Small Actions Can Make a Big Difference
Friday, May. 28th 2010
Selling in 2010, especially as the economy grows again, hinges on how you handle those critical junctures in your interactions with sales prospects. As I’ve said, what you say or do during those junctures can most impact the outcome, moving the deal more quickly to a close or immediately breaking it. The first 120 seconds with a prospect, whether on the phone or in person, is the most important or “golden” juncture — that’s when what you say or do you creates that first impression.
So, now you’re thinking, “Don’t I have enough pressure going into my sales calls?” While focusing on the critical junctures may seem daunting, it’s actually easier than you think to say and do what will win over the prospect. You don’t have to be a super-bright and entertaining conversationalist or wow the prospect with a slick PowerPoint and a stack of collateral. Mainly, you need to be prepared and you need to be proactive.
Your focus may be on your presentation of your company and its product or service, however you need to also keep in mind that minor behaviors during your interactions with the prospect can reveal more than your slides do and have more influence on the prospect’s ultimate decision to buy from you.
For example, I had sat down with a prospect in a conference room at their office to start our first meeting. To get settled in for taking notes and answering my prospect’s questions, I took off my suit jacket and neatly rolled up the sleeves of my shirt. I later won this prospect’s business and when I did the due diligence of asking them why they selected my company, they told me that removing my jacket and rolling up my sleeves (among other things) had made an impression. It showed to them that I was ready to go to work and that I was a true consultant and not some slick salesperson.
So you see how easy it is for the smallest action to have an impact on the direction your sales call or meeting takes. An action such as this demonstrates to the prospect that you are sincere about wanting to work with them and it can help you establish trust. Conversely, behavior that indicates you’re not listening (e.g., not answering the prospect’s questions or interrupting them), talking about irrelevant subjects, talking fast, and making poor eye contact gives the impression you are not totally engaged, disinterested, in a hurry to close the sale or trying too hard.
You want to proactively include behavior such as what I describe in the example as you interact with your prospect; but at the same time be yourself and make sure you are tuned into the prospect’s current mindset. It’s really easy to incorporate the behaviors that will have a positive effect when you remember to be prepared and be proactive.


