--- title: A Bad First Date | The Sales Blog description: Imagine you are on a first date. Your suitor has been badgering you for this date for a long time, and you’ve finally relented. Now, the person with whom you on this date sits down to dinner and begins to talk about themselves. Endlessly. I mean, seriously, it never ends. Your date tells you everything that […] image: https://www.thesalesblog.com/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/shutterstock_61295008.jpg --- ### [Now booking SKO meetings for 2026/27! 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Your suitor has been [badgering you](http://thesalesblog.com/blog/2013/05/09/prospecting-is-a-campaign/) for this date for a long time, and you’ve finally relented. Now, the person with whom you on this date sits down to dinner and begins to talk about themselves. Endlessly. I mean, seriously, it never ends. Your date tells you everything that you might ever want to know about them, and they tell you even more about things in which have absolutely no interest. You know this just an awful first date, isn’t it? Why then would you treat your initial meeting with your dream client this way? Why would you spend the majority of the time [talking about you](https://www.thesalesblog.com/blog/no-one-wants-a-powerpoint-presentation), your company, your product, and all the other things that make you so wonderful? #### A Better First Date Do you want to be better first date? Do you want to be immensely interesting and compelling to dream client? You can, but it’s more difficult than it sounds. The one thing that will make you most compelling and most interesting to your dream client is your ability to listen to them. That’s it. [Listen](https://www.thesalesblog.com/blog/your-dream-client-wants-to-be-heard). Listening is the ultimate act of caring. It tells your first date that they are, to you anyway, the most interesting thing in the whole world. Listening telegraphs your intentions. It demonstrates that you are going to discover what your date values, what’s important to them. When you talk about yourself, your company, and you’re offering you’re telling your dream client that as far as you’re concerned you are the most interesting thing in the world. Maybe you did hang the Moon and the Sun in the sky. But if you want your date to feel like you hung the Moon and Sun in the sky, you listen. Too much you, you’re boring. Very little you with a true interest in them, you’re fascinating. A few weeks ago, a client told me how much they enjoyed our conversation. We were together for over an hour. Maybe I spoke six complete sentences.   ###### Tags: [Sales](https://www.thesalesblog.com/blog/tag/sales) [2013](https://www.thesalesblog.com/blog/tag/2013) Post by [Anthony Iannarino](https://www.thesalesblog.com/blog/author/anthony-iannarino) on September 9, 2013 Written and edited by human brains and human hands. ![Anthony Iannarino](https://www.thesalesblog.com/hubfs/ai-blog-profile-crop.jpg) Anthony Iannarino is an American writer. He has published daily at [thesalesblog.com](https://www.thesalesblog.com) for more than 14 years, amassing over 5,300 articles and making this platform a destination for salespeople and sales leaders. Anthony is also the author of four best-selling books documenting modern sales methodologies and a fifth book for sales leaders seeking revenue growth. His latest book for an even wider audience is titled, The Negativity Fast: Proven Techniques to Increase Positivity, Reduce Fear, and Boost Success. Anthony speaks to sales organizations worldwide, delivering cutting-edge sales strategies and tactics that work in this ever-evolving B2B landscape. He also provides workshops and seminars. Connect with Anthony on LinkedIn, X or Youtube. You can email Anthony at [iannarino@gmail.com](mailto:iannarino@gmail.com) [Follow me on my website](https://www.thesalesblog.com/anthony-iannarino) [Follow me on Facebook ](https://www.facebook.com/thesalesblog) [Follow me on LinkedIn ](https://www.linkedin.com/in/iannarino/) [Follow me on Twitter ](http://www.twitter.com/iannarino) [![AISA-square-ad-SKOs-26-27](https://www.thesalesblog.com/hs-fs/hubfs/AISA-square-ad-SKOs-26-27.jpg?width=400&height=400&name=AISA-square-ad-SKOs-26-27.jpg)](https://www.thesalesblog.com/authority) [![ai-cold-calling-video-sidebar-offer-1](https://www.thesalesblog.com/hs-fs/hubfs/ai-cold-calling-video-sidebar-offer-1.jpg?width=318&height=179&name=ai-cold-calling-video-sidebar-offer-1.jpg)](https://www.thesalesblog.com/free-cold-calling-video) ![salescall-planner-ebook-v3-1-cover (1)](https://www.thesalesblog.com/hs-fs/hubfs/salescall-planner-ebook-v3-1-cover%20(1).jpg?width=768&height=994&name=salescall-planner-ebook-v3-1-cover%20(1).jpg) ### Free Sales eBook: Sales Call Planner Planning your sales call improves the likelihood of making a successful call, and it demonstrates to your dream client your professionalism. 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What we’re doing right now **is working**, even in this challenging economy. **Would you like some help?** [![Solve for Sales](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/2922376/d3a4938b-2008-4a27-8b44-7b2223f6d035.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/2922376/d3a4938b-2008-4a27-8b44-7b2223f6d035) ### Join my Weekly Newsletter for Sales Tips Join 100,000+ sales professionals in my weekly newsletter and get my *Guide to Becoming a Sales Hustler* eBook for FREE! --- ```json { "@context" : "http://schema.org/", "@type" : "BlogPosting", "author" : { "@type" : "Person", "name" : "Anthony Iannarino" }, "dateModified" : "2024-08-28T4:48:08 AM", "datePublished" : "2013-09-09 21:32:59", "description" : "Imagine you are on a first date. Your suitor has been badgering you for this date for a long time, and you’ve finally relented. Now, the person with whom you on this date sits down to dinner and begins to talk about themselves. Endlessly. I mean, seriously, it never ends. 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