Sales contact, the key to your sales success

By Nathalie Pouillard & Alicia Faure

Published: June 24, 2025

Many customer relations specialists agree that the first contact determines 80% of a sale's chances of success, and is played out in the first 20 seconds.

And as we often hear, you won't get a second chance to make a good first impression.

That's why it's essential to prepare for your first contact, by finding out all you can about the customer and consulting all the data stored in your CRM, for example.

Here you'll find all the steps involved in making contact, along with tips and mistakes to avoid.

After all, you can't go wrong with an introduction!

See all software Customer relationship management

What is sales contact?

Making contact: definition

The initial contact, the first commercial meeting between the salesperson and the potential customer, represents the start-up phase, the beginning of commercial exchanges.

It's a critical and decisive phase, as it's the first of the 7 sales stages.

Consequently, it determines the success of the following stages, which are :

Needs research,
argumentation
handling objections,
negotiation,
conclusion,
and ending with the closing.

Traditionally, this is done face-to-face or over the phone, but it can also be initiated :

by sending a personalized emailing,
on social networks,
via a chatbot, which redirects to the right sales manager, etc.

5 contact objectives

Whether you're :

telephone contact,
face-to-face contact, at the customer's premises or at a trade show,
or by email,

its objectives are to :

break the ice, get to know each other ;
put the customer in the best possible frame of mind to continue the discussion, and give you the opportunity to explain what's at stake in the sale;
get a sales appointment later, if they don't have the time right away;
make a good first impression, generating sales and even referrals;
create a climate conducive to sales and long-term customer relationships.

Successful contact depends on a number of factors, including :

preparation ;
the choice of means of communication ;
the message you convey;
the way you convey your message.

What are the different components of making contact? 3 principles to apply

Here are three principles that speak volumes about the importance of making contact and its strategic nature in sales and customer relations.

The 4 X 20 rule for face-to-face contact

For face-to-face contact, this rule summarizes the importance of :

First 20 gestures: adopt a calm, positive attitude to inspire confidence;
First 20 centimeters: make a dynamic entrance, but keep your distance so as not to rush the customer;
First 20 words: polite, positive, punchy, use a simple vocabulary and a clear tone;
First 20 seconds: you've said it all, it's the first few seconds that have the greatest impact: the customer is already beginning to form an opinion of you.

The 4 A's

Whatever the location or circumstances of the sales meeting, the 4 A's are a reminder of the 4 fundamentals of making contact:

Sales appearance: clean, neat and simple,
Attitude: professional and respectful, among other things,
Closing: impactful but not aggressive,
The customer's agreement, a successful conclusion to the contact, if all the above elements are respected.

The Halo effect

Also known as the contamination effect and the notoriety effect, the Halo effect is a concept based on the principle of the influence of the first impression we have of a customer.The Halo Effect is a concept based on the principle of the influence of the first impression we have of an object or person, the quality of which favors the perception and effectiveness of subsequent exchanges.

In other words, the halo effect leads us to generalize from a single trait of character or information.

👉 For example, if on a first meeting you find someone friendly and sociable, you'll tend to think they're also intelligent and competent without having any proof of this. And the same applies if your first impression is rather negative.

This effect can have major consequences when it comes to selling goods or services, as it can have a considerable influence on buyers' decisions.

Writing an effective sales contact email

The contact email is a tool that enables you to prospect potential new customers, with the ultimate aim of winning you new sales. To be effective, it must meet certain key criteria:

The subject line must be clear and eye-catching. According to various studies, between 70 and 80% of people don't open an e-mail without a subject line.
The message must be personalized. Even if you don't really know your recipient, make sure you develop their interest in you by addressing them directly by name.
Keep your message short and to the point: why are you contacting them? Or you risk losing your contact's attention.
Pay particular attention to form- grammatical and spelling errors are a no-no!
And don't forget to sign off with all your contact details, so that your recipient can get back to you easily.

The 6 key stages in making contact

Every sales contact follows a precise sales process, designed to capture the prospect's attention, create a reassuring climate and arouse immediate interest. Here are the six key steps to a successful first contact.

Step 1: The introduction

Introduce yourself briefly and make sure you're talking to the right person.

This is the first point of contact, so your introduction needs to be clear, direct and personalized. Give your name, the key word of your mission, and validate your contact by creating a quick link. First impressions are essential: be audible, professional and human.

Step 2: Getting started

This is the controlled transition from the warm introduction to the sales meeting...

This is where the first exchange begins. Mention a customer need, a market context, or a problem you've encountered. Show that you're really listening to the customer.

Step 3: The process

Explain the structure of your planned exchange...

Prepare a clear discussion plan. Specify the points to be covered, the duration, and the next steps. Your aim is to reassure and establish a solid framework for your professional relationship.

Step 4: Interest

Summarize the customer's benefit in an effective sales catchphrase...

Your catchphrase should respond to a specific need of the prospect: advantage, solution, or time-saver. It 's essential to adapt your sales pitch to the type of company you're dealing with.

Step 5: Timing

Announce how long the exchange will last...

Sales contact also means respecting the other person's time. Announce how long you expect the conversation to last, and show that you're in control. It's a gesture of trust, and a reassuring effect.

Step 6: Agreement

Get the green light from the customer...

Before going any further, make sure you have a clear verbal agreement. This is the first step in establishing a lasting business relationship and, ultimately, concluding a suitable offer.

✅ By following this development methodically, you lay the foundations for successful sales contacts. Every starting point becomes a controlled first impression, an effective contact, and above all, time well invested for your company. In short, a strategy that transforms active listening into a relationship of trust, and customer needs into a clear objective.

How do you make a good sales call?

No miracle ✨ a successful sales contact relies on :

a strategy,
tools,
and a real sense of human contact.

To do this, we lay the foundations right away: respond to the prospect's need, create a link, and above all leave nothing to chance.

Set up a contact strategy

It can't be said often enough: a good first contact requires preparation. You identify your contact, do your research to learn as much as possible, refine your objective and determine the right phase in the sales process. It's not just a matter of sending a random e-mail to get in touch with the customer, or mass telephone prospecting.

You need to be able to establish a climate of trust right from the start. Preparing in advance is therefore just as important as listening to the point of view, analyzing weak signals, and adapting your approach to the type of prospect to solve the problem identified.

Equip yourself with the tools you need to make the right contact

There are several tools you can use to optimize, personalize and track your prospects' contact and sales prospecting.

Tools, yes. But above all, the right tools, used in the right way! This is the first step: a CRM platform or sales management software enables you to :

track every contact with the prospect,
manage social networks,
centralize customer information,
adapt your actions.

A well-configured CRM application means clean, clear and contextualized contact.

🔎 What types of tools are available?

🖥 Software category	✅ Benefits
Contact management software	manage contact while improving productivity optimize customer services complete contact management powerful scheduling, search and directory management
CRM (Customer Relationship Management) software	centralize customer information, improve customer management + contact and prospecting never miss a sales opportunity track sales pipeline from A to Z

4 examples of tools

monday.com CRM is a comprehensive, ultra-intuitive CRM solution that helps you manage your sales process from A to Z. Thanks to its intelligent, customizable prospecting functions, you won't miss a single sales opportunity, your contacts are tailored to the needs of each prospect, and your customer follow-up is beyond reproach.
Kestio is an all-in-one sales support platform. Working with our team of certified experts, you'll define your call pitch to suit your needs. The team also helps you create your contact file and make prospecting calls!
Referral Squad is an easy-to-use platform for business developers and sales managers to share informationand make direct , high-quality contacts . Thanks to a "Salescoins" system, you can generate qualified opportunities and earn rewards for making contacts. What's more? Thanks to the platform's extensive community, you'll benefit from sales news, best practices and expert advice!
Sellsy is a comprehensive, easy-to-use sales management software package for small and medium-sized businesses. It centralizes all data and interactions with your prospects and customers. This gives you all the tools you need to make qualified contacts tailored to your customers' needs. And thanks to its pipeline view, you can detect sales opportunities at a glance and contact them at the right moment!

Propose a clear, engaging message

A solid contact also means a well thought-out first line: short, direct, with a strong keyword. Straight to the point! Whether it's a phone call, a message on LinkedIn, a face-to-face meeting to capture non-verbal communication, or even a well-constructed sample e-mail, every teaser should create interest in the prospect. However, don't talk too quickly about your product or service, bring it in gently.

Take care with the form, avoid catchphrases, and break the ice with personalized information, a clear benefit, or an open-ended question to get to know the person. Every word should reinforce a human relationship, not just an attempt to sell, because technique can never replace a positive attitude.

Managing time, agreement and follow-up

Just because you're a salesperson doesn't mean you talk endlessly. In a professional approach, you respect time, ask for a clear agreement, and plan the rest of the project. Whether it's a proposal, an appointment, the setting up of a service, or a simple exchange phase, we cut the sequences out carefully, because a conversation that lasts too long loses the prospect's attention and doesn't allow us to develop an offer.

👉 Your real challenge? Correctly articulating contact and information gathering. Now you have all the cards in your hand to structure the rest of the exchange and close the sale.

From first impressions to customer relations

When it comes down to it, making business contact isn't a matter of luck. It's a combination of :

a clear strategy,
a powerful first line,
sincere active listening,
a real ability to respond to needs.

Staying human, structured, impactful: this is how to build a customer relationship, avoid missteps, and maintain a climate of trust from the very first exchanges. And if you're ever in doubt... go back over each step, each word, and remember: your speech is as powerful a tool as any CRM solution. Used properly, it can turn a simple contact into a successful first impression... and a conversation into a lasting agreement.

Mistakes not to be made

Victor Cabrera, a renowned sales trainer, sums up the 3 main mistakes very well:

Here are all the ones we've identified, through various salespeople's testimonials:

❌ Not preparing your sales pitch properly beforehand, a problem that generates either too much recitation or too much improvisation.
❌ Not finding out enough about the customer you're visiting or calling, as they'll quickly realize that your pitch contains generic blah-blah that lacks personalization and attention.
❌ Focus on technique rather than the right attitude, it's the human touch that comes first - you're not a robot!
❌ Skipping steps, forcing the issue out of fear of rejection: be a good listener and show respect.
❌ Being in the wrong frame of mind: if you're not confident or positive, it shows - how can the customer believe in your offer if you don't believe in it yourself?
❌ Give a monologue, talk about the rain and the fine weather or that damn Covid, in short, don't be punchy from the start: say why you're there and immediately arouse the desire to listen to you.
❌ Don't appear to be " in control ", pretending to drop by by chance or apologizing for disturbing. Don't give your contact any reason to say no to you - be legitimate!

Practical example of how to make contact (BtoB)

Hi, I'm Benoît from Appvizer, Europe's leading SaaS software comparison service.
I've heard about your CRM solution, which sounds very interesting for VSEs and would fit in perfectly on our platform.
I'm calling to offer you a listing in our online directory, which will enable you to attract new customers .
Do you have 10 minutes to let me explain how?

Here, and this is our bonus tip, Benoît emphasizes the quality of the company he works for, while at the same time highlighting that of the customer.

A win/win contact strategy, what do you think?

Do you have any other tips for successful contact?