Whenever you have a sales call scheduled with a new sales lead, treat it like a golden opportunity.

Because in fact this first sales call could be a golden opportunity for you. What if your new sales lead has the potential to become your biggest customer?

To what would you add the lifetime value of your largest customer?

Here are seven things to do before calling every new sales lead.

What you should do # 1:

Make sure you do your homework and that means making Google your first stop. Do a search on the person’s name, company name, and the name of your best-selling product. You may be surprised at the results you get.

Thing you should do # 2:

Now this is a small thing that can have a big impact. It can create a powerful first impression on you.

Go to an office supply store and buy a dozen red folders. While in the store, purchase Avery product # 8366, which are white file folder labels. Prepare a name tag for your new sales lead.

Imagine your potential customer’s reaction to seeing your name on this red folder. You will immediately consider him professional, organized, successful, and different from most other salespeople you have had experience with in the past.

A little thing with a big impact.

Thing you should do # 3:

You should have a written sales call objective for your first sales call. Your written goals for this sales call may include: building rapport, establishing credibility, asking 3-5 open-ended questions, identifying a common interest you share, and securing an agreement for your second meeting.

The goals of your written sales call will scream “Professionalism.” On the contrary, most vendors arrive as a tourist simply gazing at the sights – too bad for the poor sales prospect that this display of mediocrity must endure.

Thing you should do # 4:

To get rolling, building a report, and establishing credibility, I suggest you prepare and practice 3-5 open-ended questions.

Nothing shows your interest more than the questions you ask, so be sure to ask good questions.

You can start with … tell me about your business … what are your responsibilities … besides yourself, who else is involved in making decisions for … what are the biggest challenges you face in making grow your business?

Again, asking these questions will demonstrate your interest and professionalism and will set you apart from most salespeople.

Thing you should do # 5:

If you like to play the phone tag game, you can immediately jump to # 6. It’s absolutely amazing how many salespeople forget to secure the meeting date and time for the second meeting.

Once you’ve qualified your sales prospect as a lead, don’t forget and don’t hesitate to request the second meeting. Don’t try to improvise. Prepare and practice how you will request the second meeting.

What you should do # 6:

The following is especially important if you are a serious person. Before getting out of your car, check your rear view mirror to make sure you are smiling.

Believe me, when you are stuck in traffic, you are a little late, you just finished a phone call with a disgruntled customer, don’t think you have a happy face. Look in your mirror to see your smile.

Thing you should do # 7:

Try this claim to see the size “This will be my best sales call to a potential new customer.”

Immediately after checking to make sure you are smiling, saying that this statement fills your mind with positive thoughts and words that squeeze out any possible negativity.

You may not realize this, but you are in complete control of your thoughts. And of course you know how you think it is all!

There is a huge difference between self-doubt and self-confidence and both are controlled by your thoughts.

This affirmation creates the perfect mindset for a successful sales call.

Try it once and see how much better it feels.

Now you know the 7 things to do to prepare for your first sales call. Believe it or not, you now have a 7-point system for making sales calls to new prospects.

Use this system to make each sales call better than the last.

Let’s sell something …