How to Open an Initial Sales Call – 3 Top Tips

When you are making an initial sales call to a prospect, many salespersons are confused as to how they should open the sales call. Should they get to the business as quickly as possible, or should they spend time on asking questions so that they can gather more information about the prospect.

When deciding how you should open an initial sales call, it is important that you focus on the techniques that can help you build rapport with the prospect and make them realise that doing business with you can actually help them in one way or another.

There are a number of techniques used by successful salespersons for opening a sales call. We are listing only 3 of them that are proven to help several salespersons build a long-term business relationship with their prospects.

Begin with Saying ‘Thank You’

You must have heard this several times before but it’s worth mentioning that thanking the customer is one of the best ways to open an initial sales call. It not only reflects that your business values customers, but also helps you initiate a more natural, informal conversation with the customer.

It’s best not to use a sales script for this type of opening. Use your own words and say a sincere ‘thank you’ to the customer for allowing you time to introduce your business.

Start with Your Introduction

Another most commonly used sales call opening technique is introducing yourself and your company at the very beginning. However, it is important to know that this sales technique often fails to deliver results to the salespeople who haven’t done enough research about the prospect, and as a result, end up calling people who are not interested in the product or service they have to offer. Therefore, it is essential that you use this technique with prospects who you believe are looking for a product similar to yours and would continue the conversation after knowing your company’s background.

Go for an Informal Opening

If you want to stand out from your competitors and actually connect with your prospect, you should consider opening your initial sales call in an informal manner. This may sound risky, but it has actually worked for the salespersons who managed to execute it the right way. Consider the following examples.

- “We’ve not spoken before so I appreciate you taking my call…” – This helps you connect with your prospect at a more personal and open level.

“You’re name was given to me by (name the person) and they suggested I give you a call…” – This, in the right tone will establish interest from the person you are talking to. Just make sure that you have already spoken with that person, credibility is key.

While there is no single best way to open an initial sales call, these techniques have delivered measurable results to salespeople and have helped them capture the attention of their prospects.