Many of us probably haven’t considered that having a sales meeting plan might help us close a deal faster, but there is evidence to prove otherwise.  

With many start-up technology and CleanTech companies I find that there is a lack of planning as it pertains to sales. One of the areas that is most often overlooked is a sales meeting plan. A meeting plan allows for the sales rep to understand how the meeting should flow and what the next steps should be. This is especially important when there are two team members in the meeting together. We recommend two components of the meeting plan the agenda and goals.

Meeting Agenda

The agenda is useful to plan out how the call should flow.

1. The introduction section often gets run over too quickly. This is an excellent opportunity to ask about the target contacts job, history and goals. It also gets them talking. During the introduction it is often a good idea to run through the agenda at a high level and determine what the customer would like to get out of the meeting. This is what I have deemed as “anything else?” Make sure that you cover off the items your client would like to cover.
2. The second phase of the agenda should be to have the customer do the talking. This will allow for a better linkage of their needs to your solution.
3. The third component of the agenda is talking about your organization and the benefits your solution provides.
4. The final phase of the meeting is often overlooked by the entrepreneurs, next steps. There should be a clear understanding of what the next steps should be from both parties in the meeting.

Here is an example of an agenda you could use.

Introductions

Overview of Target Company

• Current environment
• Current pains and needs
• Future palans

Overview of Your Company

• Trends
• Benefits for Target Company
• Solutions Offered

Anything else?

Next Steps

Meeting Goals

VA Partners recommends using four main sections for the meeting goals.

1. Who are the attendees and what are their roles? This is important so you can determine why they might be there and what they would be interested in hearing.
2. What is the customer hoping to get out of the meeting. It is important that you help to meet the clients goals for the meeting as well.
3. What are your goals for the meeting? This should be information that helps to qualify the customer’s business pain and purchasing decision.
4. What are the possible next steps? These are activities that should help move you closer to the sale.

If you achieve your goals and get agreement on the next steps it was a successful meeting. Consistent use of a meeting plan will lead to faster sales closes and more sales.

Don’t miss our 5 Keys To Prepare for a Joint Sales Meeting

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