Can I just say I never thought a mustache would get so much attention? I just got back from the “Sales Strategies in a Social & Mobile World” conference in Santa Monica, and talk about a conversation starter. Thank goodness others like @TarynFrank represented “Movember” with me.

In honor of our iMeet / Sales 2.0 Pitch Contest, Gerhard started the conference by asking 10 reps to deliver their best sales pitch on stage. Throughout the day, my team video’ed other pitches from attendees, and the audience voted on the best one at the end of the day. (The winner won an iPad 2 and 10 iMeet rooms. Congrats, Bob Marsh— SVP, Sales Strategy & Head of Sales Contest Builder at ePrize.)

It’s never been more important to be able to instantly communicate the value of what you sell. The goal of a sales pitch is not to talk so much about how great your company.  The goal is to express how you and your company can help bring value to that prospect.

Here are some quick tips for creating your most effective elevator pitch, based on sales pitches and speakers from the conference:

1. Start with a question. As @AndyShefsky said, what if I told you the only thing between you and getting face-to-face with a high-value prospect was a single click? Watch Andy’s hilarious rap here.
2. Pause for two seconds before you start speaking. You’ll seem—and feel—more confident… and confidence sells. Slow and steady wins the pitch race.
3. Stand with your feet 2 feet apart to feel stable and relaxed.
4. Smile and nod your head often, especially during your opening.
5. Show your passion. @JeffreyHayzlett complimented one finalist, Eddie Lin from Live Nation, on his enthusiasm. Conference speakers @JakeWengroff and @MarkRoberge also served some serious energy on stage.
6. Use stats. Everyone’s got an opinion—can you substantiate yours? For example, you’ll be more likely to agree when I say you need to turn on your webcam when I tell you 89% of sales leaders say face-to-face meetings are essential for sealing the deal (HBR). This is especially critical as insides sales jobs multiply 15x faster than outside field positions
7. Humor pays. Ralf Vonsosen didn’t give a pitch, but his affected German accent and on-stage riffs made the entire audience laugh. Here’s another example from Twitter:
8. Use at least one memorable sentence that the listener can repeat to others. Gerhard’s line—we’re suffering from adaptation apathy—from the pre-conference VIP Roundtable discussion has already sparked a lot of online conversation. Here’s another example:
9. End with a call to action. If you want your listeners to sign up for a 30-day iMeet trial, say it!
10. Give your contact information. You got people excited about what you sell. Make sure they know how contact you to explore further.

With these tips, your team will knock 2011 out of the park, and start 2012 off with a bang.

Join me for more “Simple Strategies for Sales Success in 2012” on Wednesday, December 7 at 2:00 pm EST for a webinar moderated by Gerhard Gschwandtner to develop a three-pronged action plan with sales process expert, Ryan Kubacki, President of Holden International. His transformational methodology is based on 28,000 seller surveys and 50,000 competitive deals.

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone.