The first 15 seconds of a telephone prospecting or sales call will create either resistance or interest in the mind of the listener. Here are some of the dos and don'ts of effective opening statements.

Openings To Avoid

"I'm calling to check in with you . . .” I jokingly refer to this as the "Probation Officer" approach. If you don't have something of value to offer, don't bother checking in. They've got enough people working with them and for them "checking in" in person all day long.

"Just wanted to touch base with you . . .” Ditto the above.

"Wanted to call to see if there was anything you needed . . ." Need is a matter of perception. If they perceived a need that was intense enough to take action on, they would have done something about it.  It's your job to remind them of a need, to get them thinking about one they didn't even know they had, or to help them recognize that a mild need is actually more significant than they thought. Calling to "see if they have any needs" is reactive, and actually is a nuisance call if customers don't feel as if they gained as a result of the call. Some might vehemently argue this point, but what if every vendor they've ever purchased from called regularly just to call? It's a waste of time.

"Calling to see if you received the letter (brochure, package, catalog, price list) I sent . . ." Is the literature going to do the selling for you? If so, why are you needed? Hire a minimum wage intern to place the follow-up calls that presumably just reactively get the order, and then you can spend your time watching Oprah.

"Wanted to introduce my company and products to you . . ." So what? They don't care about your products. They can look in a directory and find at least 10 companies selling the same thing.

"Like to set up a time to get together . . ." The arrogance and ignorance of some salespeople blows me away. They think that just because they took the time to pick up the phone, they deserve 20 minutes of someone's time in person. No, we must earn the right to someone's time by showing him or her the value they could receive from us. And we must keep earning it throughout our calls (and visits).

Opening Rules, Ideas and Tips

The two objectives for your opening:

1. Put them in a positive frame of mind.

2. Move them to the questioning part of the call.

On follow-up calls, bridge this call from the previous one.

"I'm calling to continue our conversation . . ."

"I'd like to pick up where we left off last week . . ."

Remind them of their interest and action.

" . . . where we discussed . . ."

Have value added points (VAPs) on every call.

If you are truly calling to keep your name in front of them, fine. It’s necessary to build "mind share." But this is only successful if they feel they received something as a result of the call. Be prepared with useful news, new ideas, information about how some of your other customers are taking fuller advantage of some of the things they are buying now and so on. For example:

"I was at a trade show last week and I thought of you . . ."

Or,

"We've just introduced something here that might be able to work in your situation, and I'd like to run it by you . . ."

Be Proactive

Even if you did send literature, don't bring the call to a screeching halt by asking if they received it. Make it part of what you want to do together on this call:

"I'd like to review with you the pricing options I detailed in my letter . . ."

Use words like "discuss," "analyze," and "go through." And if they didn't receive your stuff or don't have it handy? No problem; the literature isn't holding you up like a crutch. Be prepared to proceed anyway.

On Prospecting Calls

Use weasel words.  Appear out of the blue with cocky claims like "I can show you how you can do thus and so, guaranteed," in your opening, and people furrow their brow, wince and look at their handset thinking to themselves "Who is this used car salesman?" Instead, ease in with words like "might be able to," "there's a possibility" and "depending on what you're doing now."

Tease them with results.  The only business reason they will consider listening to you is that they feel you might have something that will help them get something they want or help them avoid something they don't want. Answer this question: What do your prospects/customers want most, and what do they want to avoid as it relates to your type of product or service? Put that into your opening.

Forget about "making/saving money" for them.  Look at those words again. Don't use them verbatim. Bad salespeople say this in attempts to generate interest. It's as worn out as the old athletic shoes in your closet. I'm not implying this isn't a strong buying motivator -- it's the wording that is ineffective. Instead, let information about them first from screeners, and then customize your opening to appeal to them personally.

"I understand you're now in the process of remodeling your order entry department. Depending on your space limitations, we might have some ways to help you keep your costs down during the design and installation stage of your office furnishings. If I caught you at a good time, I'd like to discuss your plans . . ..”

It’s a lot easier to get to the questioning phase of the call when you have a willing, interested participant. Ensure you're not digging yourself a hole with your opening, and you'll find great success on the phone.

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