Ask for that meeting - and grow your sales!
Ask for that meeting - and grow your sales!
Here’s the tactic: when someone asks you for a proposal, set a meeting date with them then and there to review it together.
Simple and obvious, and as old as the hills. But easily overlooked.
When you’re in a sales meeting with a client and you’ve talked about what they need and what you can do and they pop the question: “can you write that up as a proposal for me?” - it’s so, so easy to agree and to rush off to do the proposal just as they’ve asked.
Assuming doing a proposal is actually the right thing (often it isn’t - often the problem itself requires further exploration with the client - but assuming it is); as we all know, our chances of selling something increase exponentially if we present the proposal personally rather than just sending it in.
However, calling after you’ve done the proposal to set up a meeting very often results in the client asking if you can just send the proposal in for them to read first - then they’ll set a meeting if needed.
Of course, without you there, the proposal doesn’t have the same impact, the meeting never happens, and the sale is lost.
But if you ask for the meeting then and there you’re leveraging three things:
It’s harder to turn someone down face to-face
You’ve built up a degree of rapport in the meeting
They’ve just asked you for a favour - so they’re likely to reciprocate by agreeing to a meeting
It’s an obvious and pretty easy thing to do - but very, very often it’s not done.
There are many reasons for this. I’ve seen sales people simply forget in the heat of the moment. But more usually, there’s an underlying fear preventing them asking. They fear that the client may say “no” - and then they’ll lose the chance of proposing and of winning the sale.
But if a client is going to say “no” to a simple request like a meeting - how likely is it they’re going to buy anything? In reality it’s much better to get a “no” right now than it is to waste time on the proposal.
Another problem some salespeope have is that they put themselves in a servile position relative to the customer. They take the “customer is king” philosophy too far and feel that they must do just what the customer asks with no reciprocal obligations. They don’t feel it’s right to push for anything, but instead just jump through whatever hoops the customer asks them to jump through, hoping that they’ll be rewarded with a sale.
That’s not the right positioning for most sales - and certainly not for selling professional services where what the customer needs is a real business partner. A peer who can advise and guide them - not just do what they ask slavishly.
So next time you’re asked to prepare a proposal, just take a deep breath, and say “sure, that would be great. Let’s set a date for a meeting together to review it……”
Ian
Ask for that meeting and grow your sales - To learn more about this author, visit Ian Brodie's Website.
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Early in my sales career I learnt a very simple tactic which made a significant difference to my sales - and I noticed recently that I had stopped using it. So as well as restarting its use for myself, I thought I’d share it. It’s most appropriate for consultants or other professionals who have to prepare proposals to sell what they do.
Here’s the tactic: when someone asks you for a proposal, set a meeting date with them then and there to review it together.
Simple and obvious, and as old as the hills. But easily overlooked.
When you’re in a sales meeting with a client and you’ve talked about what they need and what you can do and they pop the question: “can you write that up as a proposal for me?” - it’s so, so easy to agree and to rush off to do the proposal just as they’ve asked.
Assuming doing a proposal is actually the right thing (often it isn’t - often the problem itself requires further exploration with the client - but assuming it is); as we all know, our chances of selling something increase exponentially if we present the proposal personally rather than just sending it in.
However, calling after you’ve done the proposal to set up a meeting very often results in the client asking if you can just send the proposal in for them to read first - then they’ll set a meeting if needed.
Of course, without you there, the proposal doesn’t have the same impact, the meeting never happens, and the sale is lost.
But if you ask for the meeting then and there you’re leveraging three things:
It’s harder to turn someone down face to-face
You’ve built up a degree of rapport in the meeting
They’ve just asked you for a favour - so they’re likely to reciprocate by agreeing to a meeting
It’s an obvious and pretty easy thing to do - but very, very often it’s not done.
There are many reasons for this. I’ve seen sales people simply forget in the heat of the moment. But more usually, there’s an underlying fear preventing them asking. They fear that the client may say “no” - and then they’ll lose the chance of proposing and of winning the sale.
But if a client is going to say “no” to a simple request like a meeting - how likely is it they’re going to buy anything? In reality it’s much better to get a “no” right now than it is to waste time on the proposal.
Another problem some salespeope have is that they put themselves in a servile position relative to the customer. They take the “customer is king” philosophy too far and feel that they must do just what the customer asks with no reciprocal obligations. They don’t feel it’s right to push for anything, but instead just jump through whatever hoops the customer asks them to jump through, hoping that they’ll be rewarded with a sale.
That’s not the right positioning for most sales - and certainly not for selling professional services where what the customer needs is a real business partner. A peer who can advise and guide them - not just do what they ask slavishly.
So next time you’re asked to prepare a proposal, just take a deep breath, and say “sure, that would be great. Let’s set a date for a meeting together to review it……”
Ian
Ask for that meeting and grow your sales - To learn more about this author, visit Ian Brodie's Website.
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David AchesonDavid Acheson is the founder of DCJA Consultancy. DCJA Consultancy is a management consultancy business specialising in B2B sales consultancy. They offer bespoke and packaged sales consultancy including Sales Optimisation Review, Interim Sales Management, Sales & Marketing Review, 1:1 Sales & Management Staff Analysis, Management Training, Solution Sales Training, Creation of New Pay Plan, KPI's, run Customer Feedback Campaigns, assist with Recruitment, Coaching, Appraisals and set up Strategic Marketing Campaigns. David spent his early career in accountancy and then moved into sales in 1982, working in Office Equipment, IT, Advertising, Training, Outsourcing and Consultancy. He has held many Senior Positions in SMBs and Global Organisations including Head of Sales Operations & Head of Business Development. His knowledge, skills and great experience of the Sales Industry has led to David making keynote speeches and running educational sessions to key businesses through organisations including The Chamber of Commerce and Business Link. - Visit David Acheson's Website |
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Dave KurlanDave Kurlan is the founder and CEO of Objective Management Group, Inc., the industry leader in sales assessments and sales force evaluations, and the CEO of David Kurlan & Associates, Inc., a consulting firm specializing in sales force development. Dave has been a top rated speaker at Inc. Magazine's Conference on Growing the Company, the Sales & Marketing Management Conference and the Gazelles Sales & Marketing Summit. He has been featured on radio and TV, including World Business Review with General Norman Schwarzkopf, in Inc. Magazine, Selling Power Magazine, Sales & Marketing Management Magazine and Incentive Magazine. He is the author of Mindless Selling and Baseline Selling – How to Become a Sales Superstar by Using What You Already Know about the Game of Baseball. He created and wrote STAR, a proprietary recruiting process for hiring great salespeople, and he writes Understanding the Sales Force, a popular business Blog and is a contributing author to The Death of 20th Century Selling and 101 Great Ways to Improve Your Life, Volume 2. - Visit Dave Kurlan's Website |
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Leanne Hoagland-SmithAre your sales where you want them to be? Will you be one of the few who achieves sales or business success or one of the many who have failed to change? Are you tired of being told you are like everyone else? Then you may find my first book on sales of interest. Be the Red Jacket in the Sea of Gray Suits, The Keys to Unlocking Sales available at Amazon or at http://www.processspecialist.com/red-jacket.htm. This book is a reflection of my no-nonsense approach to improving sales to overall business results. If you are truly committed to making sustainable changes, then I can help you secure a positive return on your investment because I focus on executable solutions not telling you the problems you already know you have. From training to corporate (group) coaching to executive one on one coaching, my approach is to assess, create awareness, build a goal driven action plan and then execute. The bottom line question is "Not do you or your employees know it, but do you or they want to do it?" Please call for a free strategy session at 219.759.5601. - Visit Leanne Hoagland-Smith's Website |
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Linda RichardsonLinda Richardson is the Founder and Executive Chairwoman of Richardson, a global sales training and performance improvement company. As a recognized leader in the industry, she has won the coveted Stevie Award for Lifetime Achievement in Sales Excellence and she was identified by Training Industry, Inc. as one of the “Top 20 Most Influential Training Professionals.” Ms. Richardson is credited with the movement to Consultative Selling and is the author of ten books on selling and sales management, including Sales Coaching — Making the Great Leap from Sales Manager to Sales Coach, and Stop Telling, Start Selling. She teaches sales and management at the Wharton Graduate School of the University of Pennsylvania and the Wharton Executive Development Center. Linda is a frequent speaker at industry and client conferences, has been published extensively in industry and training journals, and has been featured in numerous publications, including The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Nation’s Business, Selling Power, Success, and The Conference Board Magazine. Learn more about Richardson's sales training and performance improvement solutions at http://www.richardson.com web - Visit Linda Richardson's Website |
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John BrennanJohn Brennan Ed.D. Dr. Brennan is President of Interpersonal Development, LLC, a training and development firm. Interpersonal Development has provided sales training and coaching to more than 3,000 sales reps from over 100 companies. A native of Australia, Dr. Brennan received his doctorate from the University of Rochester. His dissertation researched the effectiveness of Behavioral Modeling Technology in training people in interpersonal skills. While he has spent most of his career designing or delivering training, he was also a Vice-President of Sales of a training and development franchise with operations in 25 markets. Dr. Brennan has designed and delivered sales training in North America, Asia, Europe, Australia and the Middle East. He has been a guest speaker at numerous national and regional professional conferences. When Microsoft wanted Best Practices articles on sales for their web site, they called Dr. Brennan. The results are at http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/FX011387391033.aspx His firm’s clients have included Volvo, The Prudential, Merrill Lynch, Eastman Kodak, Gannett, Equifax Europe, the Economist Group and countless small businesses. - Visit John Brennan's Website |
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George LudwigGeorge Ludwig is a recognized authority on sales strategy and peak performance psychology. An international speaker, trainer, and corporate consultant, he helps clients like Johnson & Johnson, Abbott Laboratories, Northwestern Mutual, CIGNA, and numerous others improve sales force effectiveness and performance. Though it's George's strategies and processes that help corporations increase productivity and performance, it's his tremendous energy and dynamism that spark the transformation. Again and again, clients remark on his amazing ability to unleash human capacity and inspire men and women to break out of their comfort zones. The result is a whole new type of salesperson. His customized presentations teach achievers to make stunning advances in their lives. From helping salespeople realize cherished dreams to helping corporations exponentially accelerate revenue streams, George Ludwig leaves audiences and individuals empowered, emboldened, and clamoring for more. George is the best-selling author of Power Selling: Seven Strategies for Cracking the Sales Code and Wise Moves: 60 Quick Tips to Improve Your Position in Life & Business. - Visit George Ludwig's Website |
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Kim CastleWith nearly two decades in the advertising and design business, with clients like Domino's Pizza, General Motors, Direct TV, Pedigree, Wolfgang Puck, Higher Octave Music, Hollywood Celebrity Products, Disney, and Paramount, as well as thousands of entrepreneurs around the world define, structure, communicate, and position their business for greater profits, BrandU(R) co-creators Kim Castle and W. Vito Montone discovered that entrepreneurs could experience the same power that big brands command for a fraction of the cost with the world's only process-based results-drive Integral approach to business creation. BrandU(R) is helping entrepreneurs grow with the power of extreme clarity from idea...to brand...to market(TM) and helping one million entrepreneurs become successful and whole so that they can make a difference in the world. Are you one of them? If you want to experience clarity all the way to the bank(TM), get started now at http://www.brandu.com. - Visit Kim Castle's Website |
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Anne BarrAnne Barr has over 26 years experience in sales and marketing, six years as a franchisee. She has assisted over 367 business owners and purchasers to achieve their goals in career change, transition and exit strategy. She holds the designation of Certified Franchise Executive from the International Franchise Association, Certified Business Intermediary from the International Business Brokers Association and Board Certified Broker from the Texas Association of Business Brokers. Anne is active in professional organizations, networking groups and volunteers for non-profit entities. As owner/operator of four successful businesses, Anne has proven people skills and enjoys helping clients find the right "fit" in business ownership. Visit www.FranchiseOpportunitySpecialist.com for more information about me and my company. - Visit Anne Barr's Website |
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