Do you open your prospecting calls with “How are you today?” If so, here are 5 good reasons why you need to stop!

I subscribe to a few newsletters to keep my sales and sales management skills sharp.  One of the best is This Week You Could… by Jim Domanski. If you ever have to pick up the phone to prospect, I highly recommend you visit Jim’s websites at at www.telesalesmaster.com and www.teleconceptsconsulting.com and subscribe too.  You will be very glad you did.

The information in this week’s edition was too good not to share directly. (Reproduced with permission under Copyright 2016 Jim Domanski. All rights reserved.)

…Don’t ask this question … ever!

This week, and for the rest of your sales prospecting life, do not ask this question of your prospects,

How are you today? (HAYT)

5 GOOD Reasons Why You Should Not Use “How are you today?” (HAYT) When Prospecting

You wouldn’t think ‘HAYT’ could have such an impact in selling but it does. Here are five good reasons not to use it ever again:

1. Your prospects DON’T like it. Plain and simple. When asked, 93% of respondents ‘disliked’ or ‘greatly disliked’ HAYT. They described the phrase as ‘insincere,’ ‘trite,’ ‘false’, ‘banal’, ‘annoying,’ and ‘boring’ (among other things). They feel you don’t care … and they’re probably right. This should be enough reason to eliminate the phrase from your selling process.

2. It stereotypes you as a ‘pitch artist,’ not as a qualified sales person.
I know: it’s not fair and it may not be accurate, but there you have it. HAYT taints you.

3. The HAYT phrase is like an early warning defense system with prospects.
It immediately puts them on the alert. They instantly become skeptical and cynical. Hardly a positive, open-minded mental mindset in which to prospect, right?

4. It wastes time, yours and theirs. Prospects are busy. They’re not sitting back, having a smoke and wishing they’d get a call from a sales rep. You’re interrupting their day. Don’t waste time trying to chit chat and becoming their BFF. Cut to the quick. Be professional and get to the point.

5. Bottom line: you are losing sales opportunities. So for all the reasons listed above, you lose sales opportunities not because you don’t have a good offer or not because your client doesn’t need it, but rather because the prospect has stopped listening.

More Prospecting and Lead Generation Tips

Look: prospecting is hard enough as it is without making it even tougher. Don’t stack the odds against you. Give yourself a fighting chance and avoid ‘How are you today?”.

For more ideas on improving your lead generation results, check out these 3 top prospecting tips. An be sure to download our free eBook, Attract New B2B Customers Fast and Effectively Using Outbound Lead Generation from the B2B Sales Connections Free Download Centre.

Aim Higher!

Susan A. Enns, B2B Sales Coach and Author
Schedule a free sales coaching strategy session with Susan here.

“… what I can tell anyone, is simply this – If you want to learn and understand sales, talk to Susan.”

Do you have a question about sales? You’re not alone.  Most salespeople have questions like this on how they can sell more. For the right answers, check out my book, Ask the Sales Coach-Practical Answers to the Questions Sales People Ask Most.

Whether it's accelerating your LinkedIn networking, creating an email drip marketing campaign, scripting your introductory phone calls, or a combination of the above, the right B2B Sales Coach can help you develop the most effective lead generation program customized for you to grow your business.