SELLability

Why the First Minutes of Your Presentation Matter More Than You Think

The opening moments of any sales presentation are critical to your overall success. Seasoned sales professionals understand that deals are rarely lost in the close, they are usually lost at the beginning, when the groundwork either is or is not properly laid.

Top salespeople intentionally use the early stages of a presentation to determine two things:

Is this prospect genuinely interested?
Is this prospect truly qualified to move forward?

Weaker sales representatives skip this step. They rush into features, benefits, pricing, and presentations, only to discover 45 minutes later that the prospect was “just looking,” “doing research,” or “killing time before lunch.”

Great salespeople do the opposite.

They slow down. They establish control. And they are willing to ask better, and sometimes tougher, questions.

The Question That Saves Time, Energy, and Sanity

There is one particularly powerful question that, when asked early, can prevent countless hours of wasted effort. It should be asked during the warm-up phase, after basic rapport has been established:

“I was curious, how long have you been thinking about adding this insurance policy to your portfolio?”

A common response might be:

“To be honest, I’ve been thinking about it for over a year, but I just haven’t pulled the trigger.”

At this point, many salespeople nervously smile and move on. A professional does not.

Instead, you respond with calm curiosity:

“A year? Really, that long?”

This simple statement affirms the prospect’s delay. (To affirm means to acknowledge or validate something as real or true.) You are not judging or pressuring, you are simply shining a light on the pattern.

And then, without hesitation, you ask the most important follow-up:

“What made you decide to move forward today?”

Why This Works So Well

At this moment, the prospect has only two options:

They explain what has changed, giving you a clear buying motivation and momentum.
They admit nothing has changed, which still gives you something invaluable: certainty.

For example, a prospect might respond:

“I’m not really planning to move forward today. I’m just exploring my options.”

While that may not be the answer you were hoping for, it is an excellent answer. Why? Because now you know exactly where you stand.

Compare that to the alternative, where you spend an hour presenting, answering questions, and building proposals, only to hear:

“This was great. I just need to think about it.”

One approach gives you clarity in five minutes. The other steals your time and erodes your motivation.

The Professional Advantage

This simple two-question sequence acts as both:

A qualification tool
A commitment checkpoint

It separates true buyers from chronic “thinkers,” without confrontation or pressure. It also positions you as a professional who respects their own time, and the prospect’s.

Great salespeople don’t avoid the truth.
They ask questions that bring the truth to the surface early, when it still helps everyone involved.

That’s not aggressive selling.
That’s professional selling.