Recently, I’ve received a flood of cold calls from salespeople asking to “network” with me. The unanswered questions in my mind when I’m approached with a request like that are. . . Why? To what end? Why should I meet with you?
In order to ensure relevancy with your networking efforts, it’s important to have a purpose for any meeting.
One of the most common mistakes salespeople make is to think that all meetings are good meetings.
That’s just not the case.
“Good” meetings are the ones with defined purposes and definitive next steps that move you and a prospect closer to a decision (even a “no” is good because it frees up your time to move on).
Ask yourself questions like, “Why is this person willing to meet with me?” “What is the purpose of this meeting?” “What do I expect to get out of this meeting?” “What does my prospect hope to achieve?”
Once you’ve clearly defined the purpose in your mind, share it with your prospect, but leave opportunity for them to add to it. Do this when you set the appointment, when you confirm the appointment, and when you begin the meeting.
Here’s what I mean:
Setting an Appointment: When you are arranging the appointment, be up-front about the purpose for your meeting. For example, “I’m hoping to meet with you in order to gain an understanding of your challenges as they relate to your IT infrastructure — and anything else you would like to cover — so that we can determine whether we can be of service to you. Do you have some time to meet next Tuesday or Thursday?”
Confirming an Appointment: When you confirm the appointment (by phone or email), remind your prospect why you’re meeting — there’s a good chance it’s slipped their mind. “As you recall, we’re slated to meet tomorrow at 8:30. Let me know whether that time is still convenient for you. I’m looking forward to discussing your IT infrastructure so that we can determine whether we can be of service to you. Is there anything else you would like to cover?”
Beginning an Appointment: At the very beginning of your meeting, state the purpose for the meeting again. “The purpose of our meeting today is to discuss your IT infrastructure so that we can determine how, if at all, we can be of service to you. Is there anything else you might like to cover?”
Seem redundant? Yes. But, it’s also very helpful to provide a constant thread of the agreed-upon purpose.
Each time you state the purpose, be sure to ask your prospect if he or she has something else they’d like to cover. This allows your prospect to have a sense of control. As the old saying goes, “People like to buy, but they hate being sold.” Reminding them why they’re meeting with you and allowing them to contribute is one way to ensure they have that sense through their entire sales interaction with you.
Author: by Jeb Brooks
Jeb is a Corporate Sales Trainer, Sales Blogger, Published Author, Speaker, and Sales Professional who (obviously) prefers being busy. Learn more about Jeb at http://www.brooksgroup.com/
In order to ensure relevancy with your networking efforts, it’s important to have a purpose for any meeting.
One of the most common mistakes salespeople make is to think that all meetings are good meetings.
That’s just not the case.
“Good” meetings are the ones with defined purposes and definitive next steps that move you and a prospect closer to a decision (even a “no” is good because it frees up your time to move on).
Ask yourself questions like, “Why is this person willing to meet with me?” “What is the purpose of this meeting?” “What do I expect to get out of this meeting?” “What does my prospect hope to achieve?”
Once you’ve clearly defined the purpose in your mind, share it with your prospect, but leave opportunity for them to add to it. Do this when you set the appointment, when you confirm the appointment, and when you begin the meeting.
Here’s what I mean:
Setting an Appointment: When you are arranging the appointment, be up-front about the purpose for your meeting. For example, “I’m hoping to meet with you in order to gain an understanding of your challenges as they relate to your IT infrastructure — and anything else you would like to cover — so that we can determine whether we can be of service to you. Do you have some time to meet next Tuesday or Thursday?”
Confirming an Appointment: When you confirm the appointment (by phone or email), remind your prospect why you’re meeting — there’s a good chance it’s slipped their mind. “As you recall, we’re slated to meet tomorrow at 8:30. Let me know whether that time is still convenient for you. I’m looking forward to discussing your IT infrastructure so that we can determine whether we can be of service to you. Is there anything else you would like to cover?”
Beginning an Appointment: At the very beginning of your meeting, state the purpose for the meeting again. “The purpose of our meeting today is to discuss your IT infrastructure so that we can determine how, if at all, we can be of service to you. Is there anything else you might like to cover?”
Seem redundant? Yes. But, it’s also very helpful to provide a constant thread of the agreed-upon purpose.
Each time you state the purpose, be sure to ask your prospect if he or she has something else they’d like to cover. This allows your prospect to have a sense of control. As the old saying goes, “People like to buy, but they hate being sold.” Reminding them why they’re meeting with you and allowing them to contribute is one way to ensure they have that sense through their entire sales interaction with you.
Author: by Jeb Brooks
Jeb is a Corporate Sales Trainer, Sales Blogger, Published Author, Speaker, and Sales Professional who (obviously) prefers being busy. Learn more about Jeb at http://www.brooksgroup.com/
