Review of Action Items from Last Episode

Your assignment two weeks ago was to think about what you are saying in your opening sales statement or conversation now. Do your words/tone/body language/delivery/sincerity help people, and remember-they are people, to think

1. He/She is telling me the truth?
2. He/She cares about me?
3. He/She can and will help me?

Be ready to defend your answers.
Be very, very tough on yourself.
If you are not effectively doing these three things then you are fighting an uphill battle.

How did you do?

> Back to top of page

New Steps - Perfecting

In this episode you will learn additional steps in perfecting an effective opening sales conversation.

Remember back when you were in English class? You wrote a short story and were told in no uncertain terms "Show don't tell!" In your opening sales conversations are you telling people that you are telling the truth as in:

"...our corporate mission statement is based on trust and integrity..."

"...we pride ourselves on open communication with our customers..."

or do you show you are telling the truth like Tom did when he said:

"Hello, my name Tom Smith and I would love to sell you our product!"

Your next mission, after having shown that you are telling the truth, like Tom did, is to show you care. In Episode one of Effective Opening Sales Conversations we ended by saying that you would be able to use this:

"Thank you for calling XYZ investment corporation, where your financial future is our life. This is Mary. How may I direct your call?"

to help you show that you care.

Before we say

"Hello, my name Tom Smith and I would love to sell you our product!"

We might be able to say,

"Well thanks for answering Mary of XYZ Investment Corporation, where my financial future is your life" (pause here for amused chuckle, we hope!) and I don't know if you need to direct my call or to who. You see, my name Tom Smith and I would love to sell you our product!"
> Back to top of page

---

Show me you care!

How do you demonstrate that you care about someone?

You use the other person's name. You actively listen to what the other person has to say well enough to paraphrase it back to them. And maybe, if you are good at it, you use a little Dorky humor.

How many of you have been the screener or gatekeeper? In days of yore, a huge brokerage firm that shall remain nameless, and has as its symbol a male bovine, used to have its rookie brokers, before they were licensed, cover the switchboard. This was a wonderful practice cutting a few huge egos down to size and it very quickly taught the rookies how the place worked.

You have now demonstrated to your sales coach, (the receptionist/gatekeeper) who knows more about your possible future customer than the CFO, that you care about her, somewhat, and she (usually a her) knows that you are listening and are telling the truth and don't take yourself too seriously. You did all of this by showing, not telling, and you did it in about sixteen seconds.

Now "My name Tom Smith and I would love to sell you our product!" probably won't end up being what we say-it's a little raw. What about something like.

"My name is Tom Smith, from Super Genius Computers, and I am calling to sell you our wonderful computer system designed especially for retail brokerage companies, So your computer never crashes again, and I become so rich I actually need your services."

A word of caution. You might actually make calls for a business, a good business or you wouldn't be calling for them, that has a bad rap. Or your business type might be bombarding your market with calls. In that case your opening statement would be

"My name is Tom Smith and I am calling to sell you our wonderful computer system designed especially for retail brokerage companies, So your computer never crashes again, and I become so rich I actually need your services."

We coach a lot of people who sell financial services and insurance products as part of helping their customers. Sometimes their potential customers are so inundated with calls that if they hear the word "financial" or the word "insurance" they hang up mentally and many times physically.

Would we always identify ourselves? Yes. If you are not on the do not call list, think about the calls you get at home from dodgy businesses.

Don't they all start something like. "I'd like to speak to Mr. Smith." Why? Because if they said "This is Joe the bad sales person from cdf sleazy marketing company." you would immediately say no thanks "adios!"

If you are not so proud of yourself and your company that you won't shout who you are and why you are calling from the rooftops, you should change who you are and get a different line of work.

Next episode will cover a few more openings-those parts of the opening sales conversation that gain interest, especially a few in heavily regulated industries like stocks and bonds. Why? Because in those industries you want to make sure you are not trying to sell anything on your initial call, or even give the appearance of selling something.

> Back to top of page

---

Take Action

Each e-letter will encourage you to take immediate action to implement consultative selling skills and positive leadership principles. 

Perfecting an effective opening sales conversation

1. Prove to yourself that you show your customers you tell the truth in your first few words.

2. Prove to yourself that you show your customers you care about them through your first few words-hint: Have you said something to them or responded to them in a way that told them that you were paying attention to what they said either on the phone or over the desk or on their web site, advertising, or collateral material?

Until next time, thanks for reading and happy selling!

Our next episode will move you further toward perfecting an effective opening sales conversation. Thanks for reading.