"4 out of 5 Sales Managers admit appointments, whether in-person or virtual, are more challenging to secure than five years ago."
This nugget of information came from The Center for Sales Strategy 2020 Media Report.
My initial response to this new data was...DUH!
I'd like to speak with the one manager who thinks getting a first time appointment is "easier" than 5-years ago. They must know something that I don't know!
I don't care who you're or what you're selling, but getting a first-time meeting is tough! Now, I realize there are a ton of legitimate reasons why that is true, but NO ONE CARES! Excuses won't help you get to your sales goals, get you a promotion, or pay your rent.
What you need is a solution to help you get that all-important first-time business appointment. What you need is a Valid Business Reason.
“Approach each customer with the idea of helping him or her solve a problem or achieve a goal, not of selling a product or service” - Brian Tracy
A valid business reason (VBR) is why a prospect would want to meet with you. It is NOT why you want to meet with them. We all know why you want to meet with them. You want to sell them something. And if you've been reaching out to prospects about how awesome you and your product are, chances are you are not getting many new appointments.
But, when you learn how to create a solid valid business reason that demonstrates that you understand a prospects business and challenges, and how you can help them achieve their desired business results, you'll start getting a lot more appointments.
The key to building a strong VBR is to base your valid business reason on insights that you have research or observed about that specific business, category, or market trend.
You take this insight and turn it into a valid business reason, which will demonstrate that you can offer value to their business. Once you've shown that you can be trusted and valued, i.e., you won't waste their time, your prospects will be much more willing to carve out time to meet with you.
The framework of a strong VBR is...
Empathy + Expertise + Problem Solving
You speak like they speak, sound like business owner, you know their business model and industry, you’re willing to help
Use insights, relate everything to their customer, identify potential key marketing challenges — what do they want to achieve and solve?
Offer case studies, success stories, high concept ideas, referrals, and references.
By building a strong valid business reason through the use of Empathy + Expertise + Problem Solving, you'll demonstrate that you can be trusted and valued, so prospects will be more willing to schedule time to meet with you.
The key to getting more new business meetings is build strong VBR's. Try it today!