The First Words

... that come out of your mouth can make a huge difference in what happens next. This is from Mantra.com:

Ask the Sales Expert Q&A

Q: What are some key opening statements on a sales call instead of "How are you today?"

—MikeB @ aramark

A: On the initial meeting, you want to get the client, prospect or customer's attention as quickly as possible. "How are you today?" is nice and generic.

It's about as generic as "Fine" or "OK." People mumble "How are you today?" and "Fine" all of the time without even thinking about it.

It's programmed in our society, and we can say it without even waking up from a walking slumber. But an initial greeting is expected. In fact, it's become so ingrained in our behavioral infrastructure that many people feel uncomfortable if they don't say, "How are you today."

Now, think about what would happen if people really took the time to answer that question (and sometimes they do mentally).

You: "Bob. How are you today?"
Bob: "Well I'm not doing good right now. I had a fender-bender on the way in today. My daughter got a tattoo on the back or her neck last night, and I'm still fuming over it. I'm behind in my sales quota. My sales team is not motivated to make things happen. The baby's got some kind of rash and she has to go to the doctor…"

Do you really want your clients going there mentally on your initial meeting? Instead, I'd encourage you to get creative. Give them a compliment:

You: "Hi Bob. Hey, while reviewing your website, I noticed that one member of your team was promoted to lead the Australian office. Congratulations. Any ideas on who's going to fill in for her? State a little known or newsworthy fact:

You: "Hi Bob. You know, I heard on the morning news that venture capital money is getting easier to come by. Are you thinking about expanding your operation and is this something that you can take advantage of?"

Try this: For every contact that is scheduled in your next set of sales calls, find three things to compliment each of your contacts on and leverage those complements in your opening greeting with them. The point here is to be able to leverage your knowledge of their company, their industry, or current events, to open the call. Do this and you'll stand out from all of the other sales people who are using "How are you today."

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