By Bill Farquharson, Sales Vault. Read Bill’s tip below or watch Bill here.

Good morning!

If you’re new to sales and wondering what to say when a prospect answers the phone, don’t follow your instincts.

Most new reps think:

“This is where I impress them” or “This is where I sell something.”

Wrong.

This is where you get curious.

Here are two tips for new sales reps (although it applies to all of us):

Don’t perform.
Diagnose.

Remember this:

No one cares what you do.
They care what they do.

If you start a B2B sales call with:

“My name is Bill and I sell printing, signage, promotional products…”

You’ve already lost that critical first 8 seconds where you need to grab attention.

And in a first-time sales call, the first 8 seconds determine whether the conversation continues.

Instead, try this proven opener:

“Hi Allison, I’ve been doing a little research on your company and I might be off base, but can I run something by you?”

That’s it.

That’s how to start a sales conversation without sounding salesy.

Lower the pressure.
Invite the conversation.
Calm your tone.

You are not there to close.
You are there to uncover a business need.

And uncovering a business need on a sales call is the muscle you’re building.

Overcoming call reluctance is step one.

Learning how to handle a cold call when they pick up?

That’s where real confidence begins.

If this approach makes sense to you, start building a repeatable first-call structure.

Improvisation creates anxiety.

Structure creates confidence.

And if you need help building that structure, you know where to find me….SalesVault.pro or 781-934-7036