ADJUST YOUR INITIATION TO THE SITUATION

So far, I’ve focused on face-to-face conversations. With a few adjustments you can use the Three-Step Start to Initiate telephone, written, and group sales conversations.

Telephone Three-Step Starts

With minor adjustments, the Three-Step Start is effective when Initiating telephone sales conversations. The primary difference is that your voice is the key tool in quickly engaging and connecting instead of your first visual impression.

First impressions on the telephone are created from the first words you say, the tone of your voice, and background noises. One easy way to make a favorable impression in telephone conversations is to smile.

Have you ever heard that people can hear you smile? It’s true! A 2008 study through the University of Portsmouth in England found that smiles could be discerned without visual cues. They found that not only could callers identify if the telephone speaker was smiling, they were able to determine the type of smile.

I didn’t realize there were different types of smiles but the study participants were able to discern a Duchenne smile, which is a full smile involving the crinkling of the eyes, from a non-Duchenne smile, where the eyes are not involved. A Duchenne smile is considered a more natural and genuine smile. This research is proof that the smile in your voice is heard by the person on the other end.

Additional ways to make a positive first impression over the telephone include:

• Keep the tone and pitch of your voice steady, upbeat, and energetic.

• Minimize or eliminate interruptions.

• Verbalize what you are doing throughout the conversation. If you enter information using the keyboard, tell the buyer what you are doing so they don’t wonder about it; for example: “You will hear me clicking on the keyboard as I look up that information for you.” Or, “I’m making a note on what you are telling me.”

• Minimize unnecessary noises. Shuffling papers, clicking a pen, or typing on a keyboard are all sounds heard by the caller. As I conduct phone interviews for sales reps, I hear candidates turn on/off water, eat, open and close doors, and more.

Outbound Three-Step Starts for buyers with whom you have had previous contact are the same as with face-to-face conversations you Initiate.

Your preparation for cold calls is a little different in that you need to adjust the Three-Step Start so that it’s as specific and relevant to the buyer and situation as possible with the information that you have. Most important is the value statement that will resonate with Them. The Ask questions need to be more direct to the topic so you do not waste their time:

“Hi John. This is Nancy Bleeke of Sales Pro Insider. The reason I’m calling is because I noticed you were hiring salespeople. One of your competitors hires their sales talent through our services and I thought this might be of interest to you. Do you have ten minutes to discuss your hiring and whether we might help you? (Pause.) Wonderful. Please tell me the types of positions you are responsible for hiring.”

Inbound telephone conversations give you an advantage because the person calling has proactively contacted you, presumably wanting to talk with you. The objective of Initiating the conversation from your end remains the same: connect with the buyer to build trust, engage them to break their preoccupation with other matters, and earn the right to ask questions to clarify and discover how you or your solution can address the POWN they called about.

Though the buyer is calling you, your purposeful initiation allows you to take control and be more than a reactive order-taker. You can quickly set the stage to be in the conversation with Them and earn the right to expand the conversation to discover POWNs that increase your sales probability and opportunity.

Here is how the Three-Step Start works for inbound calls with some practical suggestions to start your part of the conversation positively:

1. Greet with a welcoming salutation identifying your company and your name.
2. Explain that you appreciate their call.
3. Ask for their name when possible and how you can assist them.

Use the three steps in the order and flow that fits your situation:

• “Good morning and thank you for calling The Green Lawn Service. This is Karla. How may I assist you?”

• “Hello, I appreciate your call to the Center. This is Kevin. What can I help you with today?”

• “Greetings. This is Jackson with the Local Cell Company. Thank you for calling. May I have your name?”

Add value to inbound sales opportunities by focusing on the person on the other end of the call. Create a genuine connection with the buyer, assessing how they want to communicate with you at that moment, and moving forward to earn the right to open the sales opportunity.

Written Conversation Starts

Written correspondence allows you time to make the Three-Step Start just right. This pays off because you have a very short time to grab their attention before they press the delete key, toss the letter in the trash, or add the message to their long to-do list to address later!

Your written Three-Step Start should include:

• Greet with a salutation that includes their name so it doesn’t look like a form message.

• Explain specifically why you are writing. This should include your introduction and any connection you have to them if they don’t know you.

• Ask for their attention or the request for action sooner rather than later.

Make a positive start, whether it is an email or a paper letter, by:

• Using a relevant subject line.

• Presenting a clear, concise, and logical message.

• Clearly requesting or stating the action you desire—the reason for the connection.

• Giving Them the option to respond to you by email, postal letter, or telephone. Include all your contact information. (You might be surprised who will pick up the phone and call you!)

• Ending with a personalized salutation and your name.

Initiating to a Group

If you sell to groups of two or more people—including couples—adjust the Three-Step Start to engage the entire group.

Group sales present additional dynamics that impact your conversations. For example, some people will act differently in the group setting than they did in a one-on-one conversation. At the beginning of a group sales conversation, to my great surprise, an Achiever with whom I previously conversed in quick, time-constrained meetings was talkative, friendly, and wanted to ensure that everyone from his team was part of the conversation.

To make the group Initiation successful, don’t assume that each person knows:

• Who you are.

• Why you are meeting with them (the topic).

• Why they are there.

• The objective of the conversation.

Use the Three-Step Start to focus the entire group, engage them, and move the conversation forward:

1. Greet by using a salutation, your name, and company name.
2. Explain why the group is talking or meeting.
   • Use a summary statement or PPT slide to focus on why you are meeting.
   • Acknowledge who you have met/talked with prior to the meeting.
   • Prepare a value statement that connects with different Tribal Types. If telling a story or testimonial, use names and metrics and be sure to include supporting proof.
   • Clarify the time scheduled for the meeting with an agenda or overview of what will be covered.
3. Ask questions to engage each person. If the group is small, ask each person to answer a question such as “What do you want to ensure we cover today?” or “What can we do to make this a good use of your time?”

   If you do not have time or there are too many people, engage individuals within the group by:

   • Asking them to take notes.
   • Mentally involving them with a story, an image on the PPT or brochure, or with reflective questions.

Your purposeful and prepared Initiation allows you to capture the attention of the group and focus all of them on the same page and topic.