Time to Show Off

The moment of truth. After weeks of telephone tag, voicemail, and time spent planning, you are finally face-to-face with your customer. You have precious little time to deal with the initial tension and create a positive first impression. Psychological studies concur that the best approach to build rapport and trust is to get your customers talking about themselves or their business. It's even more effective if you initiate the dialogue using information pertinent to their business. This is where you can stimulate the conversation by showing off your new-found intelligence. You have worked hard to obtain precall information about your potential customer. Don't hide it. Don't be shy or hesitant to show off. You want to be subtle yet professional. The following examples are effective openers when presented using an, "Oh, by the way" approach.

Congratulations on the company's 10th anniversary.

Congratulations on his or her recent promotion.

How is your new office in Cleveland working out?

I see you recently introduced a new product line.

I saw your new advertisement. It looks great!

Are you still hiring?

Tie in any knowledge you have. Be forthcoming. Your knowledge and enthusiasm communicates to the customer that he or she is important and worth the time you invested in planning.