3 Things to Avoid When Engaging a Decision-Maker

The first words you say are, “How are you doing today? or “What is the weather like?” at the beginning of the call. Tip number one: that makes people want to puke. Thank them for taking your call and start out with a really great clean joke or share something that recently happened to you: “I know you don’t know me very well but the most amazing thing happened to me yesterday and I thought I would share it with you.” Who can resist a good laugh or a great story?

Lambeth Hochwald, writer for Entrepreneur Magazine agrees. She says in her article “How to make a Personal Connection with Customers,” “The most successful entrepreneurs create a connection with the customer by bringing their own personal touch to the sales process.”

High-level decision-makers are harder than ever to reach. Remember to always be personable and professional until such time as you actually forge a friendship, which typically takes weeks. Tip number two: avoid trying to “suck up.”

Now that you have their attention, tip number three: avoid talking to the decision-maker about what your product or services can do. Ask intelligent questions so that the two of you can discover whether they really need you to help solve a problem or achieve a goal. Whatever you do, do your research and make sure that you product or service is the solution to a problem the decision-maker is having or assists to achieve the goal.

Good Luck!