Be sure to register for my free training on, "The 5-Step Formula to Closing More Deals without the Price Pushback, 'Think-It-Overs' or Ghosting"https://salesinsightslab.com/training/ Welcome to Data Driven Insights, the podcast that helps sales reps and business owners elevate their game and close more deals at higher prices. I’m your host, Marc Wayshak. In today’s episode, we’re diving into one of the most crucial aspects of the sales process: how to start a sales conversation with any prospect. It's often said that starting strong leads to ending strong, and this principle is especially true in sales. In this episode, I'll be sharing our unique approach known as the "opening play," which goes beyond the typical elevator pitch. We’ll explore how to kick off your conversations with key insights about what you help clients achieve, the challenges they face, and prompt engagement to enter a meaningful dialogue. If you’re ready to transform the way you approach your prospects right from the start, stay tuned for actionable insights that can change your selling game. Let’s get started!KEY POINTS  Introduction and Importance of Starting a Sales Conversation:- Impact of how you start on ultimate outcome.- Philosophy taught by one of Marc’s mentors: strong start leads to strong end.- Goal: Develop a way to start conversations that prompts prospects to open up and make buying decisions. Develop Your Opening Play:- Explanation of the "opening play" concept.- Contrast with traditional methods like 30-second commercials or elevator pitches.- Importance of a structured approach in the first 20 to 30 seconds.    - Problems with typical salespeople getting off-track.    - Need for a tight and concise opening. Start with What You Help Clients Achieve:- Problems with starting conversations focusing on what you sell.- Suggested approach: Start with what you help clients achieve.    - Examples:        - Insulation company focusing on a warm house.        - CRM systems focusing on organized leads and increased revenues. Discuss Key Challenges You’re Seeing:- The importance of addressing key challenges prospects face.- Demonstrating insights into common challenges affecting prospects.    - Importance of showing value and insight.    - Conversion of these challenges into engagement.    - Analogy to a doctor's perspective. Close with Engagement Prompt:- How to end the opening play with a prompt.- Preferred closing question: "Do any of those issues ring true?"    - Purpose of prompting the prospect to engage.    - Contrast with common pitfalls of traditional closing. Practical Example of Opening Play:- Sample opening play sequence Marc would use.    - High-level overview focusing on salespeople or small businesses.    - Key elements:        - Clients leverage data to drive revenues.        - Challenges like low-price competitors, generating new business, and difficult sales environment.        - Closing question to prompt engagement. Conclusion:- Recap of the power of a well-constructed opening play.    - Insight demonstration.    - Prompting prospect engagement.