The Importance of the First 30 Seconds

A question that is often asked on sales trainingSo going back to that all important question; 'how
courses is 'how should I dress?' I think this is ashould I dress? It is as important to look and
vitally important question. You see a prospect willdress well, as it is to have good closing skills in a
subconsciously have a perception of you built upsale. Of course what you are selling and the sales
in their mind in the first 30 seconds to 1 minute ofenvironment you are working in will determine
a sales call.how you should dress, so there is no standard
The old saying you only get one chance to makeanswer. I was told many years ago on a sales
a good first impression is vital. Sales trainingtraining course that sales people should always
courses will tell you that these first introductionsdress like the type of person that the prospect
are vital and we all know the importance of thewould go to for advice. Although this is not very
firm but not wrestle mania type hand shake asclear it still does give an idea of how we should
opposed to the wet fish hand shake. We alsodress going in to a sales call.
know the importance of eye contact although weThe other thing with our dress sense is the
must always consider that all cultures are not thebetter we feel about ourselves the more likely
same and eye contact, handshakes etc may notwe are to sell. So if we think about it this way,
be correct in some cultures.how often have you been invited to a wedding
When we think about eye contact, we really doand we go out and purchase new clothes for the
tend to think of looking at someone in the eyes,occasion, the day of the wedding comes we
but this s not necessarily true. Eye contact isobviously shower and put on the new clothes, we
really the face and the easiest way to think offeel great.
this is if you were to imagine a triangle with theIn the one minute manager series books which
base line going across the eyebrows and the pointare more geared towards management training
of the triangle being the chin then eye contact isthan sales training it clearly states 'people who feel
any of that space within the triangle. Eye to eyegood about themselves produce good results'
contact is slightly different and is known as the 2Sales training courses all over the country will
I's of eye contact the 2 Is stand for Intimate oremphasise the importance of first impressions and
Intimidating, so when your next sales trainingremember the first 30 seconds can count more
course talks about eye contact remember it isthan the next hour.
not really eyeball to eyeball.