phone imageIf I could show you a way for you to easily annoy almost every prospect you meet, would you be interested? Well here it is. Simply start your sales questions with, “If I can show you a way…” Fact is, countless sales calls since 1973 have begun with this phrase. (Which means we are now on our third and forth generation of buyers who are sick of hearing it.) For example, if I asked you:

“If I can show you a way for your facility to make $100,000 more this year, would you be ready to move forward with us today?”

First of all, if you can do that for a customer…great! But because you used a clichéd phrase to start your questioning, the educated buyer’s defenses go up. Plus you made them feel like a 9 year old. While this type of question was originally created to create curiosity and gain some commitment, it has run its course.  Remember, before posing sales questions you first need to build respect and trust…then create curiosity with a question. Try:

“Thank you for your time. I know how valuable it is. I wanted to let you know about a product we offer that has helped facilities of your size increase revenue by as much as $100,000 a year. Would you be interested in hearing more about how we did it?”

If you get a positive response, follow with, “If you like what you hear, great, we can talk more. If not, no problem. Thanks anyway for the time.”

So this week, prepare an opening that, if it were delivered to you, would make you feel comfortable and curious. And by NOT sounding like you’ve been transported from 1973, you will create the type of sales conversations that lead to long-term relationships…and orders!

As president of PRECISE Selling, Brian Sullivan takes out the garbage, cleans toilets, and does everything his CEO (his wife) tells him to do. His tactical selling skills are proven to work on all sales prospects…except spouses. Check him out www.preciseselling.com