The DriveSales™ | Do you know that these are the top 5 critical behaviours to follow in every first sales conversation!
Sales meetings/conversations with new prospects can be a tricky affair. The fact that a prospect has agreed to meet a sales rep is a great sign as prospects are instinctively inclined towards guarding their internal organizational information and are generally busy with their pressing day-to-day responsibilities.
The primary reason for being frowned upon by the prospects is the air of distrust surrounding salespeople being the bottom-feeders of our commerce system honed in the art of deceit and manipulation for achieving their sole goal of selling their product or service. But much of selling success hinges on the sales rep’s ability to lead an effective first meeting/conversation and generate interest in the prospects for their product or service.
We hereby suggest five critical behaviours to adhere to during first sales meetings/conversations:
1) Prepare for the Start: Before trying to sell, it is imperative to start a meeting/conversation by creating value in the prospect’s eyes. The ideal way of doing this is to show the familiarity with their industry and the challenges faced. Sharing the patterns observed in their industry with time is probably the best way to start meetings/conversations. This power of knowledge and experience about the industry will act as a great icebreaker. Add to this the knowledge of their pain points faced by similar organizations and a perfect cocktail has been churned out for a fruitful meeting/conversation by transforming the sales rep from a random person pitching a product or service to an expert willing to help prospects solve their problems.
2) Be inquisitive: Inquisitiveness breeds interest and information. Asking questions to prospective clients builds credibility and positions sales reps as experts with in-depth knowledge. The number of sales has seen a direct correlation to the sales rep’s ability to ask relevant questions, followed by a detailed analysis of the corresponding answers. This uncovers the prospect’s pain points and needs following the ability to ask questions which adds more crucial data related to the client.
3) Drive the meeting/conversation: Buyers today don’t want to tell sellers what to do. They want trusted advisors who will recommend and not just react. Being proactive in recommendations and showing prospects the path, they need to take to alleviate their pain points and eventually reach their goals. Advising prospects in all the aspects of the sales process will provide the necessary comfort to build trust and confidence in execution. Sales reps should not be afraid to ask tough questions which will help them in creating a more comprehensive and customized solution.
4) Be straightforward: In today’s fast-paced and time-crunched work environments, time is a limited resource. By being concise and focused during sales meetings/conversations portrays a strong work ethic and professionalism. Therefore, they should include a confirmation regarding the amount of time available and giving a quick rundown of the topics which will be covered. Most prospects are looking for a salesperson who is clear about what they are selling and are straight shooters, but at the same time not being too pushy. This can be simply achieved by not trying to please everyone. Having confidence in their product or service, as well as highlighting the value being generated are the sole goal for all meetings/conversations. The idea is not fearing rejections related to the product or service and to building a strong relationship with prospects by giving straightforward advice.
5) Walk the talk: Be sure to deliver on every word. Many promises made by sales reps depend on factors not fully under their control, such as the delivery of a product or the period of ROI realization. Yet, delivering on every word is one of the easiest ways of earning long-term clients having higher lifetime values which is the bread-and-butter for any business.
The goal of a first sales meeting/conversation is to engage the prospect enough so that they leave excited about the benefits of a future collaboration by showcasing strong capabilities and experience. These five key principles go a long way towards building rapport with any prospective client right from the very first meeting.
To build this excitement, sales reps should be able to paint a picture of the new reality after a plausible collaboration. Case studies and stories combined with the above principles can add more ammunition to the first sales pitch to a prospective client.
Now, as an effective SALESPERSON! We can do three things from here.
1. Not ignoring the opportunity and blaming the situation for revenue loss.
2. Taking necessary notes and revisiting your sales strategy with a growth mindset.
3. Reach out to The DriveSales™ in case you need any specialized help.
To conclude, what you believe also provides some idea of your development as a consultative salesperson. For more, please be connected to team The DriveSales™ as these are the foundations for our culture and ways of working!
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