You’ve finally got the meeting with Mr Big Prospect. You’re sitting in his office. You’ve established rapport. He 
looks at you expectantly. Now what?
In this article “Why winging it doesn’t cut it” I discussed how your role is to find out as much as you can about your prospect, their situation, what’s working or not and get a real sense of who they are.
You learned you must have a plan and structured questioning methodology which leads your prospect into giving you this information – the “content”.
Without a structure to follow, you risk spending the allotted time having a nice conversation at the end of which you’ll walk out none the wiser – and likely poorer!
I discussed the first 7 steps in how to structure a successful sales meeting with a prospect.
To summarise they are:
Step 1: Frame the meeting and earn the right to be heard.
Step 2: The Prospect’s Situation
Step 3: The Prospect’s Desired Outcomes
Step 4: The Impact of Achieving These Outcomes
Step 5: Challenges in the Way
Step 6: The implications of not handling these challenges
Step 7: Possibilities – Envisioning the future
You can read the full article with extended descriptions of the points above here.
Today we’ll cover the next 5 steps starting with:
Step 8: Presenting Your Services
You’ve heard about their goals, challenges and possibilities for the future.
Here’s what we say to our clients.
“The challenges you mentioned are very common. We’ve helped a lot of people with similar challenges and similar goals. We have a program that has helped hundreds of organisations like yours reach their objectives. Can I tell you how it works?”
Program or Service Outcome/Features
“Let me explain how my services work and how they will help you achieve your goals.”
You’ll learn and master all the major principles, practices and skills of marketing and selling yourself effectively. You’ll know what to do and how to do it.
You’ll feel comfortable with a wide variety of marketing activities, from getting attention when talking about your services, to following up, to getting appointments and making the sale.
Unlike most marketing and business coaches who just tell you what to do, then leave you to do it, we help you implement your customised marketing and sales process step-by-step.
We do this by creating all your marketing collateral, setting up a complete lead generation system including a lead generation website and CRM.
We drill and skill you in effective selling. Our goal is to create a complete turn-key marketing and sales system which consistently delivers good quality clients to your business.
Structure of Your Services
“The way I structure my services are as follows:
We’ll meet regularly, usually every two or three weeks. But we’re flexible if you want to meet less or more frequently.
These sessions are a mix of consulting and coaching, answering your questions and giving you specific direction about what to do next.
In-between sessions we will be developing messages, writing materials and implementing marketing plans.
I’ll be available to you between sessions via email. For instance, if you are working on some written materials, you can send them to me for feedback before your next session. If you have a quick question, you can also call me.
You will start to see results almost immediately, but I can never predict when you will get a new client. This really depends on your understanding and your willingness to work.
Realise though that change can take time. Your own mindset will determine the speed and level of your success. Given this, most clients work with us for 12 months or more.
Step 9: Answering questions and common objections
“Any questions about how these services work?”
This is how to deal with any questions that come up. I don’t really think of them as objections, just as their need to be clear how things work or to resolve any concerns they may have.
- Question or Objection
- Acknowledge Question/Objection
- Answer Question/Objection
- Get Agreement
- Continue Presentation
Step 10: Confirming commitment
This is what to say to confirm if they want to work with you or not. This can be used by just about any program or service.
“Based on what you’ve heard so far, does this Program sound like something that you can see yourself doing and succeeding with?”
Now shut up and wait for an answer. Let them think. Don’t rush them.
If they say “No” let it be okay that they say no.
You might try, “Why don’t you think it’s a fit for you?” They will usually tell you. Have a conversation about that, but you don’t need to push. Try to find an unanswered question or objection.
If yes, ask them why they think the program is for them:
“OK, can you let me know why you think this program is for you?”
Your goal is to have your prospect reaffirm why your program is the right choice for them. You want them to buy in rather than be sold to.
We now mention a few conditions they’ll need to meet before we decide to work with them. The chief one is being coachable.
Are they willing to learn, try new things and get out of their comfort zone? Are they willing to be pushed when necessary? Will they take responsibility for their own actions, success or failure?
Step 11: Final Close – Program Overview and Price
This Program is designed to substantially grow your business. By the end of it you will have implemented a complete turn-key marketing and sales system which will consistently bring in high value clients.
The fee for this program is $XXX per month. Will that $XXX fee work for your budget right now?
Address any final concerns and questions. You may have to go back and reiterate their original desired outcomes and challenges to reaffirm their own commitment to solving them.
Step 12: Final Payment and Next Steps
If you have an agreement, go over it now. Confirm payment and congratulate them on joining your program.
This strategy will work regardless of whether you’re in professional services – Financial Planners, Solicitors, Accountants, Business Coaches or Mortgage Brokers or manufacture high end products.
However, reading this example and actually putting it into action are two different things.
You need to modify the strategy to your specific circumstances, drill and skill and learn how to handle the common objections (both voiced and unvoiced) that come your way.
My parting questions to you are:
- Are you completely happy with how your business is tracking financially?
- Making all the sales you want?
- Do you have the structure, systems and processes to support your growth?
If the answer is “no” or “not sure” to any of these, you need to take immediate action.
Our proven Marketing, Sales and Business Expansion programs will help you achieve your growth outcomes.
All you need to do is take the first step, call us and book yourself in for a preliminary strategy session where we’ll discuss your goals, challenges and decide how to move forward so you get what you want sooner.
Remember, time and tide wait for no man. Mastery takes time and effort. And an effective coach. The sooner you take the right action, the sooner you’ll get a result.
Call us on (02) 9499-7958 to book in.
Rashid & Barbara.
