No two sales meetings are ever the same but you can approach each one with a strategy to win over the client by listening to what they need, by advising them how best to achieve their goals, and by highlighting how your company can fulfill all their needs.
1. Define a firm deadline. If potential clients don’t have a firm deadline in mind, they may not remember your sales presentation in 4-6 months when they’re ready to make a decision. To encourage these stalled clients, point out what their competitors are doing and how that could impact their sales. Offer a limited-time offer or discount and show them how this will affect them financially if they don’t move quickly.
2. Meet with the decision makers. Don’t waste your time presenting to an office underling who tells you they’ll pass along the information to their supervisor. The decision makers will know what questions to ask and if you speak directly with them, there’s no room for misrepresentation when the assistant passes along your information – if they remember to pass it along.
3. Make your pricing competitive. Even big corporations have budgets to follow and look for deals on pricing and you will run the risk of losing the sale if your price is too high. If they balk at your high price, you might be offering more than your client needs; in which case you should reevaluate the proposal to give a lower price. Or point out how your price includes added value, services or features that your competitors don’t offer.
4. Clarify what details are needed in the sales proposal. Having a sit down meeting is a great way to build a relationship with clients but if they are in the detail gathering phase, you may not have the luxury to hear first hand what they are looking for. If they simply want proposals before offering meetings, ask the client what they are looking for and what criteria will be used to make the decision, then craft your proposal accordingly.
5. Be an advisor rather than a salesperson. Some clients are turned off by sales presentations and it will be difficult to get any information out of them regarding what they need or what they’re looking for. To avoid this indifference from the client, approach your discussion as that of an advisor, someone who is interested in their company’s well-being rather than just trying to sell your services.
These sales tips can be applied to just about any business. Of course, modify and tweak them to fit your own personality then keep networking so you can build relationships and get those meetings.
