Delivering Your Opening Message
By Kelley Robertson
We can all agree it’s important to be able to deliver a clear, concise message when you first meet with a sales prospect. And, a quick thirty second introduction is an effective approach. But sometimes an introduction like this sounds canned and rehearsed. Unfortunately, a rehearsed intro is a common mistake that many sales people make. The mistake is to “barf” on them. Not figuratively, of course – but verbally.
Too many sales people mistakenly believe they should open a conversation with a background and history of their company. Or, they start with a complete description of their products, services or solutions.
A great opening message or introduction follows a few key criteria.
• It focuses on the other person.
• It conveys how you help your clients and customers.
• It is easy to understand.
• It does not contain an excess of words.
• It intrigues the other person.
• It must be delivered in a conversational tone.
State the benefits of your product or service and focus those comments on the needs of your customers. For example, “Mr. Adams, I’m Pat from Geeks R Us. We specialize in helping small businesses like yours fix computer problems. Have you experienced computer problems and how has that affected your business?”
Notice that this introduction describes the sales person’s business while communicating the problems they solve. It is brief – forty-two words in total – and it takes less than fifteen seconds to state.
Your introduction should be scripted. But, it has to sound conversational – it must not sound like a script. Limit your use of descriptive words and remember – the shorter the better. If you’re not sure how your message sounds, ask someone you trust to evaluate it for you.
Lastly, be careful not to “verbally barf” on a customer when they express an objection. It’s more effective to empathize and understand a customer BEFORE you present a solution. Some sales people ramble on and on trying to convince their prospect why they should make a decision. It’s better to make one key point and check to see if it makes sense to the customer.
Demonstrate superior sales skill and ability by controlling what you say and how you say it.
Kelley Robertson is a professional speaker and business trainer. He is the author of “The Secrets of Power Selling”. Contact him at 905.633.7750 or via Kelley@Robertsontraininggroup.com.
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