Episode 008 What to Say in Your Opening Statement Power Sales Guru With Will Harris podcast

Episode 008 What to say in your Opening Statement

 

Hello, I’m Will Harris. Welcome to the Power Sales Guru podcast.
The title of this episode is What to Say in Your Opening
Statement.

 

I love the story of the high school basketball coach who was
attempting to motivate his players to persevere through a difficult
season. Halfway through the season he stood before his team and
said, “Did Michael Jordan ever quit?” The team responded, “No!”
“What about the Wright brothers? Did they ever give up?” “No!” the
team responded. “Did Steve Jobs ever quit?” “Again the team yelled,
“No!” “Did Elmer McAllister ever quit?”

 

There was a long silence. Finally one player was bold enough to
ask, “Coach…who’s Elmer McAllister? We never heard of him.” The
coach snapped back , “Of course you never heard of him….he
quit!”

 

I love that story. In this podcast we are going to discuss the
four parts of a great opening statement. And ensuring you never
quit before you connect with a new customer.

 

Allow me to paint a picture for you. You made a call to
speak with a potential client. You have built rapport with the
gatekeeper, who was happy to supply helpful
information.

When you are transferred to the Decision
Maker,

He answers the call and says: “Hello. This is
Tom.”

 

The clock begins….

 

You have ten seconds to generate interest before you
lose them forever. The moment is here and the pressure is on. What
you say next makes or breaks the call.

 

What do you do when the pressure is on?

What do you say to gain progress?

 

The desires of our heart often require unquenchable
spirit, sweat, energy beyond what we think is possible, and an
undying commitment. These prerequisites to success culminate in one
overriding quality – Perseverance.

 

I’m a big fan of the great psychologist William James.
Dr. James said “Fatigue gets worse up to a certain point, when
gradually or suddenly, it passes away and we are fresher than
before!”

 

At that point we have tapped a new level of energy…There
may be layer after layer of this experience, a third even fourth
‘wind.’ We find amounts of ease and power we never dreamed
ourselves to own, sources of strength habitually not taxed, because
habitually we never push through the obstruction right in front of
us.

 

Dr. Seuss’s first children’s book was rejected by 23
publishers. The twenty-fourth publisher sold six million copies and
Dr. Seuss realized his perseverance resulted in challenging and
educating millions of children.

 

After having been rejected by both Hewlett-Packard and
Atari, Apple microcomputers had first-year sales of $2.5
million.

 

And Formula 409…got its name because 4 hundred and 8
times they submitted their compound and were rejected. But the 4
hundred and 9th time …………….was accepted.

 

So how do you know when enough is enough?

 

When we achieve what we set out to do, that is when it
is enough?

 

Are you willing to do enough?

 

To cold call, or to prospect within an account you need 4 parts
in your opening statement. For a great opening statement 4 things
are enough.

 

 

The four major parts to a powerful opening statement
are:


Greeting
Attention Statement
Interest Statement
Opening Question

 

The opening statement creates a bridge from “I don’t
know you” to “I need to know you.”

 

Different is the new great. The goal is to stand out
amongst the sea of sales people fighting for your prospect’s
interest.

 

Now let’s take a look at the first thing to say in your opening
statement:


The Greeting

 

Some sales people whisper the name of their company as if they
were passing notes to another student in class. Or they say it so
quickly that it lacks the luster and power the name deserves. The
greeting is where you acknowledge who you are and which company
employs you. This should be said slowly and with pride.

 

“Hello. My name i