I still remember what it feels like. You're all excited about your new product, and you can't wait to pitch it to someone. But no-one will give you the time of day. You make 30 calls to try to get an appointment, or you say "Hi" to dozens of customers as they come through the door, and not a single one of them want to hear what you have to say.

Let's take a closer look at 'First Contact.' For some of us it means working the phone, trying to make an appointment to see a decision maker. For others it means engaging a walk-in customer in a showroom or other brick-and-mortar location. Regardless of where your first contact takes place, you have to keep in mind a few very important points:

The customer is concerned with only one thing

The customer has no idea who you are

The customer WILL say "NO" before they say "YES."

Scary list. You're thinking, "No wonder it seems impossible to sell sometimes." It's not impossible; it just requires that you follow a formula that will give you a better chance of success.

For starters, let's tackle the first point:

The customer is concerned with only one thing

I have said this before, in many different ways, but what I mean is this: When it comes right down to it, the customer is too busy listening to Radio Station WII FM, the station with one program, called: "What's in it for me?" Since this is the case, you have a very short amount of time to communicate value to the customer. Let me highlight this with an example. In this one, we'll use a car dealership (but it could be appliances, furniture, tractors, a real estate open house... you get the idea).

A guy walks into your showroom, and starts peeking into the window of the cars. The classic approach would be to greet him with a smile and ask him if he needs any help. But he shrugs you off, and peers closer into one of the car windows. As a persistent pro, you tell him about the new satellite GPS feature that now comes standard. He looks mildly impressed, mostly to amuse you, but he's bored now; so he's on the way out. What went wrong? And what could be done differently?

Let's start again from the beginning. He walks in, and starts kicking tires. You, the Sales Superhero, do a quick scan of your customer. Mid 30's, male, alone. That's about all the data you need to continue. He leans in closer to the window of one of the cars, and you take action. "Hi I'm Joe. You've got to see this. It's like the Bat-Mobile! Have you ever seen one of these?" You open the passenger door, and invite him to sit in the driver's side, and then you start your fancy GPS system demo.

This is just an example, and a risky one at that. But there is immeasurable value in making that initial contact. It gets you one step closer to establishing a RELATIONSHIP, which as I have said time and time again, is one of the four essential ingredients to any sale.

The customer has no idea who you are

If the example were to continue, you would continue to ask questions about what he's looking for, and for when, and for how much. But that's a discussion for another day. The important thing is that you communicated excitement to the customer, and inferred that he would be as fascinated as you were with the new feature. If your little scheme worked, you will have engaged him.

The customer WILL say "NO" before they say "YES."

In this example (which I am now officially beating to death) the worst that could happen is that the customer turns down your invitation to sit down. If he doesn't do it on his own, ask him what he came in looking for. Before you know it, you're in a conversation with the customer about what matters to him. This statement, 'The customer will always say NO' also refers to objections, a topic we have covered here before, and will surely return to.

A word or two about appointment setting:

Not all Salespeople have the luxury of walk-in traffic. They have to book an appointment on the phone to make a sales presentation. When you are doing this, concentrate on your goal: To book the appointment. Not to sell the product, but to book the appointment.

First you've got to be sure you are speaking directly with the decision maker, and as always you have to concentrate on What's In It For Them. If you're having a challenge getting past a gatekeeper, let them know about the benefits that you can bring to the decision maker. "I have something that she has to see. It could save her a lot of money. Does she have more time earlier in the week or towards the end?" - just as an example. Remember, you are only appointment setting, not selling... so just concentrate on setting the appointment. You will surely have your own unique approach to making first contact, and it will undoubtedly change depending on who your customer is. (If it doesn't, it certainly SHOULD) In fact, I would love to hear your suggestions. Email me, and tell me what works in YOUR industry. What are your best lines?

The key is to focus on what the customer wants. What problem do they need solved? What do they desire? What are they really buying? In the case of our car guy, he might be buying an easier commute to work, or a status symbol to impress his friends. Perhaps he's buying security for a soon-to-be growing family. He is most certainly NOT buying two tons worth of steel with leather seats and air conditioning.