Double Oh! 7 Steps

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A look back at the 7 steps to an opening call...James Bond-style.

Severin: Would you mind if I ask you a business question?

Bond: Depends on the question.

Severin: It has to do with death.

Bond: A subject in which you're well-versed.

Severin: And how would you know that?

Bond: Only a certain kind of woman wears a backless dress with a Beretta 70 strapped to her thigh.

Severin: One can never be too careful when handsome men in tuxedos carry Walthers.

I've always loved the James Bond thrillers. I admired the writer Ian Fleming for his intriguing novels and of course for how he always had Bond solve the case and close the deal at the end. Servicing them after the sale was a whole different matter, especially in "Casino Royale" when Bond fell in love with Vesper Lynd.

In an opening call, there are seven steps. On a closing presentation, you also have seven steps that you cover, including confirming the agreement.

Step 1: Re-introduce yourself: You want to be back within 72 business hours. The world might have changed and you need to bring the prospect back to where you were on the original opening call. You never know: 9/11, stock market collapse, oil almost doubles in price in three days -- all of which have happened in my career and you need to bring them back to the point of the original call. Also, you have to get back there in 72 hours. On average, the owner/buyer sees 28.6 people selling them either a product or service during the course of a week. Don't let your enemy operatives take your money. Get back in there quickly.

Step 2: Review your previous meeting: This is where they checked off the three things that were most important to them on the marketing checklist. You will cover those three things and then also show them how you're going to carry out your mission in accomplishing those objectives. Any quantifiable numbers have to be reviewed here. I like to also state the dollar amount you agreed on before you left your opening call so the objection of "that's too much money" never comes into the equation on the closing presentation.

Step 3: Present your media and anything you are bundling up with it: This is three minutes max. You have approximately 17 minutes on a closing presentation before the prospect drifts off into space and attention spans are shrinking. This is not where your laundry list of how great your company is presented. Save it. Most prospect don't really care if you're selling them Timbuktu or hot air balloons. What they are interested in is how you are going to help them grow their business.

Step 4: Present your creative ideas: This is the money shot! This is where you establish your emotional connection. You present how your media will bring in the desired expectations that you both have agreed on. Show them how you are going to do it. It's about the creative! If you're not taking ideas (specs) out with you on closing presentations then you are not selling. Case closed.

Step 5: Present your scheduling campaign: Vital! You can have a great idea and run the wrong schedule/placement and blow it and not reach the target or have too little frequency or impressions.

Step 6: Overcome objections: I like to isolate objections to the end of the presentation. Otherwise, you could lose control of the call if you start having to overcome them early in the presentation and you can get bogged down and the clock runs out on you. Much of the information in your presentation will cover many of their questions as you go through your presentation. On Friday morning, Pam Lontos and Speed Marriott will show you how to overcome objections and close in the Super Session.

Step 7: Confirm the agreement: The case is not closed until the signature goes on the agreement. 
In every Bond movie there is a Bond girl. I love role-playing in training and using demonstrations to sink in some points, or "steps" in this case.

 Xenia Onatopp: Enjoy it while it lasts.

Bond: The very words I live by.

Sean Luce is the Head National Instructor for the Luce Performance Group International and can be reached at Sean@luceperformancegroup.com or www.luceperformancegroup.com.

As seen on Radio Ink Headlines September 16th, 2013

http://radioink.com/Article.asp?id=2699864&spid=24698