Trick and Treat: NO Selling!!!

There should never be any selling, as many of us know on that first meeting with a potential new partner/client. That includes no talk of features on products no matter how much research you have done on them, their company, the person you are meeting with's back ground, etc.  None. 

Even if it's a home run, the first meeting is for 3 things, and 3 things only and the prospect should know it up front (set the tone): 

1. Meeting to connect with the person, as a person, and decision maker.
2. Showing you value them and their business by how you prepared ahead.
3. Doing a thorough Needs Assessment of their business, then come back.

A PROCESS QUICK SUMMARY IN ADVANCE:  If you are an inpatient reader, this is a quick summary:  

1. Plan/Prepare Effectively (Online/Offline as an internal Team effort)
2. Do a REAL Needs Assessment with questions based on research/planning
3. Build Your Strategy with Solutions (Phases Approach: Walk, Run, Sprint)
4. Present that to them as a "True Valued Partner"
5. Close the Partnership with Next Steps
6. Show them what will happen next while re-confirming expectations.

So what do some great questions that win millions in business look and sound like?  Well after 15 years of working with professionals of all levels from college (and their were a few better in college then people selling 25 years) to age 65, I have always believed in the open ended, further probing style of "Tell me about that" OR "Interesting, why do you feel that way?" of course in a sincere leaning forward head slightly to the side sort of listening way.  

Questions like:  Why did that work so well?  Tell me about this process or product you have and why it works/worked so well?  How do you like to work with some of your top partners now?  What has made those partners solid?  Why do you think that failed?  Do you like solid info around your business? What do you like to read?  You don't have this process or solution in place now, why?  These 4 competitors have been doing this for 10-18 months now, what has gotten in the way of you doing it?   Those are only a short few in a list of hundreds depending on companies products, solutions, enterprise platforms, industrial equipment, and all the rest of the various sales solutions and processes that solid questions you develop will mold around and flow...

See the trick is, you did your homework a week ago (effort) and now KNOW you can help them. That allows you to come in on a first meeting, sit, have great questions prepared that lead right into where you and your company can assist. The treat for them is you don't mention any of it on a first assessment meeting.  You gain info, set objectives, get them to see your effort, and you leave.  That is why you don't have to sell them anything.  They will buy because you approach them on a second meeting with real solutions and in a phases, calculated approach. No prospect wants to be product vomited on; for those of you who sell multiple products.  1-2 products at a time; and or one phase at a time to earn their trust and business to show them the HOW which is your teams strategy behind it.

Walk Run Spring to Success!

You will then present on a second meeting the solutions you put together to solve their problems.  Then they (if the decision maker) will walk with your team down the path, and buy because they need to, not because you or your team are nice people or we get along great at happy hour.  Much more so because you listened thru preparation ahead, asked great questions, and set a time for the second meeting before you leave their office to present solid Solutions you and your team came up with. Then partner with them to begin to fix things based on clear expectations.

When you have the confidence in your research and team behind you, you can just be a true consultant on the first meeting and NOT SELL ANYTHING except you by your demeanor.  If you don't leave the company.

Be the Picasso of selling in that you can turn your solutions you came up with 4 ways around and they look good from every angle. The trick was that you put it in a beautiful frame of listening and gathering 1st, and the nice memorable treat for your prospect is you were not selling.

THEN DELIVER IT!

Cheers and Happy No Selling!