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The Opening

The Opening. Approaching the customer Coming face to face with the customer The first few minutes of customer contact/interaction The ‘kick off’ (in football) The ‘curtain rising’ (in theatre). Sales Quotes: The Opening.

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The Opening

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  1. The Opening • Approaching the customer • Coming face to face with the customer • The first few minutes of customer contact/interaction • The ‘kick off’ (in football) • The ‘curtain rising’ (in theatre)

  2. Sales Quotes: The Opening • Too many salespeople walk into a prospect’s office and wing it. They have no clear plan for approaching the prospect . . .take the strongest point you have and work it into your opening. Think of a way to present it as interestingly as possible. (Sales Upbeat, Feb. 3, 1994)

  3. You Can Do It! • Today, I’d like to explain to you some alternative opening techniques that can help you get your RSS sales call off to a great start. Would this be of interest to you?

  4. Mulligans in Selling? • Jared is a sales rep for Hach Chemical. Today he is calling on a prospect who has the potential of becoming a key account. After Jared is about 10 minutes into the ‘presentation’, he is wishing that he could go back and ‘start over’. What opening goals has Jared realized he did NOT achieve?

  5. Trick or Treat! • A young girl, about 5 years old and dressed up in a ‘princess’ costume, is out ‘trick or treating’ on Halloween. She cautiously and somewhat reluctantly approaches her first house, while her mother watches from the driveway. The little girl rings the door bell. When the door opens, she blurts out “___________”.

  6. OPENING GOALS • Create a positive impression • Build rapport • Gain attention and interest • Probe for needs and values

  7. Contrasting Sales ‘Models’ (% of Time)

  8. Review Before Making Customer Contact • Long-term goal/strategy • Sales call goal/strategy • Customer information

  9. Overview of the First Impression • 1st few minutes (even seconds) critical to the success of a sales call • Sets the stage for subsequent communication and feelings of control • Sets the tone for customer interaction • Depends on many verbal and nonverbal signals • A “+” first impression may not create a sale, but a “-” first impression will most likely ruin a sale

  10. Sources of Meaning to What We Say • 7% Words • 38% Tone, Clarity, Expressiveness • 55% Nonverbal (what you see, feel) Source: Reece/Manning

  11. First Impression Factors Driving Speed Park Vehicle Walking Where Speed Appearance Clothing (neat, clean, fits the occasion) Well groomed (hair, nails, jewelry, body odor)

  12. First Impression Factors Handshake Firmness Depth of interlock Duration Moisture Appropriate Talking How you introduce yourself & company How you state & use their name Speed and tone of speech Subjects of conversation (comments, stories, issues)

  13. First Impression Factors Actions/Manners/Etiquette Dining Golfing Visiting in home/office Acting (chewing, smoking, drinking) Facial Eye contact Smile

  14. Sales Quotes: The Opening • A feeling that selling is intrusive is not a problem. It is an asset. The best salespeople all seem to have a sixth sense about this. They can tell by the tone in someone’s voice or the atmosphere in the room when the mood or the timing is wrong. And either because they don’t want to impose, or because they know that it is not in their own best interests to do so, they will not antagonize their customer by attempting to make a sale. The old ‘foot-in-the-door’ school of high-pressure, super-assertive techniques has gone the way of the dinosaur. (Sales Upbeat, Dec. 7, 1995)

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