Business Innovation 2005

3 Tips For Talking With A Prospective Customer For The First Time

If you work in sales or have a big part of your business in making connections with others, knowing how to approach people and break the ice with a comfortable conversation can be a huge part of getting your professional relationship on the right foot. However, knowing how to do this doesn’t come naturally for everyone. So if you’re needing some help with this part of your career, here are three tips for talking with prospective customers for the first time. 

Keep Your Goals At The Front Of Your Mind

As you prepare to meet someone and speak with them for the first time in a professional setting, it’s wise to keep your professional goals in mind as you approach them and the conversation you want to have. 

While you likely don’t want to come on too fast or too directly with having this person help you reach your professional or sales goals, keeping them in your mind can help you know how to steer the conversation and what foundational connections to set up with this new relationship. So if your goal is to show that you have something valuable to offer them or to set up some kind of deeper meeting with them in the future, make sure you are subtly working toward this goal throughout the duration of your first conversation. 

Bring A Winning Attitude

When you work in sales, it’s easy to get defeated by the number of times you get told “no” each day or by how challenging it can be to meet your sales goals. And while it’s natural to get in a bit of a bad mood as a result of this, you’ve got to be able to muscle through this and have a great attitude when you’re meeting customers or clients for the first time. 

If you can come into your first conversation with a smile and a positive attitude about what you’re doing and how you can be of service to the person you’re speaking with, this can make a big difference in how comfortable the prospect is with you and how receptive they will be to what you’re wanting to share with them. 

Be Prepared To Give Them Something

Most people know when they’re speaking with a salesperson and that their ultimate goal is to make a sale from them. Because of this, many people are very hesitant to give much away to salespeople. So to help you turn this on its head, you should be prepared to give something to your prospective customers the first time you meet them.

While this doesn’t have to be something big, it should be something that is either memorable or helps to make a positive difference for them, like information that can make their life easier or alternatives to what they’re presently doing

If you find yourself always getting nervous when approaching someone for the first time, consider using the tips mentioned above to help you get more comfortable with this and find more success. 

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