The 7 things to get right BEFORE you meet with a prospect.

That hot prospect finally sets aside some time to speak with you about the products and services you offer. Yes! This is your chance to demonstrate how you can help them overcome their problems and achieve their goals.

So, do you sit back and chill? Or do you decide to do your darndest to make sure your upcoming meeting is the best prospect meeting, like, ever!

The latter? Great!

Here are 7 things to get right BEFORE the meeting: -

#1. Is the COI higher than the ROI?

If your goal is to sell a complex service or a big-ticket item, a typical business owner or sales professional will focus on the potential Return-On-Investment that their product or service has the potential to deliver.

But ‘benefits’ and ‘features’ don’t close sales.

Furthermore, focusing on the ‘upside’ is not the most effective way to attract premium rates. Prospects pay 'premium rates' to solve headaches.

So...

If you want decisions made quickly and if you are seeking ways to charge more for what you offer, focus on the COI. The Cost-Of-Inaction.

TIP: Before a meeting, ask yourself, “How painful is it going to be for the prospect if they say ‘no’?” Re-frame your pitch to focus on the potential headaches caused by inaction. For example, a middle manager might not benefit directly from your product or expertise. So, pushing ROI will be meaningless. What, then, is the COI for the person you are meeting?

#2. Social Tapping is not Stalking.

One of the most important things you can do before any meeting is ‘elevate anticipation’ for the meeting. As one of our clients recently said...

"I'm loving it when a prospect has gone through my funnel and they're pre-sold before I even start to talk!" Robert Goudie

Because the OPPOSITE is when the potential client keeps postponing a meeting (and eventually cancels) or just fails to show up.

It’s bad for business and devastating for the soul!

Getting stood-up is a HUGE ego crusher.

Friends don’t stand up friends.

And that’s why we HIGHLY recommend that you do your best to ‘Friend’ or ‘Follow’ potential future clients across ALL social media channels.

TIP: If they don’t want to accept your ‘friend’ or ‘Connection’ request, don’t feel bad. They will still ‘see’ your friend request, which keeps you ‘top-of-mind’ and it also demonstrates that you will be highly accessible.

#3. Don’t 'Confirm' Meetings. Set the AGENDA!

A typical pre-meeting practice is to send a ‘confirmation’ email or text.

“Hi Lisa. Wanted to make sure that you are still ready for our meeting?”

Wrong!

This simply provides future clients with permission to postpone.

Instead, send an AGENDA, outline the proposed OUTCOMES for the meeting. Go heavy on the ROI and COI. The COI is more important.

TIP: Make it clear that you have gone out of your way to make this meeting possible. Did you book a meeting room? Did you need to shuffle around some other appointments? Let the prospect know that you will be disadvantaged in some way if they cancel. Of course, don’t tell fibs!

#4. Scare Away the ‘Scaredy- Cat’ Clients Early.

Have you ever met with a ‘hot’ prospect and they made all the right noises, demonstrated extreme interest in your product or service, and then left you hanging without a decision? Even getting ‘no’ is a decision, right?

Some people avoid making decisions and some people...

ARE NOT IN A POSITION TO MAKE DECISIONS.

They don’t have money. (And won’t admit it.) They fear hurting your feelings. (This means THEY have a delicate ego.) Or they simply don’t have the authority to give you an answer, either way.

Wouldn’t it be better to know this in advance?

That’s why we always ask prospects to complete an online diagnostic before we meet. Indeed, most of the time, we use the diagnostic to get the meeting in the first place. It's a powerful lead generation tool, and...

It's an equally effective tool for scaring away the 'scaredy-cat' prospects.

TIP: Do you want to create a Diagnostic that will also draw new leads into your business? Here’s a template to create a topic, “Do you have what it takes to [insert outcome here]? Complete the diagnostic.” Too easy!

BONUS: Need help? Get the FULLY BOOKED ROADMAP, here.

#5. Quickly Sort the PWMs from the PWoM.

Part of effective pre-qualification is dis-qualification.

If someone is not the decision-maker, make it a requirement of the meeting that they bring the decision-maker. If they are two decision-makers, do your best to make sure both attend. (EG. Business partners.)

But, most importantly, is your prospect a...

A) ‘Player With Money;’ or a,

B) ‘Player Without Money’?

You can’t help someone who can’t afford to pay you, right?

This is another reason why it helps to introduce a Diagnostic early, as part of your pre-meeting process. Ask the tough questions BEFORE you meet.

TIP: As part of your pre-meeting Diagnostic, include a question like, “If a trusted advisor suggested that you invest [insert your rate here] in your business to get [insert outcome here], is that within you reality?”

#6. Demonstrate YOUR value with Content.

Much of sales and prospecting is about listening, being responsive and making yourself available. But don’t neglect to demonstrate that...

You are da bomb!!

Before a meeting, one of the most effective ways to elevate anticipation is to share content that speaks directly to the headaches, obstacles, aspirations and desires of the prospect (as a person).

This doesn’t need to be content that YOU have created, but it helps.

(You are the authority, yes?)

We send three short videos via SMS before a meeting.

Even a Diagnostic can be framed as helpful content, because it can be used to 'diagnose' problems and make specific recommendations.

TIP: What is that one question you keep getting asked again and again? Or is there a common misconception that you constantly need to correct? We create videos designed to demonstrate when a common practice is flawed.

#7. Have your 9 QUESTIONS ready BEFORE the meeting.

The purpose of any prospect meeting is to see if there’s a ‘fit’.

Is your product or service the right solution for their pain or headache?

Will there be a meeting of minds, or is their likely to be a disconnect between goals, personalities, needs and expectations?

This goes BOTH ways.

That’s why we always recommend that you have 9 questions ready.

These are...

Three starter questions (to help you understand their current situation, prospect strengths, weaknesses and goals). Three value questions (to help you deliver value during the meeting). And three questions to introduce your offer (for example, the ‘reality’ question from earlier).

TIP: Start the meeting by letting the prospect know that you have brought a set of questions, and then ask permission to run through your questions. This is your FIRST question. This is an important 'framing' exercise and will help you take ‘ownership’ of the meeting. You be the guide.

Finally...

What strategies do you have in place to book meetings in the first place?

Are you getting ENOUGH meetings to actually apply these tactics?

If you don’t have enough meetings...

If you want to book better ‘quality’ meetings with prospects...

If you suspect that your whole approach is a little bit broken...

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