The First Thing You Should Do on Every Sales Call

Good morning, it’s National Use Your Common Sense Day. Something that’s, uh, not exactly overused in our industry. Somewhere, a manager is asking for “one more update” on a deal that hasn’t moved since Q1. Common sense says it’s dead. Hope says it’s pipeline. But hey, if common sense were common, some of us might not have jobs. Now, let’s get into today’s Follow Up.

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A shocking number of deals die because the buyer had no clue what was happening next.

Not because the product sucked or the budget wasn't there.

When prospects don't understand what’s next or how decisions get made, they vanish. 

The unknown is scary. And people avoid uncertainty like the plague.

It’s like walking into a new restaurant with no host, no menu, and no instructions. Do you seat yourself? Pay first? Tip? You just want someone to say, “Hey, here’s how it works…”

The best reps understand this and start every sale by setting expectations.

Framing what's about to happen, how it ends, and what comes next.

Here’s how you can do it yourself. 

An upfront contract is like a psychological handshake.

Before asking the first question, you outline what the next 30 minutes look like, what both sides will cover, and how decisions will be made. Then, you get their buy-in. 

It sounds something like this:

"Here's how I typically run this call - I'll ask a few questions to learn more about how you're handling X, then I'll share how we help teams with Y. At the end, if we decide it makes sense to keep going, we can schedule the next call, where we’ll cover XYZ. Sound good?"

That simple line gives the buyer structure, earns their permission, and turns the call into a two-way conversation instead of just a pitch.

When a rep sets expectations early, they lower the buyer's anxiety.

Uncertainty triggers the brain's threat response. The same one that tells us to avoid spam calls, pushy salespeople, and sketchy links in emails.

By defining what's next, you remove the unknown and give control back to the buyer.

Predictability becomes your competitive edge. It signals confidence ("I've done this before") and safety ("You're not walking into a trap").

In return, buyers open up faster and share real priorities. And when people feel safe, they're way more likely to say yes.

You shouldn’t wing this. Write it down and include these five elements:

Then put it all together with the ANOT framework.

“Appreciate you taking the time to meet today. Naturally, you’ll have questions for me about how we work and what it might look like for your team. Obviously, I’ve got a few questions for you too, just to see if this even makes sense. Typically, this call takes about 25–30 minutes. If we both feel there’s a fit, the next step is a deeper dive with your ops lead next week. And if not, no worries at all. Sound fair?”

Simple, direct, and respectful. Everything that you need to set the stage.

In 2025, every buyer is bombarded. Cold emails, chatbots, and "quick call" requests from strangers.

The only thing rarer than attention is trust. And a major part of trust comes from clarity.

When you show up with an upfront contract, you're telling the buyer: "I respect your time, and I'm not here to trick you."

That's the kind of professionalism that wins second meetings.

So before your next call, try selling the process.

Because the sell before the sale determines if you ever get to sell at all. (try reading that 10X fast) 😁