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The most pivotal part of the sales call is the opening of the call. Without an opening that seizes attention, sparks curiosity, and piques interest, it's like trying to climb a mountain with concrete building blocks strapped to your feet; you make the journey much more difficult than it needs to be, and as a result, you'll be stopped before you reach your destination.
Here's a fill-in-the-blanks formula and menu of word and phrase choices that I've used with sales reps for generic prospecting opening statements, which can be customized by most anyone for their own industry and types of calls. Use this as an idea-starter for your own perfect opening.
"Hello______, I'm______ with_______. I'm calling today because depending on what you're now doing/using/experiencing in the area of (fill in with your area of specialty) there's a possibility we might be able to help you (fill in with 1. Minimization Verbs) your (fill in with appropriate 2. Undesired Noun), while at the same time (fill in with 3. Maximization Verb") your (fill in with appropriate 4. Desired Noun). If I've caught you at a good time, I'd like to (fill in with 5. Action Verb) your situation to see if this is something (fill in with appropriate 6. Ending Phrase)."
Examples
This formula is intended to be a tool for you to use when creating your own opening. Let's look at some examples using this template."Hello, Ms. Dillon, I'm Dudley Denton with Able Supply. I'm calling today because depending on how you're now handling your receivable processing, there's a possibility we might be able to help you cut down on the time you spend preparing invoices, while also increasing your cash
flow by getting bills paid to you more quickly. If I've caught you at a good time, I'd like to discuss your situation to see if this is something you'd look more information on.
"Mr Grillo, this is Jill Nostrel with Slumlord Services. We specialize in working with multiple-unit property managers. Depending on how you're now tracking your accounting and owner reporting, there's a possibility we might be able to help you cut down on the hassle and paperwork involved in those tasks, while at the same time enhancing the amount of useful information you can put in a report, along with making them easier to read. If I've caught you at a good time, I'd like to ask you a few questions to see if this is something that you'd like to take a look at.""Hi Don, I'm Dale Fallon with Fish breath Supply. My purpose for calling you is quite simple: depending on what Items you're carrying now, there is a possibility we could help you lower your costs on many of the same supplies you're stocking, while at the same time free up more cash to carry other fast moving, high margin items. If I've caught you at a good time, I'd like to ask a few questions about your store to see if we should talk further."
Apply this Formula...whip out your thesaurus and come up with other words more descriptive for what you sell, and what your customers want. Tinker with it, then test, edit, and retest your openings.
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This resource is (c) 1996 by, and excerpted from, Telephone Selling Report newsletter. To see a complete profile of this newsletter, click below.Find thousands of resources to help you in business, on the
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