Collection: Sales - #4 Zig Ziglar 'How Can You Make Positive First Impression?'
[Transcript]
ZIG ZIGLAR 00:00
People including your prospects and customers will take from 3 to 30 seconds to make a decision about whether they want to give you their time and attention. Once the impression has been made, all the information will be filtered through that initial decision. How can you and your company make a positive first impression and then build on that to establish trust and rapport?
Let's first, look at your company when someone is coming to your establishment to do business. What do they see? They begin to form opinions about your business before they talked to a single person.
Is the building neat and clean? Is the reception area projecting the right image for your business? Take a look around your physical surroundings through the eyes of a prospect.
Is it making the best first impression?
Maybe your prospects first contact with your company is over the phone, is it answered properly? Do they have to go through a series of impersonal voice mail options before getting to a live person?
Maybe your prospects first contact is through the mail. Are your company's marketing pieces professional? Are they well written and well designed?
You may have little or no input into how your company forms an impression for the prospect. So let's turn our attention on to what you can control. You personally.
How do you create a positive first impression?
Just as a prospect may make an impression of your business from the outside, people will also form an impression of you based on your outside. Are you clean, neat, warm and friendly?
Think about your business card. When you hand it to someone, does it make the right impression? Keep the design simple, use the front of your card to display your contact information, only use the back of the card to give your company's mission statement, a map to your office, a list of services you can offer, anything that is helpful to the prospect.
In another lesson, you'll learn how to give a short unique statement about your business to peak a prospect's attention. Think about how you deliver that statement, you need to be sincere and approachable, but beware as important as first impressions can be, the most current contact a person has had with you or your company will be the freshest thing on their mind. So start strong with a positive first impression, but remain strong with consistent follow-up, attention to service and a focus on solving the prospects needs and wants.
To apply this information today, take inventory of all the opportunities you have to contact a prospect; your physical building, your marketing materials, your business card, and the most important, you, the salesperson.
What kind of impression are you making? What can you do to improve the impression you are making? Strive to make the best impression possible. As you know, people like to buy from people they trust. Make every effort to express your sincere trustworthiness and you will make a positive lasting impression.
(Source: https://youtu.be/4xHNd_MNRJ0)
[YAPSS Takeaway]
"People will take from 3 to 30 seconds to make a decision about whether they want to give you their time and attention. Once the impression has been made, all the information will be filtered through that initial decision." ~Zig ZIglar
