Some Advice for Sales Meetings

 

Sales professional Jill Konrath has a bit of advice for when you participate in a sales meeting: Slow down! While there may be so much to say and sell in so little time, you may be damaging your chances of closing if you overwhelm the prospect. Just like the old saying “haste makes waste,” trying to cram in explanations, presentations, figures, and facts can be too much to handle.

Konrath explains it best: “Prospects who receive massive information dumps unconsciously erect barriers to slow or even derail your sales efforts. How? They tell you everything is fine, even if they’re dissatisfied with their current vendor. They rule out doing business with you if your service lacks a minor feature. Your pricing is never good enough. Or they simply thank you for the update and promise to contact you when the need arises.”

She advises using slower strategies to wow prospects; one step at a time can take you much farther than making a mighty leap:

1. Do your homework—Learn as much as you can before your meeting. Review your prospect’s annual report and website. Look for gaps between where he is and where he wants to be. Identify his primary initiatives. Figure out how your product helps him achieve his objectives or ties in with his critical business drivers. For example, if “Earning Customer Loyalty” is mentioned repeatedly, determine how you can contribute.

2. Think and talk results—Your service is a tool, nothing more. People buy it because of what it does for them; make sure you know what that is. Talk about the business results clients achieve when using your service. Explain how he can reduce time to market, increase operational efficiency, or reduce costs.

3. Establish a logical next step—Before your meeting, determine how you want it to end. A successful advance might be an information-gathering meeting, an analysis of current work flow, or a presentation. Most sales to large accounts require multiple calls, so build this into your planning right from the beginning.

4. Plan your questions—Questions are key to your success. They demonstrate interest and concern. Prospects feel you are more knowledgeable when you ask good questions. Questions provide valuable insights into client needs and the decision-making process. They are the basis for developing a strong relationship. Plan at least 10 questions ahead of time.

The next step? The big meeting. Click here for Konrath’s take on putting it all together for the win.