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Sales Training Courses: Salespeople, How Ya Doin'?

What's your opinion? When a salesperson first encounters a sales prospect, should they ask "How are you?", "How ya doin?" or otherwise inquire into the well-being of the individual?

There are two schools of thought. Some salespeople think it's the right thing to do because it helps establish a rapport and failing to ask would be rude. Others think it is a blatantly phony waste of time.

To me, the correct answer depends on whether the encounter is in person or a cold call on the phone. Meeting the sales prospect in person for the first time, it seems more of a requirement. On a cold sales call, it gets in your way.

In business, efficiency wins. Being able to achieve your goals faster means you can make more money and get home sooner. Some business people will think you are rude if you disrespect their time with a transparently fake interest in their health.

Do you really want to know? What would you do if they told you the truth?

Imagine hearing a response like:"Well, my acid reflux was acting up last night so I didn't get much sleep which means I'm really worn out and barely able to keep my mind on anything anyone says to me. Not to mention being distracted by the fact that my wife wants me to talk to her brother-in-law about whether he might be fooling around, which, of course I really don't want to do. I don't trust the guy to tell me the truth even if he said he was fooling around. So I really hope your selling the solution to those problems."

Personally, when a salesperson asks me how I am on a cold call, I say "Fine, thanks" but I'm thinking "You don't really want to know and I wish you wouldn't waste my time. Now I feel obligated to respond with a feigned interest in your personal life, and you better not tell me the truth."

Remember, I'm talking about a business situation on the phone. If you're calling someone at their residence you might feel the more of a need to ask, but you are still calling to make a sale which means you are conducting business and going off on personal tangent at the opening of a cold business call is rarely appropriate.

Establishing rapport is vital in sales, of course, but I have more appreciation for a salesperson who respects my time. Get to the point. Ask me if I even have the problem that your product or service can solve. Once you've shown that you can help me, and then I'll have more patience for the small talk.

I thought I should do a poll inquiring on what salespeople think on this question. Then it dawned on me that salespeople should be more concerned with what the sales prospect thinks.

Source: James Archer link

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