Sales contact, the key to your sales success

Many customer relations specialists agree that the first contact determines 80% of the chances of a successful sale and is played out in the first 20 seconds.

And as we often hear, you won't get a second chance to make a good first impression.

That's why preparation is essential for your contact, by finding out all you can about the customer and consulting all the data in your CRM, for example.

Here we take you through all the steps involved in making contact, along with advice and mistakes to avoid.

Because, to conclude, you can't afford to miss your introduction!

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What is a sales call?

Making contact: definition

The initial contact, the first sales meeting between the salesperson and the potential customer, represents the start-up phase, the beginning of commercial exchanges.

It is a critical and decisive phase, as it is the first of the 7 stages of the sale.

As a result, it determines the success of the following stages, which are :

• identifying needs,
• argumentation
• dealing with objections
• negotiation,
• conclusion,
• and ending with the farewell.

Traditionally, this is carried out face-to-face or over the telephone, but it can also be initiated :

• by sending a personalised emailing,
• on social networks
• via a chatbot, which redirects to the right sales manager, etc.

The 5 objectives of making contact

Whether it's :

• making contact by telephone
• making contact face-to-face, at the customer's premises or at a trade fair,
• or making contact by email,

its objectives are to :

• break the ice and get to know each other
• put the customer in the best possible frame of mind to continue the discussion and give you the opportunity to explain what is at stake in the sale;
• arrange a sales meeting at a later date, if they don't have the time right away;
• make a good first impression, which can lead to sales and even referrals;
• in short, to create a climate conducive to sales and a long-term, sustainable customer relationship.

The success of making contact depends on a number of factors, including :

• preparation ;
• the choice of means of communication ;
• the message you convey ;
• the way you convey your message.

What are the different components of making contact? 3 principles to apply

Here are three principles that speak volumes about the importance of making contact and its strategic nature in sales and customer relations.

The 4 X 20 rule for making face-to-face contact

For face-to-face contact , this rule summarises the importance of :

• First 20 gestures: adopt a calm, positive attitude to inspire confidence;
• First 20 centimetres: make a dynamic entrance but keep your distance so as not to rush the customer;
• First 20 words: polite, positive, punchy, use a simple vocabulary and a clear tone;
• First 20 seconds: everything has been said, the first few seconds have the greatest impact, the customer is already beginning to form an opinion of you.

The 4 A's

Whatever the location or circumstances of the sales meeting, the 4 A's are a reminder of the 4 fundamentals of making contact:

• Appearance: clean, neat and simple,
• Attitude: professional and respectful, among other things,
• The sales pitch: impactful but not aggressive,
• The customer's agreement, a successful conclusion to the contact if all the above elements are respected.

The Halo effect

Also known as the contamination effect and the notoriety effect, the Halo effect is a concept based on the principle of the influence of the first impression we have of a person.first impression of an object or person, the quality of which influences the perception and effectiveness of subsequent exchanges.

In other words, the halo effect leads us to generalise from a single trait of character or information.

👉 For example, if on a first meeting you find someone friendly and sociable, you will tend to think that they are also intelligent and competent without having any proof of this. And the same applies if your first impression is rather negative.

This effect can therefore have major consequences in the field of selling goods or services, as it can considerably influence buyers' decisions.

Writing an effective sales contact email

The contact email is a tool that allows you to prospect for new potential customers, with the ultimate aim of winning you new sales. In order for it to be effective, it must meet certain key criteria:

• The subject must be clear and eye-catching. According to various studies, between 70 and 80% of people will not open an e-mail without a subject line.
• The message must be personalised. Even if you don't actually know the recipient, make sure you pique their interest in you by addressing them directly by name.
• The message should be brief and concise, so don't beat about the bush and get straight to the point: why are you contacting them? If you don't, you risk losing the recipient's attention.
• Take care with the form- grammatical and spelling mistakes are a no-no!
• Don't forget to sign, giving all your contact details so that your recipient can get back to you easily.

The 6 key stages in making contact

A good initial contact breaks down as follows:

• Stage 1: the introduction
  ✅ You introduce yourself briefly and make sure you're talking to the right person.
• Step 2: the introduction
  ✅ You switch, in a controlled way, from the warm introduction to the sales meeting, explaining why you're there or why you're calling.
• Step 3: the process
  ✅ You explain the structure of the discussion you are planning, such as a product presentation, followed by the offer of a sample to test and then the scheduling of a meeting to get the customer's opinion.
• Step 4: the benefit
  ✅ This is an effective sales catchphrase that sums up the customer's benefit. Why should they give you their time? What benefits will they gain?
• Step 5: the timing
  ✅ Announce how long the exchange will last, to reassure the customer in a hurry and remove this recurring obstacle.
• Step 6: agreement
  ✅ Get the customer's green light, their consent, before continuing the discussion or arranging another meeting.

How do you make a good initial contact?

Equip yourself with the tools you need to make good contact

There are a number of tools you can use to optimise, personalise and monitor the contact and sales prospecting of your prospects.

The types of tools available

4 examples of tools

• monday.com CRM is a comprehensive, ultra-intuitive CRM solution that helps you manage your sales process from A to Z. Thanks to its intelligent, customisable prospecting features, you won't miss a single sales opportunity, your contact is tailored to the needs of each prospect and your customer follow-up is beyond reproach.
• Kestio is an all-in-one sales support platform. Working with its team of certified experts, you can define your call pitch together, in line with your needs. The team will also help you create your contact file and make prospecting calls!
• Referral Squad is an easy-to-use platform for business developers and sales managers to share informationand make direct , high-quality contacts . Thanks to a "Salescoins" system, you can generate qualified opportunities and earn rewards by making contacts. What's more? Thanks to the platform's large community, you can take advantage of sales news, best practices and expert advice!
• Sellsy is a comprehensive, easy-to-use sales management software package for VSEs and SMEs. It centralises all data and interactions with your prospects and customers. As a result, you have everything you need to make qualified contacts tailored to your customers' needs. And thanks to its pipeline view, you can detect your sales opportunities at a glance and contact them at the most opportune moment!

Mistakes not to be made

Victor Cabrera, a renowned sales techniques trainer, sums up the 3 main mistakes very well:

Here are all the ones we've identified, through various salespeople's testimonials:

• ❌ Not preparing your sales pitch properly beforehand, a problem that results in either too much recitation or too much improvisation.
• ❌ Not finding out enough about the customer you are visiting or calling, they will soon realise that your pitch contains generic blah blah blah that lacks personalisation and attention.
• ❌ Focus on technique rather than the right attitude, it's the human touch that comes first, you're not a robot!
• ❌ Skipping steps, forcing the issue out of fear of rejection: be a good listener and show respect.
• ❌ Being in the wrong frame of mind: if you're not confident or positive, it shows, how can the customer believe in your offer if you don't believe in it yourself?
• ❌ Give a monologue, talk about the rain and the fine weather or that damn Covid, in short, don't be punchy from the start: say why you're there and immediately arouse the desire to listen to you.
• ❌ Don't appear to be " in control ", pretending to be passing by by chance or apologising for disturbing. Don't give your contact any reason to say no to you, be legitimate!

Practical example of making contact (BtoB)

Hi, I'm Benoît from Appvizer, Europe's leading SaaS software comparison service.

I've heard about your CRM solution, which sounds very interesting for VSEs and would be a great fit for our platform.

I'm calling to offer you a listing in our online directory, which will enable you to attract new customers .

Do you have 10 minutes so that I can explain how to do it?

Here, and this is our bonus tip, Benoît emphasises the quality of the company he works for while at the same time highlighting that of the customer.

A win/win contact strategy, what do you think?

Do you have any other tips for successful contact?

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Making contact, a powerful lever for your success

By adopting effective contact strategies, you can build lasting relationships with qualified prospects and boost your sales.

It's important to remember that making contact isn't just about commercial interaction; it's about building genuine relationships based on trust and mutual respect.

By investing time in networking, you open the door to a world of possibilities.

Take the reins of your commercial success and turn your interactions into flourishing opportunities!