| How do you get your prospects and customers to | | | | you credible, trustworthy, and professional. |
| see you as a credible, trustworthy, and professional | | | | For example: |
| sales representative during your first sales call? | | | | Don't begin your sales call the way your competitors |
| First, a quick story to help make the point. | | | | do. |
| Have you ever seen an ice sculptor at work? | | | | Don't talk too much. |
| Imagine this scene and setting. | | | | Don't ask closed-ended sales questions. |
| You're going to a breakfast buffet on a cruise ship. | | | | Don't say you can save them time and money. |
| As you stand in line you notice a man with a white | | | | Don't show up without written sales call objectives. |
| beret and chef's apron hovering over two huge | | | | Don't lower your price without asking for something |
| blocks of ice. As you move forward through the | | | | in return. |
| mountains of food on the buffet line you see the | | | | Don't ask, "How soon do you need it?" |
| sculptor chipping away at the ice. | | | | Don't keep blabbering until your prospect gets fidgety |
| You and your spouse find a table not too far away | | | | and says, "Your time is up." |
| from the ice sculpture. | | | | Don't forget to send a handwritten thank you note. |
| When he's finished, you're amazed to see what has | | | | To sum it up to you should avoid doing what your |
| been sculpted from the two large blocks of ice. | | | | competition is doing. |
| It was a hippopotamus. | | | | First impressions are precious! |
| You couldn't help but hear what someone asked as | | | | You can make your first impression, with all new |
| he approached the ice sculptor. | | | | sales prospects and customers, count by being |
| "That's beautiful - how did you ever do that?" | | | | better and different. |
| The sculptor responded, "It was easy, I simply | | | | If you want to project that you're credible, |
| chipped away everything that didn't look like a | | | | trustworthy, and professional you have to act the |
| hippopotamus." | | | | part and play the role. |
| Now back to the original question. The answer is for | | | | You gotta look good and sound good - and that's a |
| you to chip away at everything that doesn't make | | | | simple truth! |