“Opening is the new closing.” Anthony Iannarino
When this quote appeared on my computer screen last week … well, I wasn’t sure what to do first. I recognized the truth of these five words instantly and can’t deny that I fought back a wee bit of “I wish I’d said that” jealousy. But I was also filled with laugh-inducing excitement because this phrase illuminates one of the biggest shifts in sales today. If we can embrace it and act on its wisdom … we will absolutely increase our revenue.
Today, I dial more and speak with fewer prospects but … more of those prospects become clients!
Why? Well until I read Anthony’s quote, I passed it off as my almost 30 years of selling and the skills I’ve developed over that time. But at a gut level, I knew that wasn’t true. Instinctively I felt there was another reason my closing ratios – and those of many of my clients – were higher than expected and continually increasing.
The simple, beautiful fact is … when a prospect takes the time to speak with us or meet with us or view our demo, they are already open to the possibility of working with us.
This has not always been the case. In fact, it is a monumental shift in the sales process. For most of my sales career, I have spent a lot of time speaking with people who, out of politeness or curiosity or tradition, listened to me but either did not want to buy anything or were years away from a buying decision. And while all of these conversations were enjoyable and helped me strengthen my communication skills, they took up time – both mine and the prospect’s.
Today, prospects do not give us that time unless there is at least an inkling of interest on their part.
On a day-to-day level, this means you and your sales team must be more persistent. You need to dial more because, as I review in this post, everyone you are trying to reach is overwhelmed. But of those that speak with you, return your calls, respond to your email, well … opening is the new closing!
With my utmost thanks to Anthony Iannarino of B2BSaleCoach.
Enjoy your phone work everyone!
Interesting insight and very true. That’s motivating.
It is motivating! It is a strong indicator that we do value conversation … perhaps more than we realized. I know you are making lots of calls these days, Steve. Anytime you want to create a guest post about your experiences … I know it would be appreciated.
So true, but I also didn’t realize it until now. Thank you for the confirmation.
Funny how something can be obvious to us, but only when someone else puts it into words. Perhaps that’s why I love words so much. Thanks for your comments Jacqueline.
Mary Jane! I couldn’t agree more. I’ve been listening to what my customers, colleagues and target clients are saying lately and it’s true- conversations are the new advertising! Dial it back, have one-on-one convos and take the time to develop genuine relationships. This is something I’ve always done and I’m sure you can agree, nothing beats a friendly smile and an open ear .
Love your newsletter! Keep up the interesting and thought-provoking conversations 🙂
Thanks so much, Menna. I really love your phrase “conversations are the new advertising”. I think I’ll use it in a future post … with credit to you of course. Delighted to hear that you are experiencing this same trend in your business.