You will often find yourself opening the initial sales call and having follow-up meetings. In both types of meetings, you will open the call in a similar fashion.
You will follow the Opening the Call model, which shows the steps for an initial call.
In follow-up meetings, you will simply summarize what happened in the prior meeting, instead of making introductions.
However, in some cases, there will be new decision makers who attend the meeting. In that case, you will summarize as well as make introductions.
Opening The Sales Call Model
This is the model you will follow when you open a call.
Make Introductions
- Make sure you know the names and roles of everyone in the meeting
- (No time for small talk for today’s busy customers!)
Tips for Introductions
- Keep them brief
- Know everyone’s name; take notes
- Thank them for their time beforehand
- Plan a transition to next step, “Confirm Agenda”
Confirm agenda
- Bridge from how you got the meeting (referral, idea, etc.)
- Confirm purpose of meeting and timing
Provide an Overview of Your Company and Your Products/Services.
Summarize what your company does and present a mini case study (explain a challenge a customer faced, how you helped them, and the results the customer achieved).
Shift to focusing on the Customer
Listening and Questioning
- Business discussion
- Summarize
- Advance to next step
Tips for Opening The Sales Call
- Remember that sales is a long-term process; success doesn’t happen overnight
- Prepare to be an insightful outsider. You can offer a fresh perspective to your prospects and “see the forest through the trees.”
- Connect with prospects. Relate your communication to their vision, values and core competencies.
- Conduct extensive company research and plan effectively before making your initial sales call.
- Commit to continued self-improvement.
- Above all, always be yourself!
Successful Traits for Opening the Sales Call
The sales process helps us stay on track. That’s one way to ensure success. Another way to ensure success is to demonstrate certain traits.
Successful salespeople are:
- Confident
- Sincere
- Engaging
Happy Selling!
