Establish credibility

Introduce yourself effectively so your buyer can feel confident that you are well qualified and highly capable of helping to solve their complex business challenges.

Explanation

Overview

As part of their introductions, the rep should explain their role and introduce themselves as someone with relevant expertise and credibility that can help the prospect through their business challenges and the evaluation.

📣 Note: this is *not* the same as how you would approach the introduction on a cold call. The assumption here is, inbound or outbound, that the buyer has some context coming into the conversation and that the given call where this is taking place was scheduled up front with the buyer.

Why it matters

People buy from those they trust, and taking the time to build rapport and establishing trust up front is an essential ingredient to getting your prospective buyer to share meaningful and relevant details about their pains and business challenges. Without trust, there is no "discovery.

Breaking it down: what the pros do

In time, setting the upfront contract will become second nature to you. Here’s what the masters do:

Come prepared

Don’t show up and wing it. Pre-call planning is crucial whether you’re working on one-stage SMB deals or 7-figure key account opportunities. Arrive prepared with a clear and thoughtful opener that directly speaks the the

State your role. This is more than your title. It's your opportunity to position yourself as the person whose job it is to help the prospect navigate the complexities of their business challenges and realize a better state. Your job is to help the prospective buyer. Say as much!

Describe your expertise. Whether prior experiences of yours, or the wealth of knowledge your organization has accumulated, state what makes you a credible and trustworthy expert in the field. Make it relatable!

Connect it to your buyer: In the absence of connecting it to what matters to your buyer, stating your experience will at best fall on deaf ears and at worst sound unnecessarily boastful. Focus on the experiences that are relevant to your buyer and what they uniquely endure.

Real conversations

Talk like a human. Be personable. Use plain, jargon-free language. Be clear and concise. Remember, you're talking with someone, not at them.

Read the room

Be ready to adjust. You should be able to quickly tell if someone wants to get straight to business, or is interested in small talk and getting to know one another.

Examples

Once you feel the right moment to transition from opening small talk after everyone’s settled, it’s time. Here are some ways it might sound:

Example 1: Discovery call

Morning, Andrew, I’m Alison, an Account Executive here at Build! As an AE, my job is to help you by understanding your needs and challenges so that I can help you understand how Build might be able to support you in achieving your goals and priorities. I've been at the Company for 2 1/2 years and I've had the privilege of working with tons of logistics operators like yourselves. Prior to Build, I was at a smaller competitor and have been in supply chain space for almost a decade now!

Seller Skills