Technology has changed the way we do business.
Many people run their businesses from anywhere in the world thanks to the internet. It can be easier to do business virtually than face-to-face, but sometimes there’s no substitute for sitting in the same room as someone. And a sales meeting is one of these times.
The following process looks at how to manage a sales meeting agenda powerfully and respectfully, in terms of your mindset, your energy and your conversation.
We want to develop the right thinking, what you need to say, and the right tone for every selling conversation. This applies to each stage of the conversation.
Strangely enough, we believe the first stage is the most important. What happens before you get into the room with a prospect has more bearing on the outcome than what you say during the meeting. But unfortunately, most sales training focuses on what happens during the meeting and at the close.
Likewise, we believe that your mindset and your energetic state (energy) is every bit as important as what you say (conversation). But most sales theory is only about the latter.
This model explores mindset, energy and conversation before the meeting, during and at the close.
Before the sales meeting
Mindset – Cool
The mindset we want before a sales conversation is leveraged; sales is a numbers game. When people are not powerful with conversations, it generally comes back to a fear of rejection. Anybody with self-worth issues risks collapsing in a sales meeting with a personal rejection. Thinking about sales as a numbers games helps eliminate that.
Energy – Sold
Stephen Covey says that every project is created twice, first in your mind, then in reality. In the same way, every sale is made twice, first to yourself, and then to the prospect. If you aren’t sold yourself, you’re not ready to have a sales meeting.
Conversation – Clean
There is nothing worse than going to meet with someone only to find out that there’s a hidden agenda. The conversation before the actual meeting needs to be transparent.
During the sales meeting
Mindset – Selective
During the meeting the most powerful mindset is selective. Get clear before you meet about what type of people you want to work with and what sort of work you do.
Energy – Dance
During the sales conversation, the energy is that of a dance. While you have prepared what you’re going to say about yourself, you can’t recite this like a speech. You need to dance with the energy of the conversation and have fun with it.
Conversation – Clicking
The conversation during the sales meeting is a clicking process. You have to know their world to have the right to be selling to them in the first place.
Closing the sales meeting
Mindset – Reverent
The mindset to hold at the decision point is one of reverence. This is the time when the prospect is choosing whether or not they’re going to work with you.
Energy – Surrendered
Your energy at this point is aligned to allow the prospect to make their decision – at this point you are surrendered.
Conversation – Invitation
It’s almost criminal to get to the end of the conversation and not make the invitation. We see it happen all the time where there is someone ready to buy, but instead of making the invitation they say “I’ll be in touch.” DON’T DO THAT. You’re ripping off your prospect.
If you have something of value, something that could change this person’s life, ask for the business. Make the invitation. If you don’t, you have wasted both your time and theirs.
I hope this helps in your next sales meeting.
If you’d like to spend 18 minutes seeing me unpack this sales conversation process with a room-full of thought leaders, I invite you to check out the video here.
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