Examples of Opening Statements...

"Hi ____, this is _______ from _______. Our manufacturing clients tell us that we help them _______ by _______. How are you currently _______?"

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"Hi ____, this is _______ with _______. We work with (CEOs, IT Directors, etc) to help them _______. I understand that you maybe _______ and there’s a possibility we may be able to help you _______. Does it make sense for me to ask you a few questions now to see if we should talk further?"

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phrases to avoid in your opening statement

Are you guilty of using some of the following statements? I know I am. When making an opening statement, let's scratch these off! Plus, these are probably statements are competitors are using--so let's be different!

How are you today?
I’d like to learn a little more about your business to determine…
We’re the leading provider of…
We work with several of your competitors…
I’d like to see if there are some ways we might work together
Is now a good time to talk?
Did I catch you at a bad time?

Taken from www.nzschoolofcoaching.com

Tips for Cold Calling

I am a little weird and actually enjoy Cold Calls! The great thing about them is they are great practice for selling. Sometimes you get lucky--or is it skill? Well, lets look at some tips on cold calls.

*Be persistent when cold calling.
"Eighty percent of new sales are made after the fifth contact, yet the majority of sales people give up after the second call" (AllBusiness.com).

*Prepare an opening statement for your cold call.
This lets you organize your thoughts before cold calling, and helps you avoid common mistakes in the cold call opening that would give the person you're calling the chance to terminate the conversation. For instance, you should never ask, "Is this a good time to talk?" or "How are you today?"

Ok, so this sounds nice, but how does this look?