Diagnose Before Prescribing
How you can improve your sales meetings to make them more effective
Let’s say you were feeling ill. You had a variety of symptoms but didn’t know the underlying cause.
You went to see your doctor. To your surprise (and chagrin), he didn’t examine you. He didn’t even ask any questions.
He simply handed you a prescription slip and said “Take two of these a day for the next week and you’ll be fine.”
After leaving the office, you wonder “How can he prescribe without a diagnosis?”
A lot of salespeople do the same thing. They present a solution without knowing the prospect’s problem.
The results are predictable. They include lost sales, delayed decisions, frustrated prospects, and a lot of wasted time all around.
A Dialogue, not a Monologue
It’s tempting to turn an initial meeting with Mary, your prospect, into a presentation. After all, you’re enthusiastic about your company’s services. And you have lots of information to share.
She doesn’t care.
All Mary cares about is solving her problems. But you don’t even know what her problems are. You have to ask first.
You have three objectives for an initial meeting with Mary:
- Building rapport
- Identifying a problem that (a) she thinks is important and (b) you can solve
- Agreeing on next steps
After exchanging pleasantries, say something like “Mary, thanks for taking the time to meet. I’d like to briefly tell you what we do and then ask some questions to see if we can help you. Is that OK with you? And it’s possible that we may not be able to help after all.”
This takes the pressure off Mary. She’ll be more inclined to open up if she knows she won’t be subjected to the hard sell.
Then, do not launch into a 10-minute monologue about your services. Rather, give a brief description of your results (not your services). Emphasize why they may be relevant to Mary’s situation.
And ditch the slides. Don’t even bring out any paper. You want to have a conversation.
Observe the 80/20 Rule
You’ve probably heard of the 80/20 rule. It often applies to situations where 80% of the sales come from 20% of the customers.
The 80/20 rule applies to sales meetings as well. In this case, let the Mary do 80% of the talking.
You’re trying to find Mary’s “pain.” A doctor would say “where does it hurt?” A good salesperson is a business doctor.
Start by asking about Mary’s goals and challenges (in the context of your services). Once you identify a key problem area, drill down with specific questions such as:
- How high a priority is this for you? Why?
- What is it costing you not to make the change?
- What opportunities are you missing? How much is that worth to you?
- What would prompt you to make the change?
- What’s your timetable for making the change?
One of the benefits of this approach is that Mary can sell herself on your services. You’re forcing her to think through her problem.
Also, you’ll learn how badly “it hurts.” If Mary is not in acute pain, she may not be motivated to act. Then, she may not be a good prospect, at least in the short term.
An Eight Point Checklist for a Successful First Meeting
- Prepare — Research the company and its issues as well as Mary’s bio. Plan your questions in advance
- Converse — Ditch the pitch. Start a conversation.
- Stay Focused — Resist the temptation to describe your services or discuss side issues
- Probe — Find her pain by asking questions
- Summarize — Repeat her answers to confirm your understanding is correct
- Emphasize Results — Talk about your results, not your services
- Agree on Next Steps — Get a commitment to a next meeting or to a deliverable
- Leave Promptly — Leave after the scheduled meeting time has elapsed unless invited to stay longer.
About the Author | Peter Helmer
Peter Helmer is a principal in The Sales Management Group (SMG) which provides interim sales management and sales consulting services to middle-market companies. SMG works with CEOs and sales leaders to improve sales efficiency and effectiveness. SMG’s services include: sales audits, compensation plans, sales leader onboarding, and territory management plans. Peter writes the Sales Management Blog.
