
The first time a prospect comes in contact with your product or a demonstration of it, it must be the most powerful presentation you have of what the product has done for others and will do for him.
You need to sell him the desire to listen longer. The desire to learn why he needs your product and what it will enable him to do or become.
The presentation actually passes through three distinct stages and makes three separate sales.
First, the prospect is sold the will to listen.
Second, the will to consider.
Third, the will to act.
You’ll do well to think of the process of making a sale as leading the prospect down a flight of logical steps until he enters the arena of action.
You cannot omit a step, or the prospect will fall and you’ll fail.
You cannot rush him, or he’ll fall and you’ll fail.
Every prospect walks at their own pace, not yours. Let them walk at their own pace, a familiar pace and they’ll feel secure enough to trust you.
Leaving out the first step is particularly fatal, since jumping to the next step demands too big an effort and stops the prospect on the brink.
Whether the distance is five steps or fifty, it cannot be covered until the first step has been taken.
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Mike,
As usual, your ability to feret out the important from the insignificant is in evidence in this article on the three steps to a sale. I like how you have equated each step to a “willingness” on the part of customer. Of course, this is an accurate observation. I’ve written about both this concept and the idea of taking the first step first and I like your take on this. All great truths are basically simple when you strip away the BS. That’s what I like about your writing, keep it up!
Dan
Thanks Dan !
I love the header on your site.
Come back soon, we appreciate you spending your time with us.
First impressions are so critical. I believe many more sales are completed from a great entrance than from the close.