While we like to think that our scheduled time with Buying Influences is their top priority for the day, the reality is that an untold number of "fires" or urgent activities may cut short your scheduled time.
You may learn about an abbreviation a few days, hours, or minutes before your meeting, possibly even during the meeting, so it pays to be prepared for this situation.
To maximize shortened meetings, be armed with at least the following every time you come to a scheduled call:
1. Confirmation questions
At the start of the conversation, ask a confirmation question that addresses the top priority for this Buying Influence. This provides him information he needs to understand or to be reminded exactly why he agreed to meet with you in the first place. Make sure nothing has changed since you last talked. This will lead you to use the remaining dialogue productively.
2. Top Takeaways
Realizing that you now only have time to ask a couple of questions instead of addressing a number of areas that you wanted new information on, what are the 2-3 top takeaways that you need to get from this limited discussion? Make sure you ask them.
3. Gain Commitment
Get a commitment from this individual that will move your sales initiative forward. It may be a new meeting in the very near future to continue the conversation, or agree to present your proposal to the planning board this coming Friday, for example.
It’s often useful to confirm the timing of your meeting at the beginning of the conversation as well as the time limit. Ask questions like, “Is this still a convenient time for you to give me half an hour?” By setting the expectations of how much time he needs to spend with you, you avoid the unfortunate situation of being cut midstream.
No comments:
Post a Comment