HOW TO MAKE A WINNING FIRST IMPRESSION BY CRAFTING YOUR OWN CREDIBILITY IMPACT STATEMENT
That first line that comes out of your mouth when meeting a prospect can make or break the relationship you go on to have with them…
Psychological studies show that we make a first impression of someone new within the blink of an eye of meeting them. We then qualify and confirm that instinct by assessing the first words that come out of their mouths.
So can you change people’s perception of you by changing those first few words? Absolutely. What you need is an introduction that establishes you as credible in your listener’s mind. Let’s call it your Credibility Impact Statement, and it might not be what you think it is.
Quite honestly, why should your prospect care?
Most people introduce themselves by saying who they are, what they do and who they work for. But quite honestly, why should your prospect care?
What they want to know, the question they’re looking to answer, is: Is this person someone I need to listen to, someone I can learn from and who will help me grow? In other words -- is this person credible?
So build your Credibility Impact Statement by grounding your introduction in what matters most to the person you’re speaking to.
Former FBI hostage negotiator Chris Voss tells the story in his book, Never Split the Difference, of how he had to build credibility fast with the father of a kidnapped boy.
He didn’t spend time explaining how experienced he was, how long he had served, how many people he had saved or -- even worse -- telling the father to calm down because he had the whole situation under control. No, instead he presented a Credibility Impact Statement that explained why the majority of abductions are resolved by the weekend. The father’s response: ‘Tell me what you want me to do.’
Though few of us find ourselves in do-or-die situations like that, having a Credibility Impact Statement when talking to new potential customers for the first time can certainly help to foster a very powerful first impression.
How to craft your own Credibility Impact Statement
The key thing is to start with what matters most to your prospect and show them that you understand their business.
So, for example, my prospects are founders nearing series-A investment for their business. When I meet them they’re not interested in my 30 years of sales and marketing experience but whether I’m worth continuing the conversation with. Which is why I aim to build credibility by talking about the challenges of transitioning from founder-led sales and scaling revenues.
The response you're looking for is a... 'That's right'
The response I’m looking for is a lot of nodding and a simple ‘That’s right’. As Chris Voss explains, this sort of response is not a validation of your opinion, but an acknowledgment from your audience that you have sketched out a business challenge that they can relate to. You have accurately described a situation of pressing importance to them.
Once that’s happened, I now have their attention and their tacit permission to continue the conversation about how to solve the problem.
You can build your own Credibility Impact Statement by following these three simple steps:
Put yourself in your prospect’s shoes.
Ask yourself: What are the challenges they are likely to be facing that you and your product help solve? Take your time to think this through, and make sure the problem is real and that you can truly make a difference.
Craft your opening grounded in the prospect’s view of the world that will deliver a ‘that’s right’ response.
What words would they use to frame the problem? What do they need more of? Why is it so hard for them to achieve this now? Who or what is impacted as a result of solving the problem?
Describe the problem you solve
Not what you do, how you do it and who you do if for (all that comes later). Focus instead on the way you overcome the problem through your approach, product or service.
Opening a prospect discussion with a Credibility Impact Statement will accelerate the discussion, help you discover your fit sooner (or determine if there isn’t one, in which case you can quickly move on) and make you stand out as someone who really gets your future customers’ challenges.
Continue with that mindset through the rest of the sales process beyond and you’ll end up with a lifelong customer and advocate...
