Trust is a key ingredient in business. It takes time to build up and can be destroyed in an instant.
A common scenario occurs when arranging meetings with people you know, possibly from a previous work environment or even friends. You think they’d be a great prospect for whatever you’re selling.
Reminds me of back in the day when Amway network marketing was all the rage. Your friends or family would call asking you to dinner. Then once there they’d whip out a whiteboard and “show you the plan”.
You can imagine the result. It was a good way to lose friends fast.
The other day a client asked me, “How do I have a ‘clean’ sales meeting”?
I explained a clean sales meeting is where both parties know why you’re there. It’s not done under false pretenses of a ‘coffee catchup’ or some such.
I said, just be upfront.
“I’d like to talk to you about a service I’m offering which I believe could be of value. Are you open to sitting down and discussing it?”
Or be more specific. “Is fixing X still a priority for you?” If yes, then ask for the meeting.
Being transparent and clean about why you’re meeting increases trust. You have an honest conversation and increase the likelihood of getting a proper hearing. Which ultimately is both more effective and efficient as you’re not wasting your time or theirs or worse, burning a relationship.
And finally, when sitting down, after the usual pleasantries, it’s easy to seamlessly segue into the business discussion.
Of course there’s far more to a sales meeting. If you’re looking to improve your results, we offer a range of sale coaching and training which will help you close more business in less time.
You can contact me at revealedresources.com for more information. Until next time, this is Rashid Kotwal. Happy selling.
