Recent research indicates the time it takes for a prospect to “size up” a salesperson and decide if they’re worth talking is considerably shorter than you would think. A few weeks ago I wrote about an article in the Wall Street Journal that said individuals can make lasting impressions about other people in a matter of milliseconds, not minutes.

If that’s true, how important is your initial appearance? Do you look sharp? Do you smile? Do you have a firm handshake? Do you look your prospect straight in the eye and introduce yourself with confidence and clarity? If so, you probably passed the first test.

So what’s next? How do you continue to separate yourself from the sea of salespeople your prospects have to deal with every month? Hint: People pay attention to other people they think have something important to say to them. Therefore, you should open your sales presentation by stating your purpose for being there in the first place. If it’s a first appointment with a new prospect, the primary purpose should not be to sell them your product or service. Instead, the primary purpose should be to meet the prospect, ask a few questions, let them ask you a few questions and find out if the prospect is really qualified and has a valid need for what you sell.

Furthermore, you will build genuine trust with your prospect if you state your goal is to help them get what they want, not what you want. They already know you want a sale or you wouldn’t be there in the first place.

What I’m about to say next is golden. It sounds so trivial; however, it’s one of the little things you can do that will separate you from 95% of salespeople who don’t take this next step. Ask permission to ask questions. That’s right – ask permission to ask questions and watch the reaction of your prospect. Chances are no other salesperson has ever asked them that question. Why ask? Simple – it’s a sign of respect for the prospect, and their answer is going to tell you whether or not they trust you. If they say “No,” you’ve probably moved too fast. If they say “Yes,” they likely believe you have something important to say to them.

But wait, there’s one more question you can ask to cement the trust you’ve started to build. Ask permission to record the answers. Salespeople in the classes I teach often say “Why do you have to ask that question? How many people are going to say no?” Once again, it all goes back to demonstrating respect for the prospect by doing something very few other salespeople do. These little activities don’t take much time, and they don’t cost you any money. However, they do earn you points in the competition from other salespeople.

A great sales trainer once told me that to win most sales you don’t have to be 25%, 50% or 75% better than your competition. On a consistent basis, you just have to be 2% to 5% better. How hard is that to accomplish? Not hard if you remember it’s the little things you can do that mean a lot.

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