven frameworks and tactics you can begin using in your business TODAY below:
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Now if you’re as excited as I am about the return of the Social Triggers Insider podcast, I need your help.
You see, these podcasts often take me 5 days of prep time. It’s a TON of work, and it’s one of the reasons why I put it on hiatus for a few months.
But I started to get emails from people who wanted to see my podcast back in action. People who said this:
“Quite possibly the most informative, useful, and practical podcast I subscribe to. You’ll take something useful away from every episode and his guest speakers are among the leaders in the field!”
So I caved.
My goal has always been to be one of the BEST websites for entrepreneurs on the web – and to do that, the podcast is ESSENTIAL.
So, what do I need your help with?
Two things.
#1
I’d love for you to listen to the podcast today, and leave a comment telling me how you plan on using this sales framework in your business.
After all, the podcast isn’t about me. It’s about you, and the value YOU get from it. I just want to hear how it’s going to help 😉
#2
I plan on doing this podcast weekly, and the only way to ensure you don’t miss out on each episode is to subscribe via iTunes.
(Plus, you’ll find the archived podcasts, each of which is AMAZING on iTunes… including one with Tim Ferriss).
If I’ve ever helped you with my free content, I’d be thankful if you left an honest review today. It will take you less than 30 seconds, it won’t cost you a cent, and it will be a HUGE help.
Use this link – and fire up iTunes.
(click the little blue link that says “View in iTunes”)
Thanks!
Did you know Social Triggers Insider is now on iTunes? If you enjoy this series, please take a few seconds and leave an honest review. It would be a huge help.
Right click this link to save the audio as a MP3 file to your computer
The transcript for this podcast is not available… yet. Please check back.
Note: It appears that the 4P framework was originally taught by Michael Masterson (or Mark Forde). So, thanks for that.
My biggest take-away from this podcast episode was “The 4 P’s”.
Great Podcast….. I will either listen to a podcast or video every morning before work to keep my mind open and I have used Value several times – now I will put the benefits of the four P’s in sales. The information you provide is EXCELLENT!! The beauty of Sales is one is always learning. Thanks for sharing.
Hey Derek,
thank you for that podcast! It was really a pleasure to listen to these great insights.
I already started with implementing it in my sales strategy. Currently I’m trying to get my startup off the ground, and I have to do a lot of “pre-sales” on trade shows, by telephone etc.
So while listening to the podcast, I wrote an outline for my sales conversations following the 4 Ps, including the 3 laws of marketing-tactics.
I will let you know whether it worked out as planned.
Oh and by the way: you are a bit loud on the podcast when listening with ear pods… 😉
Regards, Chris!
Alright, I loved the podcast and I’ll be eagerly tuning in and catching up on what I’ve missed.
What I am getting from this – clarity about sales pages. In my other business (PhoenixFlame Healing) I’m releasing a program, which needless to say has one. I’ve stared at the damn thing, tried to model it off what I could figure out from reading others (there are certain trends) and yet I felt it wasn’t quite right so I’ve hedged on launching the page. NOW after this I feel like I have the knowledge I need to do it confidently, tweak things and just go for it. (it won’t make me money sitting there hiding now will it?!)
My question: All the Ps should be covered – but does it matter in what order?
My take home:
“Things that look different, are different”
I learned how to take advantage of the unique selling features of my own product and the value of communicating those benefits when related to an emotion.
After all I want to sell…
Good job.
That framework is amazing for video production too. In fact I’m going to incorporate it in our standard pre-production/scripting process
You know what would be amazing? If you could put a transcribed version of the podcast on your website. I know it takes some time but it would be incredibly helpful to find anything the second time we revisit the podcasts. Plus you get a good amount of SEO out of it.
Thanks again! Keep rocking!
Thanks for the Kickstarter follow up. Were getting ready to launch our own crowd funding on indi-a-gogo. It gave me a lot to think about.
Wow. I’ve been trying to find better ways to convert my visitors. I have a very niche market and get plenty of visitors, but I feel my conversion rate is much lower than it could be. Now I know why.
I’m planning on completely revamping the text on my entire site and will create a landing page with the Four P’s. Thanks a ton for the great interview!
Hi Derek,
My first podcast with you. Love your smashmouth language you use. Straightforward and clear. Thank you for this podcast. I sent the link to two friends.
Mike Del Ponte is a very practical guy who understands the world of marketing and sales. Vital to starting a smart company.
So glad you are podcasting again…I just binged on about 4 episodes while walking the dogs and driving around town! You’re interviewing style is a nice mix of good questions, excellent reframing, and sitting back and letting your engaging guests have their say. Well done!
I came back to this one, though, because the take-aways are so dang practical, do-able, implementable, and I wanted to share it all with my own clients and readers.
Thanks to both you and Mike.
Copywriter here…great insights into creating powerful headlines. Always appeal to your customers emotions and create a picture in their mind. The ‘Wear the Jeans you Wore in High School’ is a classic example. Good stuff.
Great interview! I wrote a blog post about the 4Ps and included a free 4P checklist that people can use to make sure they’ve covered all the points.
Fantastic podcast. I learned a lot – I need to think creativity about integrating those into my website!
I’m glad you’re back to the podcast! I really liked the 4 P’s and am already incorporating the into the content I look at and present to others.
I’m in the process of launching a franchise-based retail personal service studio in a major New England metro. My franchise prescribes the sales process and provides lots of coaching. But THIS podcast helped to put some of the meat on the bones.
At the end of this episode, by the time you recommended that we should have been taking notes, I already had pages of notes typed up.
This framework actually fits well with the process I’m prescribed to follow. But without the explanations you gave, I really wouldn’t have understood how to speak to these points, and fill them in with viable, useful, and successful messages. Now I understand some of the spirit behind the customers decision process.
Good podcast. Especially appreciated how there were examples given of each of the 4 P’s relative to the product. Made it easier to visualize how to do this.
Great episode to kick off with!
The 4 Rs were great but what really hit home was ” Products that look different, are different.”
I’ve been nervous about the new website design I’m launching because it’s very left field for my industry, but this made me feel confident I’m on the right track.
Thanks for the solid advice!
Great podcast Derek!
I really enjoyed learning the 4 Ps to selling and 3 laws of marketing. Since I am not a ‘natural born salesman’, I enjoy picking up good tips like this here and there.
My biggest insight would probably be the concept of making sure to have a first type of product (rather than a better product) of something. Although there are many water filters out there, I like how the Soma water filter is positioned as the 1st type of sustainable one.
Keep the great audio/video content coming!
First time on your blog. I like your content. I even signed up as a subscriber!
So sorry! In my enthusiasm for the return of Social Triggers podcasts, I totally didn’t follow the directions! I have already started composing Sales Letters that follow the 4 P’s. My only concern is that, as a new entrepreneur, I don’t have a lot of (read: any) “Proof” yet, but I do have some credible tidbits to connect to. This particular episode will help me compose introductory letters to the members of the Chamber of Commerce I just joined.
I’m relatively new to podcasts, so I wasn’t sure where to start. I downloaded a crap-load, which fortunately included Derek’s. I would give each (highly rated) one about 5 minutes to determine their worth. The only one that made it beyond the 5 minutes EVERY SINGLE TIME was Derek’s. Love his guests, Love his questions. This is the only MUST LISTEN TO podcast in my opinion! I take notes and apply every single time. I re-listen frequently. YOU ROCK Derek! Thank you!!
Thanks for introducing me to the 4 P’s! When I investigated deeper into the 4 P’s, I found a similar, but different set. I find these 4 P’s make a little more sense:
– Picture the problem
– Promise the potential
– Prove the performance
– Push the purchase
(Apparently taught by a dude named Michael Buschmohle.)
For comparison, the 4 P’s as detailed in the podcast:
– Promise (a solution)
– Picture (them using it)
– Proof
– Pitch
The main differences are in the first two P’s. The podcast kind of skipped “Picture the problem,” but it was definitely implied. “Promise the potential” can (and should!) include “Picture them using it.”
Another minor difference: Buschmohle’s 4 P’s are verbs, while the podcast uses nouns.
Hey Derek, great podcast! I really enjoyed listening to it. My biggest takeaway was “your design is your best marketing.”
Keep up the great work!
I’ve been thinking about it all week and I think I’ve got it! (Name for your community). “Insiders”. Let me know what you think, Derek.
Kickstarters own research shows that only about 44 percent of campaigns reach their goals. Nice to see one so successful.
Hey Derek,
I’ve been waiting for this! Awesome stuff as always and great interview! I’m leaving you a 5 star rating in iTunes and spreading the word as much as I can here in Sweden. I’m launching my own show later this year, and it’s definitely been a big inspiration to listen to your podcast and many other great ones out there 🙂
Keep it up!
– Navid
Outstanding interview Derek. I’m inspired on so many levels, including purchasing a Soma filter.
This is one of THE BEST interviews you’ve delivered!
Tons of insights and take-a-ways. I need to listen again and take notes.
Thank you!
Thanks Derek, I took notes all the way through. I especially needed to hear that even a great product won’t necessarily sell itself. Appreciate your sharing the info.
The power of your podcast is that you bring the findings back into real language, and exactly how Soma have implemented their ‘Rs’ and ‘Ps’.
Good podcast. Even as an experienced sales person I learned something.
Hi Derek, great stuff today. Thanks for the insights, I’ll be redoing the website using the four “P”s! Have an amazing day and keep working hard for us!
Great content!
Currently learning about Positioning in my advertising class at Orange Coast College in California.
I understand a little better why you need to differentiate yourself and your product from the competition and how people buy based on emotion rather than rationality.
Glad to see the podcast on Stitcher. Just added. 🙂
I love the “promise, paint a picture, proof, and pitch”. That is right on. Thanks for a great podcast.
Well done, Derek! Very helpful discussion. I didn’t know these P’s. Everyone building and running a business should listen to this.
Specifically, I am going to paint a better Picture for our leadership biz. We haven’t been tapping the “feelings” enough in our web copy. Going to use all of this for my upcoming launch. Reworking things because of this. Thank you!
Derek, so excited that Social Triggers Insider is back. Loving this new episode. As a content marketer I work on sales pages ALL. THE. TIME.
Yet the 4 P’s — Promise, Picture, Proof, Pitch — break down the elements those pages need to be successful in a way that “sticks” better than anything else I’ve encountered.
Thanks for sharing this awesome story and for relaunching the podcast!
Thanks Derek for the podcast. It has great insight and i like the fact “If things look different then they are different”. So you need to stand out in market to show uniqueness.
I am so happy to see the podcast back up! Thanks.
But 5 days of prep time… that’s insane. I’d be happy to see 5 times more podcasts from you, even if it was a little improvised you “only” prepared each for a day 😉
Love the podcast.
we launched a new range of curry kits this year and everyone told us how lovely the packaging was, and the tastings feedabck was great, but it failed in the market place, so we are revising the packaging for next year. Your podcast just helped me join the dots and realize that while we had a beautiful looking and tasting product, it did not give them a reason to believe in our product as we spent too much space promoting all the features and not enough on creating the picture of the experience they would have if they used our product and that this is backed up by customer testimonials and industry awards. i will be making sure that this is not over looked for all our new product ranges. thankyou again and
keep the podcasts rolling.
liz
Loved the podcast and was really looking forward to buying one of the water filters (although I’m not sure if you ship to the UK) but then I noticed its circular and although it doesn’t say how tall it is, it looks quite tall. This will never fit easily into my fridge! Please come back with an awesome design and a practical one that will fit in my fridge!
Thank youuuuu!
Incredible
I was waiting for this podcast for months, Your podcast changed my mind set and inspired me big time.
Thank you
Nicely done Derek, I’ve used this podcast to create a system for qualifying what blogs/media outlets that I could provide value to and would fit my wife’s baking site.
Thanks Derek,
Awesome stuff. Will definitely try it.
Derek,
Review submitted, episode downloaded and heard. Amazing. I can’t help but be inspired every time I listen to your podcast. I may even buy a soma water filter. lol
I think an episode like this takes the fear of launching something. If someone can PRESELL almost 150k+ worth of product, why can’t I?
Either way, inspirational.
Mike
P.S. – Tweeted this and it’s already gotten retweeted. Best, Lauren
I’m leaving a comment because I want to support you in what you are up to.
I only found your website last week and bookmarked it straightaway as your advice is very interesting. I design and create websites for people with a bit of a twist. I always have a marketing conversation with my clients to assist them in defining the purpose of the website, who are they trying to target etc. I come from a import/wholesale background where I have worked with retailers, corporates, designed product ranges for department stores. I combine all of that knowledge with website building and it surprises me how many people have great ideas and leave this kind of information to the ethers. I am enjoying your knowledge Derek. Thank You.
Fantastic Stuff! As Always.
This has gotten my wheels turning for some sales page redesigns. Thanks for the knowledge and inspiration.
It’s funny you mentioned the minimalist look of social triggers as that’s what caught my eye when I first landed here a year or two ago (memory get’s hazier with age, heh). It just stuck out and honestly felt more professional and less “selly” than others in the same field.
I’m sure other “Insiders” felt the same way. (yes I’m going to champion that term until it becomes reality!)
The 4 Ps and 3 laws of marketing are incredible
I love the “look different, be different” product strategy for competitive sales.
I appreciate you Derek and friend, thanks a lot
Derek,
Thank you for a very informative podcast. Mike definitely knows his stuff and your contributions to the conversation were definitely on target.
I like your presentation format because you don’t resort to silly comments or goofy jokes. Great job!
Tom
The 4 P’s are brilliant. It really simplifies all aspects of selling. For me, I’ll be using this in:
– Sales Emails
– Sales Pages
– Sales Conversations
(Especially the sales convos!)
Also, I loved: People love to buy but hate to be sold to. Wow – I never put those two pieces together and they make everything make sense now. So good to know!
I’m so excited that the podcast is back! 🙂 I get so many valuable & clear cut marketing ideas from what you share. Plus, I love how you introduce experts I wouldn’t have discovered otherwise.
Great podcast! Thanks for taking the time to do this.
Awesome interview, Derek! It’s always interesting to hear other entrepreneurs’ methods for success.
The 4 Ps are brilliant — definitely going to keep them in mind for my next product launch! Also, remembering that people “love to buy” (but hate to be sold) is a great takeaway, too 🙂
Thanks for the great info.
Cailen
http://www.CALMbiz.com
I am really struggling to market original fine art in a small community. Social media is the way to reach out to a broader audience but so many ideas seem difficult to adapt to fine art sales. However, THIS podcast was one I could get my head around.
The 4 Ps make good sense when talking about fine art. My head is buzzing with ideas! THANK YOU!
Great stuff Derek! I’m hooked now! Lot’s of great content as usual and I expressed my love with a review on itunes 🙂 Keep up the good work!
Just let you a iTunes review. Thank you for being so consistent for us. Loved this podcast. Mike was a great guest, and had some really great info to share.
I took rabid notes!
I love the Four P’s. I’m putting those into practice right now for the new Life Path Report that I’m created for my tarot business. Thanks for the podcast. Great stuff!
Okay haven’t even made it through the intro yet and I’m freaking STOKED! I literally just bought two Soma’s for gift for my boss and mom!!
Derek,
Love how you break things down to their essence! This podcast is a great refresher that’s really relevant to where I am.
Thanks.
Jon
I think the four P’s talked about in the podcast are going to help me pitch in the crowded/confused market of web development.
It’s always tough when you’re trying to pitch products/services to prospects who don’t completely understand your market’s value. In my case, differentiation is an absolute must, and educating my prospects with the four P’s stands to be an effective strategy.
Great Podcast, Derek. Keep em coming!
I have a very successful small business teaching art from my studio. I always have a waiting list – no need to advertise – but I’m working on my very first e-course, so I was busy taking notes on how to sell.
Thanks so much. I will take the 4 Ps and all to heart.
Great content! Thanks for firing up the blogs. Thanks for the reminders on the 3 P’s of Selling. Hadn’t heard these 3 Laws of Marketing. Currently re-branding all of my communications including website so this was SO helpful. Thanks Derek.
Great Podcast! I took a ton of notes. I always tell people that I don’t believe in “no” so I love how he created such and irresistible offer with so much value that it would be impossible to say no.
I also love that he hit EVERY type of consumer; those that buy from emotion, those that want hard facts, those that care about social elements attached to their products as well. What a great and valuable way to start the show again!
Bravo Derek!
Glad you dig it Jo-Na.
So glad you are returning to podcasting, Derek!
Yes!
I’m PUMPED to be doing it too.
Importance of rationalization
Thanks so much for this valuable information. It makes so much sense. I will put it into practice immediately.
Awesome stuff Derek, thanks for this. Incredible.
I loved “The 4 P’s” from a sales pitch standpoint. I also greatly see the value of “The 4 R’s” for when you get ready to launch.
I can’t imagine how much further down the road I would be if I were to have found your blog a year ago!
🙂
Wauw, I listened and looked to so many sales tips … this is the first one that sticks! Thank you, goint to implement it immediately.
I’m out in the field but you can bet I’ll catch the podcast and review as soon as I get in! Thanks Derek!
Thanks Matt!
A lot of Kickstarter stories lately have been negative, glad to hear one that’s positive. I like the idea of using it as a way of prototyping. Get sales before you put in the huge fixed cost of actually building it.
Interesting to hear that you heard a lot of negative. What have you heard?
I think it’s the pendulum swinging back from all the success stories to all the failures, the projects that got funded but failed before delivery.
http://www.geekosystem.com/kickstarter-board-game-failure/
http://www.forbes.com/sites/erikkain/2012/10/18/fully-funded-kickstarter-game-goes-belly-up-haunts-the-manse-macabre-is-out-of-money-as-programmers-call-it-quits/
Then there are the ones are allegedly outright scams… http://www.theverge.com/2013/8/28/4667078/ouya-kickstarter-scam-allegations
Glad to see you are starting up the Podcasts again, I am loving Podcasting myself and just hit 30 episodes. I have already left you a review and 5 star rating but I will listen to today’s episode and share the iTunes podcast link across all of my social networks.
Thanks John. Any sharing you can do would be amazing. Instead of just sharing it with a broad base network though, it would be amazing if you sent a link via a personal email to a friend or two 😉
“a successful Kickstarter campaign that raised $147,444 in less than 10 days” and 0 – 25 million in 6m that’s outstanding man!
I always get stock at how to sell before you actually sale, timely podcast since I’m at that never ending process of creating a product.
By the way drinksoma.com is a beautiful website.
Thanks Derek and Mike
Glad you dug it!