6Opening and Closing Acts

Sales Stages for Shorties

Put that coffee down. Coffee’s for closers only.

— David Mamet

In this chapter you’ll learn:

• The sales process as a three part story with a happy ending

• How to break the ice and not the china with customers

• Physical approaches to each part of a sales process

• Why being physical over the phone is attractive

• Not to overshadow prospective clients or your product

Many dramas have three acts: act one introduces the characters and sets the stage for the story; in act two the story unfolds, creating dramatic tension and intrigue; and then act three brings the story to its resolution. Within this structure there are comedies, where everything goes horribly wrong in the middle, but in the end ...

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