Only One Chance To Make A First Impression In Sales

One of the more fascinating aspects of sales is finding out why a sales call didn’t result in a sale. Why did that prospect ultimately say no?  What turned him against you and your services?  Was it that the product/service that was being offered had no application to him or his business?  Could it have been something that you said, or did, which prohibited you from opening a closed mind, or worse yet, closed an open mind?

Clients make critical decisions and assessments within the very first seconds of a sales call.  A salesperson’s positive initial impact can open otherwise closed minds.  Clients will pay closer attention to what is presented and will allow you to steer the call in the direction you want.

Eye Contact is Critical

The most critical element of positive impact is eye to eye contact.  If you look at the prospect squarely in the eye with a friendly look on your face, you, more often than not, will disarm the most guarded person.  An open, honest face will win over the most skeptical of buyers.  A very rewarding habit to acquire is to take ten seconds before you grab the doorknob to enter a sales call to put your game head on.  Always remember, you are there to convince him/her that your product and services will benefit him/her greatly.  You are not there to win a battle of who is the better person.  Be positive and enthusiastic.

Another Aspect of Positive Impact is Attitude

Always represent yourself as a professional with something valuable to present to the client.  Be honest and candid about yourself.  With today’s online Social Media, a client can find out an awful lot about your personal/professional background and schooling in just a few minutes.  A real clue as to whether you are successfully coming across as professional is whether the client starts asking for your credentials.  Distrust has started to creep into the sales call, at that point.

Negative attitudes are often exhibited as blatant arrogance on the part of a salesperson.  Talking down to a client is a sure-fire way to not land the sale.  Nobody is impressed with degrees from prestigious universities unless those degrees are essential to the task at hand.  They seldom are in a sales situation.  Sales people often earn large incomes, but to boast of your earnings over a client’s is rude and demeaning.  You may have more college degrees than your prospects and you may earn more money than they do, but nobody is positively impressed by a salesperson using that fact to promote himself or his company.

The First Impression You Make is Visual

Sales people make a tremendous visual impact on clients.  The care in which they treat their personal appearance leaves an indelible impression on clients.  Showing up in a vested suit to sell hand tools to an auto garage is just as inappropriate as showing up in jeans to sell a financial service to a professional business.  Not only should the proper type of dress be used, but the cleanliness of that dress as well as the personal care of the salesperson’s appearance must also be impeccable.

Consistency of Message is Vital to Closing a Sale

Everything that is presented must be aligned from lead to the final close.  Anything which contradicts or seems to vary from the main points of your presentation or salient features of your product, will create distrust and a firm no-sale.  A smart way to avoid this pitfall is to recap what you have already presented during several stages of the presentation.  At the close, there will be little dispute about what you said or any negative surprises.

Put your best foot forward, at all times.  Use all five senses to check yourself as you move through your sales call, being especially mindful of how a prospect perceives you.  Be honest, forthright, and straightforward.  Be successful.