Business Appointment Success or Failure

One of the quickest ways to loose a sale is to be late for an appointment. A businessperson's character, among other things, may be judged by their punctuality. Some prospects may see it as a slap in the face if you are late for your meeting with them. They may view it as a sign you have no regard for your own word, or their time. And you cannot be depended upon. So why should they do business with the likes of you?

So by all means, be on time for your appointment. Make sure to let the prospect know how much time you will need to make your sales presentation.

If the prospect is on a tight schedule, it is doubtful they will give you their undivided attention. You both may become nervous, or uneasy due to the time restraints on both of you. If you need 25 minutes to present your sales talk and the prospect can only spare 15 minutes of their time, it is better to re-schedule the appointment than to run out of time.

Greet your prospect in a business-like, friendly way. Your introduction should make a good impression of you and your proposal. By choosing your words carefully, you will have gained the undivided attention of your prospect. Then you can tell your whole story.

It is common practice to present your business card to your potential customer. The timing of this could be crucial to your sales talk.

Your opening statement should be designed to deepen curiosity in your prospect's mind without being too informative. It may be to your advantage to give your opening statement, then, present your business card to the prospect. If your introduction was successful the card will not only introduce your business, but also help you establish a rapport with the prospect.

On occasion you may call upon a business establishment unannounced. This is called "cold calling." This method is not recommended, but it does happen. In this instance it may not be a good idea to present your prospect with a detailed business card. It may tell too much too soon because unlike having an appointment, the prospect has not yet had the opportunity to develop curiosity for your proposition.

But the card that gives little information (a personal card) could be quite beneficial and serve as an opening to your approach, or introduction. You want to lead your prospect through each phase of the selling process without missing a step.

Someone else, such as a friend of the prospect may also be present on the day you meet for your scheduled appointment. Your primary attention should be directed at the person you made the appointment with, but if you have been introduced to the friend, you cannot completely ignore their presence.

Should you include the friend in your sales talk? It all depends.

If your prospect has introduced you to their friend and the friend then goes about busying themselves with other things, the answer is no. Carry on as you would under normal circumstances.

On the other hand, if the prospect's friend has made he or she a part of the conversation, or sits down with you and your prospect, it would be rude to exclude the friend from your sales talk.

You may find that the friend is more interested in your proposition than your prospect, or equally as interested in your proposition. So if the friend shows interest give your sales talk to both parties. The friend may turn out to be your best customer.

Copyright © 2005 Gloria Whitehorn-All rights reserved

About the Author:

Gloria is an article writer, business owner, author of two books, salesperson and seasoned mail order pro. Visit her site for information on a great part-time, full-time-anytime business. She knows what she's talking about.

http://www.dovemang.com

*Attn: Ezine Editors/Site owners*
You have permission to reprint this article in your ezine or on your website as long as you print the complete article and leave all the links and resource box in place. You cannot modify the content in any way.

---

Separating Yourself from the Crowd (Part One of Two)

Warren Buffet says that insurance is a commodity and price... Read More

Failed Salespeople Share Similar Traits

We are each responsible for our own success - or... Read More

Using the Consultative Approach to Gaining Sales

What do we mean by a consultative approach?When you hear... Read More

Effective Account Management

Congratulations! You successfully sold one or more of your company's... Read More

How to Build a Repeat Client Base in Automobile Sales

Here is a question I recently received from a young... Read More

5 Steps to Selling Anything Technical

One of the most difficult things we deal with as... Read More

Cutting Through Stalls and Objections

It's the prospect. If stalls and objections frequently come up... Read More

Sales Prospects Avoiding You?

This issue's topic on sales prospects comes in response to... Read More

Busting Your Assumptions: Effective Probing Techniques for Sales Professionals

Do you find yourself making these kinds of assumptions?- "I... Read More

How To Write A Killer Sales Letter

I sit down and look at my notebook. Then, I... Read More

Increase Your Selling Confidence

1. Be on time. In fact, arrive a few minutes... Read More

Sales Discipline: Five Steps To Recover From A Lost Sale

Ever lost a sale? Of course you have, we all... Read More

The #1 Lead Generation System of Top Sales People

Developing an abundant supply of targeted referrals is the number... Read More

Sales Letters - How to Write Them

You could just send out your brochure to potential customers... Read More

Sales and the Law of Attraction

I'm about to challenge your belief system, or at least... Read More

Sell Without Feeling Like A Used Car Salesman

Many business owners and professionals are appalled at the thought... Read More

Do You Know the Emotion Behind the Objection?

Prospects have many reasons (you might think excuses) for not... Read More

Order Takers vs. Sales Professionals

As business owners we all know that in a ideal... Read More

In Sales - Heres News You Can Use

Here's an idea on how to make reading the daily... Read More

Date Your Customer!

Yes, you heard me right; I said "Date your clients!"... Read More

Shout At Your Customers - Theyre Hard of Hearing!

Some people say we live in the Information Age.I call... Read More

7 Steps to Selling Artwork

Selling arwork is easy when you follow a road map.... Read More

Assumptions ? The Hidden Sales Killer

Assumptions can kill a sale. In my sales training workshops,... Read More

Sales and the City

It's all about relationships!Here is how a popular TV show... Read More

Increase Your Influence, Increase Your Sales

Selling is everyone's lifeblood whether they realize it or not.... Read More

Maximize Sales and Minimize Returns with Learning Styles

In the day-to-day operation of an online business we can... Read More

Turning Sales Techniques Into Sales Success!

The goal of all sales training is not just to... Read More

Get Tough

You deal with rejections, frustrations, disappointment, and possibly disrespect on... Read More

Why ALL Sales Decisions Are Based On Emotion - Heres The Proof!

Have you ever gone into a newsagent, picked up a... Read More

Top 7 Psychological Triggers For Unlimited Sales

Did you know that there are specific psychological triggers you... Read More

Selling - Always Go for Top Money

If you've ever flown economy class on an international flight... Read More

The Top 10 Powerful Tools for Growing Sales Through Creating Connection

Your mission as a business owner is to develop a... Read More

10 Boundless Ways To Anchor Down More Sales

1. Multiply your marketing and advertising efforts on the Internet.... Read More