Prospecting - The "First Impression" Your Prospect Has of You

So you have finally decided to take the "plunge" and make your first prospecting call. Here are 4 easy tips to follow as an intro to that script. Knowing these will put both you and your prospect at ease.Step 1 - Say your prospects name out loud a couple of times before you call. People like to hear their name, If you have a question about how to pronounce the, look it up or get some help. Never assume a William is called Bill! I know because as (officially a William Patrick), I will immediately be "turned off" on anyone that calls and asks for Bill.Step 2 - If you don't know the time zone of your prospect, use the internet and do a "look up" of the phone number. With people using cellphones these days, its not always 100% accurate, but its close enough. Its nice to be able to say, "Good afternoon William, how are you today?"Step 3 - You need to be specific about why you are calling and address it immediately. If for instance, this person came from a lead capture page, know the date, time, and page where they left their information. Again, specific but lite is the recipe for success here. "You were on my (xxx) web page last Thursday morning, looking for information about your (yyy) company" If the lead was from a reference, introduce the third party by name as if he is your best friend and gave you a reference. Again specific but lite: "Jim Jones asked me to give you a call about (zzz)"Step 4 - The most important thing you need to remember is to ABSOLUTELY "clear the time" Asking their permission to speak to them shows you have their best interest at hand, and you not just another one of "those" people. Again simple and lite is best. If it's a business they are looking at, its very simple to say "Have you got a few minutes to talk about your (xxx) business?" it it was was (for example) vacation information, then; "Have you got a few minutes to discuss you family's next vacation?" If they say YES, you go on. If they say NO, then ask to set an appointment for a return call. "When would be a good time for use to get together and discuss (xxx).In Conclusion:Be simple... be professional... be courteous.... This distinguishes you from other marketers. You only get 1 change to make a good first impression, so make every word count.