One Bad Meeting Can Kill a Deal
As us sales guys know, being rejected by prospect after prospect can test our perseverance. (Which is why a little extra motivation from an awesome tool like Spiro’s sales automation CRM can help.) Then comes the hit; the potential customer that is interested and agrees to a meeting. Once the meeting is landed, then comes the opportunity, and a deal with that prospect all depends on one meeting.
For one sales guy – let’s call him Roger – his opportunity didn’t go so well. He was getting ready to present in the prospect’s conference room, and waiting for the prospect to come in, so thought he would check his fantasy football lineup. You know how it goes: you forgot about that Thursday night game, and you need to make a critical substitution.
Unfortunately, my friend Roger forgot he was projecting his laptop screen on the wall, so when the CEO of his prospect walked into the room, the first thing he saw was Roger’s line-up. The CEO took one look and promptly left the room, never to return.
Roger stopped what he was doing and the rest of the team assembled, but he was disappointed and the demo wasn’t his best. Needless to say, he didn’t win that meeting.
How Not To Be Roger
The sad truth is that salespeople only come across so many well qualified prospects. You really can’t afford to blow a deal because you weren’t on your game. Here are some tips for before and during your next meeting.
Prep for Meetings and Set the Agenda
Before you walk into a meeting and tell a prospect why they should choose you, you need to do your research. The focus should not be on showing how awesome your product or service is in general, but showing why it is a beneficial choice for them. You have to put yourself in the customer’s shoes, understand the obstacles they are facing and identify how your solution can help them. Once you have a plan, share the agenda with your sales team so that everyone is on the same page.
Confirm Meetings and the Agenda
Next, you need to confirm that the meeting you set is fully understood and accepted by your prospect. You don’t want to become one of the sales horror stories where you drive 3 hours only to be told the prospect wasn’t interested in talking with you. That is what we call a bad meeting. Prevent this by doing your research and confirming the time, date and agenda of the meeting beforehand.
Get Psyched with Music
When it comes down to 1-2 hours before the meeting, you need to get in the right mindset. To do so you need to be focused, confident and energetic. Music can be very helpful as it can help ease your nerves, increases your creativity and motivates you. In fact, studies have shown that retail stores increase their sales when they play upbeat music. Find a few songs that motivate you and listen to them before the meeting.
Stay Focused
You may have 10 other things to do after your meeting, but you can’t do them during the meeting, so they don’t matter. Focus on the present and give your full attention to the deal at hand. Review the research you have done, review the pitch you are going to present and give it your all. Putting your cell phone on mute and not checking it is key.
How to Recover From A Bad Sales Call
What if something does go wrong? For a few years, Roger invited the CEO to join his fantasy football league. The CEO never joined, but it helped Roger turn the situation into a positive in his mind. Roger worked hard to get back in with this prospect and eventually he did. On a smaller scale, even if you run into hurdles in the meeting, don’t give up. Face objections head on and keep the conversation focused on finding a solution.
These tips can help you to make each of your meetings count. No opportunity should be taken lightly, do your research, confirm the meeting, use music to get in the right mindset, focus and be ready to think on your toes. By doing so, you can avoid becoming a Roger. You can always check your fantasy football after you’ve closed the deal anyways!
Photo courtesy of Unbounce user Mallory Johndrow.
