“How’s-it-going-my-names-[name]…”
Commission breath, while comical at times, is as repugnant as it is desperate. Listen and spot out the common thread that exists between yourself and the decision maker when building your pipeline. It’s your job to find out what that is and to find it quickly.
But be very careful trying to leverage personal compliments and pleasantries when you initially make contact, as they usually come off as insincere. You’re not trying to get shut down before you even make it to [your company name here].
As a general rule of thumb for cold leads – three to five-second blurbs about the weather, traffic, and sports teams are about as non-divisive as you can get, however, they’re forgettable intros for building the relationship, to making the presentation, to ultimately closing the deal. Generic ice breakers such as these leave little to no impact right before you start probing and qualifying.
So whether you’re smilin’ and dialin’, knockin’ and rockin’, or retailin’ and detailin’, get creative with your surroundings. Here are a few examples:
YOU: Is that your McLaren out back?
PROSPECT: Yip. I spoiled myself rotten last month. Ha Ha! How can I help you?
[start your pitch]
YOU: When was this place built?
PROSPECT: 1771.
YOU: Wow. A historical landmark as it is an incredible hardware store.
PROSPECT: Thanks. We were blessed/lucked-out with a great location. What can I do for you?
[start your pitch]
YOU: I had lunch here for the first time a week ago. I could write a book about your famous deep dish garlic breadsticks.
PROSPECT: They’ve definitely put us on the map. Glad you like ’em. What’s up?
[start your pitch]
Remember, small talk has its place in the sales process, but never forget that your qualified clients are busy as they are successful. Unless you intend on comping their steak dinner in return for a dog and pony show dessert about your company’s products and services, keep it short.
Commission breath, while comical at times, is as repugnant as it is desperate. Listen and spot out the common thread that exists between yourself and the decision maker when building your pipeline. It’s your job to find out what that is and to find it quickly.
But be very careful trying to leverage personal compliments and pleasantries when you initially make contact, as they usually come off as insincere. You’re not trying to get shut down before you even make it to [your company name here].
As a general rule of thumb for cold leads – three to five-second blurbs about the weather, traffic, and sports teams are about as non-divisive as you can get, however, they’re forgettable intros for building the relationship, to making the presentation, to ultimately closing the deal. Generic ice breakers such as these leave little to no impact right before you start probing and qualifying.
So whether you’re smilin’ and dialin’, knockin’ and rockin’, or retailin’ and detailin’, get creative with your surroundings. Here are a few examples:
- Rare Autos
YOU: Is that your McLaren out back?
PROSPECT: Yip. I spoiled myself rotten last month. Ha Ha! How can I help you?
[start your pitch]
- Unique Home or Business Architecture
YOU: When was this place built?
PROSPECT: 1771.
YOU: Wow. A historical landmark as it is an incredible hardware store.
PROSPECT: Thanks. We were blessed/lucked-out with a great location. What can I do for you?
[start your pitch]
- The Flagship Product
YOU: I had lunch here for the first time a week ago. I could write a book about your famous deep dish garlic breadsticks.
PROSPECT: They’ve definitely put us on the map. Glad you like ’em. What’s up?
[start your pitch]
Remember, small talk has its place in the sales process, but never forget that your qualified clients are busy as they are successful. Unless you intend on comping their steak dinner in return for a dog and pony show dessert about your company’s products and services, keep it short.
