A few weeks ago, I told you why the Enterprise-level meeting/ conference call is the sexiest part of the B2B sales cycle and what steps should be taken to land it.
Once you’ve received a commitment to talk or meet, there are a few things you want to do to make sure the meeting goes smoothly.
Some of these prep methods may seem ticky-tacky but understand that you want to go over every detail so that it goes off without a hitch.
One seemingly tiny gaffe could be the catalyst for losing the prospect’s respect in an instant.
Secure and Schedule the Meeting
- Verify that your bridge line/ video feed work
- Test the numbers, participation codes and cameras (clear background)
- Send a calendar invite to confirmed parties using your scheduling tool
- Check that time zones are set properly
There’s nothing worse than spending weeks or months prospecting, getting department heads to commit to a presentation (phone) then being late or missing a meeting because of a bonehead move like mixing up time zones or giving out the wrong number.
Set a reminder for the meeting in your calendar the day before the event.
In case you have other meetings or calls scheduled, you want to give yourself ample time to prepare while still managing your other responsibilities.
If it’s a straight conversation, this isn’t that big a deal but if your solution requires interactive materials for a demo, you want to test them first.
Preparation/ Research
Never skimp on due-diligence. A five-point approach will usually do the trick:
1) Their website: Has concise and up to date information on products, locations, annual reports/ 10-K’s and 10-Q’s (if they’re public), executive profiles/ bios and latest news.
2) Zoominfo/ DiscoverOrg/ InsideView/ leadIQ/ Wiki: These will often pull company info in from various public sources so there may be additional ammunition that’s not on their site that could be useful in the meeting.
3) Linkedin: Use this to cross-reference contacts to see if there are any viable networking connections. Check their employment history for commonalities.
4) CRM Recon: Go back and pull notes from your conversations with everyone you spoke to leading up to the conference call. Have them close by for the meeting.
5) Buddy Up: If it’s a monster or tricky deal, get a second set of eyes on your prep or just invite them to the call.
***
Often times, an exec will ask who else you’ve spoken to at the company or how exactly you singled them out.
You should have those contacts, their positions and the gist of your conversations at your fingertips just in case.
This matters because:
- When execs are interviewing vendors, they need to be confident in their final decision because it could have financial or operational implications to their team, department or potentially, the entire organization.
- When evaluating your proposition, it behooves them to know where the directive that led to your meeting originated.
- Just as they weigh your credibility, they must also gauge the source of the internal referral and trust that it won’t cause any negative repercussions once your solution is implemented. CYA.
Handle Your Business
Getting a meeting with a Fortune 500 company is a score.
As a whole, you’re better served being over-prepared because otherwise, you risk blowing a gig you spent weeks trying to secure.
Be meticulous.
Spend the extra time on research as this could be the difference between winning or losing the business.
Oh, and for those of you working from home – dress accordingly.
Simply putting on office gear before jumping onto a call will put you in a professional head-space.
And if you’re on Skype or a video conference, put some pants on cos you never know when Amazon’s gonna come a knockin’.
Introductions
It’s been emblazoned inside of Salespeople’s heads universally that buyers buy from people they like.
True. But, just because you’re likable doesn’t mean a prospect will buy from you.
Starting a conference call by bro-ing your C-Level prospect or leaning in with “we girls gotta stick together” is bad form.
If they initiate the super-duper casual, don’t get sucked in too deep.
The introduction of a conference call should be light, cordial and brief.
If you’re pitching a complex solution, there are probably two or three other execs on the line or in the meeting.
Clock’s ticking, so pace yourself.
The net-net is that your vibe, behavior and body language are being scrutinized and will convey one of two things: Trust or Tool.
Tip: Don’t get all bro-tastical and yaya sisterhood in a meeting; you’ll kill your game before it even starts.
Conference Call Trajectory
First and foremost, ask yourself What You Want Out of This Call.
Having a clear goal will help you stay focused through its entirety.
Your meeting will start one of two ways. They’ll initiate or you will.
This depends on the granularity of past communication, whether it’s a round-table discussion or a straight up, put-em-to-sleep PowerPoint situation followed by Q & A.
Depending on the solution, many sales agents send a meeting agenda beforehand so the call is structured.
Others prefer a deep-dive where prospects dictate the trajectory and they ride that wave.
Both are fine as long as you’re prepared.
Stay nimble and keep your Call Objective front and center.
Quick Check List:
- Watch the clock.
- Know all participants’ names and titles so when addressing them, you speak to their respective competencies.
- If you’re on with legal and IT, don’t spout legalese to the IT guy/ gal and visa-versa.
- If you’re with your authority-expert (on a call), announce yourselves when speaking so they always know who’s on the mic.
- Ask high-level questions in line with the C-Level Suite.
For those of us without photographic memories:
Take notes when meeting with a team.
Execs will piggyback on each other’s questions not leaving time for you to answer in between.
Jotting quick notes from their first question will keep you on track when you circle back after answering their second or third.
One Happy Meeting
Assuming you’re killing it through the halfway point and handling this agenda like a boss, you’ll get a warm fuzzy feeling throughout your entire body.
Everyone’s loosened up and it’s obvious by the tone of their voices, they’re smiling as they talk.
Clearly, they’ve witnessed that you’re not only likable, but you know your s*#@ too!
Something magical begins to happen.
They start talking among themselves like you weren’t even there.
The team, having a firm grasp on your solution, will say things like: “Who in that department would be responsible for gathering the data on ABC?” Or, “based on today’s conversation, I don’t see any conflicts with any of our other XYZ’s and so on….”
For the love of Christ on a Bike – when this happens, don’t say a word!
Fight the temptation to interject and sweeten the pot with whatever.
Not a peep until you’re brought back into the fray.
The team is selling themselves on your solution and tightening up their action to sell your initiative internally.
The Truth Ruth
- Not all calls are gonna rock.
- Not all calls will have executives setting timelines for deliverables at the tail end of the meeting.
- Not all calls will have you squashing objections with both hands tied behind your back.
- Not all calls will have participants give you buying signals.
Some calls no matter how much you prepare will be difficult.
You’ll be tested, you’ll screw up, technology will fail you or you’ll forget what’s her face’s name during the meeting.
Prepare for each meeting as if it were a job interview.
Execs will invite their expert-authorities or subordinates, paralegals and EA’s to take notes or coordinate future correspondence.
Feel free to do the same.
Since you’re sales, one of your engineers or analysts might articulate the technical aspects of your solution better than you.
Use them whenever appropriate.
Bringing another voice onto a meeting is a highly effective maneuver that adds credibility and alleviates any concerns from the prospect knowing you’ve got a deep bench.
Meeting Adjourned
As you’re winding down the conference call, a brief recap has an expert’s touch.
Based on what we’ve discussed, it’s my understanding that X is interested in exploring Y, but needs to verify with department Z if ABC is DEF.
Following our conversation, John will _____, Sally will _____ and I will send you the specs on XXX.
Pending your review, which should take X weeks per Sally, we’ll reconvene on (date) to discuss _______ , address_________ and then finalize our engagement no later than (date).
Does this work for everyone?
John, will you be making the final decision and be the signatory?
And Sally, are you the main POC once engaged?
Here’s what this accomplishes:
- You’ve assumed the sale with good reason
- Responsibilities are assigned on both ends in preparation for the next meeting
- Decision maker, signatory and POC are identified and confirmed
- A follow-up date is set (send invites after the call)
- The target date for closing the deal is forecasted
Keep Your Mind on Your Meetings and Your Meetings on Your Mind
My closing ratio following a conference call is above 85%.
Yes, they may take months to get but once scheduled and conducted using basic guidelines, the likelihood of closing the deal grows exponentially.
The interdepartmental conference call or meeting is essential to the consultative B2B process in complex sales.
It should always be your goal to get as many people as possible in a room at the same time.
And, when your hear your Manager on a loop during The Cold-Call Power Hour sayin’ – sell the meeting, sell the meeting, sell the meeting…..
They’re not making you drink The Fool-Aid.
They’re laying down a proven recipe for success – take heed.