You finally secured that all important meeting with a prospect you’ve been trying to reach for weeks. Your carefully constructed Valid Business Reason along with persistence paid off and the prospect has agreed to meet with you. You are on an adrenaline high as you think about the possibilities. Now what?! Give yourself a pat on the back and begin to prepare! Remember, the prospect is taking time out of their busy schedule to meet with you. They chose you over all of the other salespeople beating down their door. Make it count!
Prepare Yourself
- Research the industry, the challenges it’s facing, and current issues.
- Check out the prospect’s website and social media feeds. You can get valuable insight into what is important to them.
- View LinkedIn to get some background and personal insights on the individual you will be seeing.
- Determine which topics are essential and create some intriguing questions that show you’ve done your homework. It will add to your credibility and show you truly want to learn about the prospect.
Prepare your Prospect
- Establish your credibility. Differentiate yourself from other salespeople and position yourself as “Trusted and Valued”.
- Contract Expectations. Remind the prospect of your Valid Business and why you felt they should meet with you.
- Explain what you hope to accomplish during your time together to ensure you are both on the same page.
- Shift attention away from your product and focus on your process.
So many salespeople don’t take the time to prepare and often “wing it”. Remember how hard it was to get in the door? Don’t risk losing out on an opportunity by lack of preparation. Take the time to research, generate questions and contract. This combination will set you up for success. Remember, luck is when preparation meets opportunity!
