Before talking with a prospective customer, a salesperson needs an appropriate opening line. The quality of the opening can almost determine the success or failure of the visit; in other words, a good opening is half the battle. Top salespeople often use the following creative opening lines.
Money Almost everyone is interested in money, and methods to save or make money easily attract customers' interest. For example: "Manager Zhang, I'm here to tell you how to save half of your company's electricity costs." "Factory Director Wang, our machine is faster, uses less electricity, and is more precise than your current one, which can lower your production costs." "Factory Director Chen, would you like to save 50,000 yuan annually on towel production?"
Sincere Praise Everyone likes to hear good things, and customers are no exception. Therefore, praise becomes a good way to approach customers. When praising a prospective customer, you must find characteristics that others might overlook and let the customer know your words are sincere. If praise is not sincere, it becomes flattery, and the effect will not be good. Praise is harder than flattery; it requires thought, sincerity, and a specific target. "President Wang, your house is really beautiful." This sounds like flattery. "President Wang, the design of your living room is really unique." This is praise. Here are two examples of opening lines that praise customers: "Manager Lin, I heard from President Zhang of Huamei Garment Factory that doing business with you is the most pleasant. He praised you as a warm and straightforward person." "Congratulations, President Li, I just saw your news in the newspaper, congratulating you on being elected one of the Top Ten Outstanding Entrepreneurs."
Use Curiosity Modern psychology shows that curiosity is one of the basic motives of human behavior. Professor Liu Anyan of Jackson State University in the United States said, "Exploration and curiosity seem to be human nature; mysterious and wonderful things are often the focus of attention." Things that customers are unfamiliar with, don't know about, or are different from the norm often attract attention. Salespeople can use everyone's curiosity to capture customers' attention. A salesperson said to a customer, "Old Li, do you know what the laziest thing in the world is?" The customer was puzzled but also curious. The salesperson continued, "It's the money you hide away and don't use. It could have bought our air conditioner to let you enjoy a cool summer." A carpet salesperson said to a customer, "For only 16 cents a day, you can have your bedroom carpeted." The customer was surprised, and the salesperson continued, "Your bedroom is 12 square meters, and our carpet costs 24.8 yuan per square meter, so it would be 297.6 yuan. Our carpet can be used for 5 years, with 365 days per year, so the average daily cost is only 16 cents." The salesperson creates a mysterious atmosphere to arouse curiosity, then skillfully introduces the product while answering questions.
Mention an Influential Third Party Tell the customer that a third party (a friend or relative of the customer) asked you to see them. This is a roundabout tactic because everyone has the psychology of "respecting the Buddha even if not the monk," so most people are polite to salespeople introduced by friends or relatives. For example: "Mr. He, your good friend Mr. Zhang Anping asked me to see you. He thought you might be interested in our printing machinery because these products have brought many benefits and conveniences to his company." Using someone else's name to recommend yourself is effective, but you must ensure that the person and matter are real and never fabricate them; otherwise, once the customer checks, you will be exposed. To gain the customer's trust, it is even better to show the introducer's business card or letter of introduction.
Cite Famous Companies or People People's purchasing behavior is often influenced by others. If a salesperson can grasp this psychology and use it well, it will definitely yield good results. "Factory Director Li, after President Zhang of XX Company adopted our suggestions, the company's business improved significantly." Citing famous companies or people can strengthen your position, especially if the example you cite is a company that the customer admires or is in the same industry; the effect will be even more significant.
Ask Questions Salespeople directly ask customers questions to attract their attention and interest. For example: "Factory Director Zhang, what do you think is the main factor affecting the quality of your factory's products?" Product quality is naturally one of the factory director's most concerned issues. By asking this, the salesperson will undoubtedly guide the other party into the conversation. When using this technique, note that the questions asked should be the ones the other party cares about most.
Provide Information to Customers Salespeople provide customers with helpful information, such as market trends, new technology, new product knowledge, etc., which can attract customers' attention. This requires salespeople to stand in the customer's position, think for the customer, read newspapers and magazines as much as possible, grasp market dynamics, enrich their knowledge, and train themselves to become experts in their industry. Customers may brush off salespeople, but they respect experts. For example, you can say to a customer, "I saw a new technological invention in a certain publication and thought it would be very useful for your factory." By providing information and caring about customers' interests, salespeople gain customers' respect and goodwill.
Demonstration and Performance Salespeople use various dramatic actions to showcase product features, which is the most effective way to attract customers' attention. A fire safety products salesperson, upon meeting a customer, did not rush to speak but took out a fireproof suit from his briefcase, put it into a large paper bag, and immediately set the bag on fire. After the bag burned, the clothes inside remained intact. This dramatic performance generated great interest in the customer. A salesperson selling high-end ties might say, "This is the Golden Bell brand high-end tie," which has little effect. But if you crumple the tie into a ball and then easily smooth it out, saying, "This is the Golden Bell brand high-end tie," it leaves a deep impression.
Use the Product Salespeople use the product they are selling to attract customers' attention and interest. The biggest feature of this method is letting the product introduce itself, using the product's appeal to attract customers. A township enterprise factory director in Henan Province placed a pair of stylishly designed, finely crafted leather shoes on the desk of the manager of Zhengzhou Hualian Commercial Building. The manager's eyes lit up and asked, "Where are they from? How much per pair?" A salesperson from Guangzhou Watch Case Factory went to Shanghai No. 3 Watch Factory to sell. They prepared a product box filled with beautifully made, dazzling new products. After entering, they said little, opened the box, and immediately attracted the customers.
Ask for Advice Salespeople use the method of asking customers for advice to attract their attention. Some people like to be teachers, always enjoying guiding, educating, or showing off. Salespeople intentionally ask questions they don't understand or pretend not to understand to seek advice from customers. Generally, customers will not refuse a salesperson who humbly seeks advice. For example: "President Wang, you are an expert in computers. This is a new type of computer developed by our company. Please advise us on any design issues." After being flattered, the other party will take the computer materials and flip through them. Once attracted by the advanced technical performance, the sale is accomplished.
Emphasize Uniqueness Salespeople should strive to create new sales methods and styles, using novel approaches to attract customers' attention. A Japanese life insurance salesperson printed the number "76600" on his business card. The customer was curious and asked, "What does this number mean?" The salesperson asked back, "How many meals do you eat in a lifetime?" Almost no customer could answer. The salesperson continued, "76,600 meals? Assuming retirement age is 55, according to the average lifespan of Japanese people, you have 19 years left, which is 20,805 meals..." This salesperson used a novel business card to capture the customer's attention.
Use Gifts Everyone has a tendency to like small bargains, and gifts use this psychology for sales. Few people refuse free things. Using gifts as a door opener is both fresh and practical. Dr. Goldman, the world's most authoritative sales expert, emphasizes that in face-to-face sales, saying the first sentence well is very important. Customers listen to the first sentence more seriously than the following ones. After hearing the first sentence, many customers consciously or unconsciously decide whether to quickly dismiss the salesperson or continue the conversation. Therefore, salespeople must quickly capture the customer's attention to ensure the smooth progress of the sales visit.
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