How to Win a customer in the First 3 minutes

I am often asked by organisations to show their representative teams how to ‘close' more sales

 This request implies that there is some magic bullet or phrase that will turn the deal and create the sale.

This is simply not true.

When Dr. Joe Vaitale, (an international bestselling author and famed for being in The Secret) studied 1500 sales, he found using more closes reduced successful sales from 70 per cent to 36 per cent. Closing actually resulted in fewer sales!

 The secret is in everything you do up to the point where you ask for the business.

And the secret to having a successful sales conversation is how you set up the first three or four minutes.

Imagine how much more enjoyable the whole process would be if you managed to start that conversation on exactly the right note and continue it all the way through, uncovering the real needs, getting agreements as you talk. All naturally leading to them buying into you and the service or product you provide.

Here are five ideas that will help you make a sale in the first four minutes.

Have a plan
Know what you're trying to achieve in that particular interview or any other call that you make. If your call objective is to make an appointment - then stick with this. It may be an initial presentation to follow up with a demonstration - then stick to this goal.

Just take a few minutes and plan n your mind what you would like to get out of the meeting and you'll find you'll achieve your objective more often.

Use an agenda
This is a very simple tool with just four small items on it. But it gives your client a lot of faith in that you have a process that you're about to run through. This is especially important for people who are very logical and process driven.

The four areas are simply:

•   Introducing yourself  
•  Discussing their needs (really uncovering their needs, the opportunity costs of not acting, possible ways forward and the payoff for doing so)  
•  So can we help? (which outlines where you think you might be able to help) 
•  Where to from here? (Which is about future actions).

This is an extremely powerful tool that deserves its own article although I'd be very happy to send additional information if you wanted to make contact at the address provided with this article.

 When you introduce yourself or your company, always introduce it in terms of benefits to the clients
Don't tell them you provide certain services or that your product has bells and whistles - they're simply not interested. The reality is that everyone they look up in the Yellow Pages offers similar things at probably about the same price.

 Focus on what makes you different
is it your personal experience or maybe the results you achieve for previous clients? What makes your organisation unique? Remember, make sure you focus on how it relates to how it helps clients achieve their goals and overcome their challenges.

It is very natural, especial for technically orientated people, to expound the features and benefits of their products. These simply do not interest your potential client until they can attach them to the fact that they can cure a problem or challenge they have.

A simple way to build rapport - fast
In the 1940s and 50s, Ben Duffy built an advertising company from a US$50 million turnover per annum up to US$200 million turnover in only a few years. He credits a lot of his success to the following technique and you can use it as part of your introduction in the agenda.

He would have six to eight questions prepared that he felt his potential clients may well be asking in their heads at an initial meeting. The questions were often similar so similar questions can be used often. He would then introduce himself in the following way:

"You know, if I was you there would probably be a bunch of questions sitting in my head as I sat looking at me. They might be questions like: 

•  Can this guy actually deliver what he says he can deliver?  
• Why should I even listen to him?  
•  Does he have the experience he really needs to make a difference?  
•  Does he think he can do this on the budget that we've got?
•  Is he going to take instructions and really listen to what we have to say or is he going to try and shove his off-the-shelf product at us? 
• Is he going to sell us something and then run for the hills or will he be there to support us with service? 
•  Why should I believe that their product's any different to all the other ones I've seen? 

He would watch for the small items of body language that told him he had scored a hit with a particular concern with one of the potential clients in front of him.
The other valuable thing he did was form a link with this group who felt that he understood their needs and their business.
By asking quite a few questions, it meant that he would have something that would appeal to just about everybody. 

Use ‘low logic' selling techniques
a lot of people begin conversations by making great claims about what their product can do. In a lot of ways this is what clients expect and they're almost looking for the false boast so they can pigeonhole you to be the same as all the other salespeople that they ever see.

In this day and age where people don't like being sold (do you like being sold?) it will often pay to start with a much more down to earth and matter of fact introduction, Include an exit for them and a promise so that they will take you seriously. The reality is people respond well to sensible conversation and respect those promises. 

When you've completed the Ben Duffy opening you might try something like, "the simple reality is I have to be able to provide you the solution you need so that you can get your job done in the best possible way with the best possible result. In fact, if I can't do that and show you in this next period of time that I have with you that I'm the right solution; you shouldn't be dealing with me. All I want is the opportunity to show you that maybe we are that solution."

This is a very palatable approach that does not ring any alarm bells and certainly does not sound ‘salesy'. Especially if you do not consider yourself to be a hard-nose, go get-em salesperson you will also find this a much more comfortable way to approach clients.If you can set a framework like this at the beginning of your conversation you will find that you do not raise any walls that you have to knock over and actually lower other barriers. The rest of the conversation flows more easily and will often come to a successful conclusion.

Bill is internationally known for his ability to create sales success for franchisees by showing them how to achieve all the sales they want by being themselves, and not impacting on their own internal values and comfort zones. His marketing ideas enhance what is already being done with small changes that lead to BIG results. Welcome to a whole new level of sales success in 2011!

Printed in the Business franchise NZ magazine Vol1 Issue 04 2011

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