During a recent workshop sales trainer Kelley Robertson discussed with his clients the best way to open face-to-face cold call. One participant volunteered to share his approach.

"Hi Mr. Prospect. I'm Mr. Sales Person and I work for Big Sales Company. We do a lot of work in your industry and have been in business for over 40 years. We carry a wide range of products and services including this, that and the other thing. We pride ourselves on delivering great service and..."

Unfortunately too many people in sales think that they need to talk about their company or product or service when they first connect with new prospects. But this approach is ineffective.

Here is a better way:

Begin by stating your name and your company and then reference a problem you think that your prospect may be facing. "Mr. Prospect, Kelley Robertson, Big Sales Company. One of the trends we're seeing with companies like yours is the requirement to improve accuracy while also increasing production. How does that compare with your situation?"

This takes less than half the time to say which means you reduce the risk of your prospect tuning you out. Avoid the blah, blah, blah syndrome and focus on your prospect when you make a cold call.

As President of The Robertson Training Group, Kelley has helped thousands of professionals improve their business results with his engaging approach to sales training and speaking. Learn more at www.robertsontraininggroup.com

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