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That data shows that it takes your prospects just 7 seconds to decide if they want to stay on the phone with you—or hang up right away. After those 7 seconds pass, they’ll continue to ask themselves if they want to get off the call. This doesn’t stop until they’re fully engaged.

Now, this means that you need an approach to starting a conversation that will both separate you from the hordes of other salespeople out there, and engage your prospects immediately.

So whether you’re making a cold call, responding to a lead, or following up on a referral, you need a step-by-step approach to the openings of all your sales prospecting calls. It needs to be completely scripted out so you never ramble or fumble around.

Video Summary:

1. Have a distinct start.

This isn't just about your words, but rather how you speak them. Remember that most salespeople start off their calls enthusiastically and with, "Hey, how are you today!?" This is the kiss of death because it screams “salesperson.” Instead, I want you to start your calls off with a very low-key, mellow approach. It doesn't have to be polished. This is going to dramatically set you apart from all of your competitors out there.

2. Get quick permission.

Now is where we get into the actual words. Instead of the standard, "Hey, how are you today?" it's time to flip the script completely. Instead, try opening with something like this, "Hi George. Marc Wayshak calling. Did I catch you in the middle of something there?" Notice that I didn't say, "Hey, is this a great time?" but instead I said, "Did I catch you in the middle of something?" The prospect is not going to expect this, and will be forced to think about what to say next. This is a really important piece.

3. Give a brief explanation.

After you've received permission to continue, now it's time to briefly introduce yourself, in just one short sentence. Here is actually the point where most salespeople give a whole paragraph, just jabbering on in different directions, but you're going to just give one very brief sentence about yourself. My approach here might be, "My company is a sales strategy firm that helps mid-size organizations dramatically increase sales." Nothing magical; it’s short and sweet, but it gives enough context so they're not confused and they at least know a little bit about me.

4. Name common challenges you see.

Now it's time to really suck them in and show them that you know what's going on in their world. Remember, this isn't about you. It's about them. My approach might sound something like this: "Right now, I'm seeing a lot of companies in your space that are struggling to attract top-tier prospects into their pipeline. They're worried about changes in the selling environment. Finally, they're just frustrated with a lack of sales results." Now, again, those are the challenges that I might use for my prospects. The challenges that you would list would be, of course, specific to you and your industry.

5. Engage.

Now that you've listed off the three challenges that you see consistently in your marketplace, it's time to tie it all together and get them talking. This is where you might say something like, "Do any of these issues sound familiar to you?" Now, this simple question, asked in a non-confrontational way, is going to engage the prospect. This is where you really start to get them talking—and once they're talking, they're no longer thinking about getting off the phone. The call is now off to the races.