As the old saying goes, you never get a second chance to make a first impression. And it’s so true when it comes to sales.
Experts say that the first four seconds of communication with the customer is the most important. And you should use these few seconds to get your prospects to trust you and to see you as an expert. Because if you make a negative impression, you will have to make eight subsequent positive impressions to retain your customers.
If you want to know why the first impression plays such an important role in sales, here you will find tips on how to start a conversation with a prospect and how to close more deals.
The processing speed of the human brain is high
This is how the human brain works – it forms the first impression within a split second upon meeting a new person.
When a customer sees you for the first time, he pays his attention to how you look and how your voice sounds. The brain analyzes whether your smile is sincere, your posture is relaxed, your hair is combed, and your voice is trembling. If you seem to be a friendly and kind person, it’s highly likely that a prospect will agree to continue a conversation.
But if your face looks like you have a cunning plan in mind, and if your shirt is dirty, the first impression will be negative. And you will have little chances to build a constructive conversation.
Modern customers are busy
Modern life is too busy. For this reason, people value their time even more than they did before. And it’s not a big surprise that they do not want to waste their precious time on empty talks with a sales agent.
Remember that you have only four seconds to convince your prospective buyers that conversation with you is not a waste of time. Show people that you appreciate their time and that you have something valuable to offer.
Attention span is short
We live in the age of information overload. Our brain struggles to process tones of data day by day. And it’s not a big surprise that we get distracted easily, especially when it comes to the things that not interesting for us.
For the sales agents, it’s crucially important to grab and hold the customer’s attention within the first four seconds. Otherwise, a prospective buyer will go away and never come back.
Customers want to feel valued and special
Modern customers close deals only with those sales agents who make them feel valued and special. And that’s a fact.
It means that prospects expect that a sales agent will treat them in a special way from the very first seconds of conversation. And if you don’t use the first four seconds wisely, buyers will not want to buy your goods and services.
Melanie Kraits, a sales manager at Studicus, says: “Today, personalized communication is more important than ever before. Keep it in mind when building a sales strategy.”
5 Tips on How to Make a Good Impression within the First Four Seconds
Write a script
Even if you are an experienced sales manager, you still need a script. You need to write down the text that you will use to start a conversation with your customers. After that, you need to learn this text by heart.
Believe you or not, but it will help you to take communication to the next level. If you have a script, you will not waste your time trying to find the right words to express your ideas. You will know exactly what to say. You will feel confident. And yes, four seconds will be enough for you to make a good impression on your customers.
If you don’t know how to create a good script, you can ask for help writers. You may use writing services like TrustMyPaper and GrabMyEssay, or get assistance from freelance experts at Upwork or Fiverr.
Use the right voice tonality
Remember that it’s important not only what you say during the first four seconds, but also how you say it. You should use the right voice tonality to convince prospective customers that they can trust you.
First, read your script aloud. And try to imply with your tonality that you are a trustworthy and empathetic person. Also, use your voice to show that you have your customers’ best interests at heart and that you really care.
Don’t be over-enthusiastic
If you believe that the product you sell will match customer’s needs, that’s great. But please, don’t be over-enthusiastic when you start a conversation with a prospect. It may scare him away.
You can show more enthusiasm when it comes to closing a deal. It will be appropriate.
Dress professionally
The human brain process images 60,000 times faster than text and speech. For this reason, the first impression always depends on how you look, not just what you say.
It doesn’t mean that you should be as beautiful as a Miss Universe to succeed in sales. It means that you should be tidy and wear clothes that fit you.
You should always dress a fresh shirt and refresh your makeup before the meeting with a new customer. The better you look, the higher the chances that you will make a good impression.
Smile
One sincere smile is worth thousands of words. So, before you start a conversation, smile to your customers, and try to establish an emotional connection. If you do it right, it will double your chances to close a deal.
The trick is that when you smile to your customer, you send a non-verbal signal: “I’m a good person, you can trust me.” And as you know, the more buyers trust you, the better results you get.
Bottom line
When it comes to the first conversation with a prospect, every second count. So, if you want the conversation goes smoothly, you should get prepared.
You should write a script and find the right voice tonality. Besides, you should rehearse your smile and make sure that the clothes you wear look professionally. Put efforts into making a good impression, and you will boost your productivity and skyrocket your sales.