sales tips & articles

The purpose of the first meeting or discussion is to build rapport with your potential client and uncover as much relevant information about the business and their needs. It is also a chance for you to provide a brief introduction to your business and its benefits. Your goal is to determine if there is a need for or interest in your products and services and to get progress the sale to the next stage.

It is a well known fact that ‘people buy people’; we always deal with people we know, like and trust. For this reason it is always recommended that (where possible) you meet with prospects and customer in person to discuss their requirements. Additionally, when you meet prospects face to face it will not only help speed up the sale process but will help you to get more people saying yes.

The objective of the meeting is to determine ‘is there a need or interest for your product or service and would they be interested in receiving pricing?’

The way to determine this is through questioning, however, having purpose and a basic outline to your meetings will help you to stay on track, improve your confidence and keep to the objective.

When you meet with or talk to your prospects for the first time, it is important to include:

• The purpose of the meeting and what you would both like to achieve
• An introduction and background on your business and it’s benefits
• Questions that will help the prospect or customer realise a ‘need’ or desire to improve
• A call to action that progresses the sale to the next stage i.e. preparing a quote or proposal
• The next step

When you know this information you are ‘qualifying’ the prospect to ensure there is a need and interest in progressing the sale, however, it will also identify (very early in the sales process) if there is no need or interest, which is OK too. It is always better to know this after the first meeting so you don’t waste valuable time and effort chasing prospects that have little to no interest in using your products and services.

Note

It is important to include an introduction and background on your business that explains the benefits and value you can add and that gives prospects the confidence to do business with you. Your prospects may not directly ask you but they want to know how long you have been in business (or in the industry) and whether you are still going to be there in 6 months time. When you cover this information in your first interactions it will reduce objections and delays later on in the sales process.

This sales article was written by Karen Andrews, Director of Shine Sales Solutions, a Sydney based Sales Coach and Sales expert that works with businesses to increase their sales through strategy development, sales coaching and virtual sales management.


 

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