47. Why the First 10 Minutes of Every Estimate Are The Most Important - Benji Carlson

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In a chess match, a player’s first sequence of moves is known as an “opening”.  The opening is a memorized series of 8 to 12 moves that, ideally, sets up the chess game in an advantageous way for the player.  

Execute the right opening and you’ve created some leverage for yourself.  Execute the wrong opening, or make a mistake during it, and you’re fighting an uphill battle.

Now when I say “Master your Opening” what I’m talking about specifically here are the first few minutes of your sales call.  I’ve heard different businesses call sales calls different things. You might call it an estimate, a quote, a consultation, an appointment, a design meeting, a discovery meeting, but for the sake of clarity I’m going to refer to it as the sales call.

I know what you might be thinking.  Aren’t the last 10 minutes the most important?  Aren’t those precious moments when you’re “closing” the most important?  When a pen is being put to paper, or when a deposit cheque is being cut?  

The closing moments ARE crucial, but to me the opening is the most important because it’s what sets up the close.

The customer usually makes up their mind about whether they would do business with you in the first ten minutes, not when they are staring at your quote.

My goal in this episode is to increase your sales conversions by covering a few core principles which I’ve learned including:

• Why the first 10 min of your sales call is more important than the last ten minutes
• The 3 things that you need to accomplish in the first 10 min that will help you close the sale
• 1 little mindset trick to perform before you talk to your prospect
• How to convey likability right off the bat
• The best way to establish a Leader/Follower dynamic during a sales call
• Where to insert trial closes into your sales calls so the customer doesn't ever feel blindsided

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