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The Center for Sales Strategy Blog

Don’t Let That Stop You: Overcoming Objections in Discovery Meetings

Overcoming Objections in Discovery Meetings

One of the most important, and often most fun, parts of the sales process is discovery meetings. These are often referred to as “needs analysis meetings,” and their main goal is to uncover the desired business results of the prospect or client.

The success of these meetings lies in both the setup and the execution.

It’s important to:

  • Prepare yourself and the prospect or client by sharing an agenda and expectations for the meeting.

  • Create psychological safety to help prospects and clients let their guard down and open up for a more honest discussion, whether in person or with a shared screen remotely.

  • Master the art of asking questions to uncover key information.

  • Use a Needs Analysis process to uncover desired business results, prioritize the most important needs first, and confirm next steps.
Topics: Needs Analysis discovery meetings

7 Signs You Might Be Doing Your Needs Analysis Wrong

7 Signs You Might Be Doing Your Needs Analysis Wrong

It takes a lot of work to get a first meeting with a prospect.

While connecting with a prospect and getting a meeting is a series of events and second chances, that’s not the case with your needs analysis or discovery meeting. The discovery meeting is your one chance to gather information critical to creating a proposal the prospect will be interested in purchasing.

Let’s look at seven signs that you might be doing your needs analysis wrong.

Topics: Needs Analysis successful sales meetings

No.1 Reason Why Your First Sales Appointment Went Downhill Fast and 3 Ways to Avoid

using a valid business reason when getting the first appointment

Have you ever met with a prospect for the first time and felt like the entire conversation was like pulling teeth?

Maybe they took a couple of calls or answered some urgent emails while you were waiting to ask your next question. Maybe you couldn’t meet in person, and you could sense they were distracted and not focused during the little time you had. 

In these situations, it's common to leave the appointment with little to no valuable information, no follow-up direction, and when you look at your notes it feels like a waste of your valuable time.

Not all first meetings go well, but you can prevent the train wreck first appointment with better pre-planning.

Topics: Needs Analysis successful sales meetings

The Importance of Asking Quality Questions in B2B Sales

The Importance of Asking Quality Questions in B2B Sales

Have you ever experienced having to answer the same questions twice during a doctor's appointment?

It’s frustrating, but it can also make us reflect on the questions we ask our prospects. Are we asking the right questions to make us think deeper if it were our own business?

Even the most experienced salesperson can overlook the importance of being highly prepared for the initial needs analysis. To address this, you can start implementing "The 5-Phase Hourglass Needs Analysis" for all new business calls and existing clients you want to grow.

Topics: Needs Analysis sales performance

The One Question You Haven’t Asked (But Your Client Wishes You Would)

The One Question You Haven’t Asked

Most salespeople prepare very carefully for every client interaction. Your preparation will dictate whether you are granted face time for that first appointment (and subsequent appointments), and it will dictate how much information you are allowed to gather in a needs analysis meeting.

But the nature of sales often leads us to focus on our own objectives when preparing; we want the appointment, or we want to learn about a specific objective a client might have that we know can translate into a selling opportunity.

If your customer-focused approach is sincere, there is one question—a simple question that can be asked in a multitude of ways—that can help you gain even greater respect and revenue from this customer.

Topics: Needs Analysis sales process

Where to Find Great Needs Analysis Questions in Preparation for an Appointment

Where to Find Great Needs Analysis Questions in Preparation for an Appointment

So, you've got the appointment for your Discover meeting. Good for you...now what? The Discover meeting is a critical part of the selling process, so “winging it” should never be your strategy. 

Most sellers understand that the goal of the Discover meeting is to uncover an urgent need that they can help solve, and then leave with an assignment. To accomplish this, you must ask great questions.

By “great” questions, I mean ones that: get the wheels turning inside their head, make them glad you asked, allow them to talk about what’s hot from their point of view, and make you seem valuable. Remember, every question you ask will either enhance or detract from your credibility.

Topics: Needs Analysis getting appointments

Adapting to a Buyer-First Mentality

Adapting to a Buyer-First Mentality

Buyer-first mentality is simply defined as it’s a buyer’s world, and sellers are just living in it.

In the past, traditional sellers could easily come in and build a case because they were a superstar, had great product knowledge, and were able to support the buyer’s organization. In essence, they were selling what they could accomplish for the client without ever knowing anything about them.

Technically, those days are over now. Buyers expect you to know more about what their company is all about, what they do, and potentially what they’re trying to accomplish.

Topics: Needs Analysis sales process getting appointments

Making the Most of a First Meeting with a New Business Prospect

 

Making the Most of a First Meeting with a New Business Prospect

Getting that first appointment with a new business prospect is rarely an easy task.

In fact, there is usually a direct correlation between how long it takes to get an appointment and the spending potential of a prospect. Simply put, quality prospects take more time! 

Because so many hours are spent persuading a prospect to meet, it makes sense to get the most out of the meeting. World-class salespeople use the first appointment to uncover business challenges that lead to cash, instead of wasting the opportunity pitching, pitching, pitching. 

After getting comfortable and socializing a bit with the prospect during the opening minutes of the call, try the following steps to get the most out of the opportunity:

Topics: Needs Analysis increasing new business

No Tricks, JUST Treats Please!

Trick or Treat

Costumes, Ghosts and Goblins, Spooky Spiders, and Candy are fun Halloween traditions. 

Each year, children dress up and go door-to-door, exclaiming “trick or treat” in hopes of getting a handful of candy to add to the stash they’ve already collected. To a child, there is no such thing as too much candy… in fact, the one with the most candy by the end of the night wins.

What’s interesting is while children give the choice… “trick or treat,” we all know that they don’t want to be tricked. All they really want is treats!  They want to be delighted with yummy, fun-to-eat candy.

Topics: Needs Analysis

DIGITAL SALES STRATEGY: Understanding the Digital Scoreboard

 Digital Scoreboard

This is a great time of year to be a sports fan. 

Baseball playoffs are here, and every weekend brings a full slate of college and pro football games. Every game has its own set of stats to follow, but just looking at the stats the following day doesn’t necessarily tell you who won the game.

In baseball, the team with more hits is not always the winner. In football, the winning team could have fewer total yards or more turnovers. While the stats can provide you with an educated guess of who the winner is, they don’t tell the full story of the game.

Digital advertising is very similar if you think about it.

Topics: Needs Analysis Digital