The first impression is the most important one. It can make or break your meeting, so getting off on the right foot is essential. In this article, the experts at SELLect will explore some go-to sales ice breakers so that you can start your next pitch with confidence and ease.
The Key to Breaking the Ice with Prospects
It is crucial for salespeople to break the ice with prospects before jumping headfirst into their pitch. Sales ice breakers are a great way to do that.
What are sales ice breaker questions?
Sales ice breaker questions are used to get people talking and help start a productive conversation. They are designed to break the ice and make it easier for both parties to talk to each other.
The best ice breaker questions for salespeople are those that help the salesperson get to know the customer on a deeper level. These questions are not just about what they do but also about their hobbies, passions, and interests.
Things to Consider When Using Sales Ice Breakers
Some tactics are more successful than others, and some are just downright terrible. There’s no right way to break the ice, but there are a few things that will make it easier on yourself and more effective in general. This section will discuss how to break the ice with customers and make them feel comfortable.
Using Ice Breakers to Build Rapport
Building rapport with prospects is an integral part of any salesperson’s job. Without establishing trust and a connection, potential customers will not be receptive to what the salesperson has to say. Rapport-building techniques include remembering the prospect’s name, catching up on recent events they may have mentioned, and acknowledging their interests – all of which show the customer that they are being heard and understood.
Some ways to establish a great rapport with your prospects include:
- Make them feel at ease by asking them about their day or their current well-being
- Asking about their family, hobbies, and what they do for a living
- Complimenting them on something they have accomplished
- Find out why they are interested in your company and what they like about it
- Ask them if they have any questions
- Ask them if there is anything you can do for them
Here’s a bonus tip for asking these questions for the first time: Be enthusiastic, be polite, and be prepared. These sales characteristics will help you significantly in the long run.
Example Ice Breaker Questions
Sales is all about relationships. So when you are doing a sales pitch, the first thing that you need to do is establish a good rapport. Skipping this step is one of the biggest mistakes sales reps make. The following ice breakers for sales people will help you break the ice and make your prospects more receptive to your presentation. Questions that can be used to break the ice with a customer include:
Ice Breakers About Buying History
- What kind of experience did you have when you used this product/service?
- How did you decide to buy this particular item?
- Whom did you consult before finalizing the purchase?
- What challenges did you face during the buying process (if any)?
Sales Ice Breakers for Building Trust
- What’s on your mind?
- How’s your family?
- How’s your business?
- What do you like most about your business?
- Who or what inspires you professionally and personally?
Ice Breakers to Define Goals, Needs, And Challenges
- What kind of problems are you hoping to solve here?
- What is something you’d love to see improved in your industry?
- How would that benefit your business?
- What goals do you expect to achieve?
- What is your biggest obstacle on the way to reaching your goals?
- What are you most concerned about?
Click here for the best open-ended sales questions examples.
Sales Meeting Ice Breakers
You can also use ice breakers with your sales team to liven up meetings. Don’t bore your salespeople with the same format of tracking sales performance, goals, figures, and company news. Instead, consider starting or ending your next sales meetings with fun ice breaker activities to foster team spirit and encourage creativity. Here are a few options you can try with your staff. And don’t worry, these work for both in-person and online sales teams!
- Practice elevator pitches
- Brainstorming sales objections
- New product quizzes
- Two truths and a lie
- “Sell me this pen”
- Would you rather?
- Discuss the worst customers
- Share a compliment
- Rejection words in sales
- Cold calling contest
- Team-based trivia game
Start the SELLect Sales System for More Selling Tricks & Tips
We hope this article helped you understand more about how to use ice breaker questions to improve your sales process and methodology. Remember that the examples in this guide shouldn’t necessarily be used precisely the same for every customer you encounter. Use your best judgment and tailor your questions to meet the prospect’s needs.
The SELLect Sales System is for entrepreneurs, business owners, sales consultants, and anyone else who wants to boost their sales. Our online sales coaching system includes training courses, audio, videos, and other useful resources. We’ll show you how to get started in sales, how to build a sales territory, how to optimize sales, and help you every step of the way.
Contact us today to get started on your sales development journey to success!
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