5 tips for a productive sales meeting

How do you know when you have had a successful meeting? When you review your performance, what measures have you got in place? What does good look like?

If the meeting went well and you made a sale, you probably view the meeting as successful. However there are other measures or objectives, in addition to making a sale, which all contribute to a successful meeting.

In fact you should have five meeting objectives for every meeting. Five ‘no fail’ things you must achieve on completion of a sales meeting.

1. Get the Business - the principle objective. Complete the sales order, fill in the order form, and take a deposit - whatever it takes to get the business.

2. Fact Find - take the golden opportunity while you are in front of your client to find out more about them. Discuss their upcoming campaigns, their problems, their preferences, their ‘to do’ lists, what gets them annoyed, what interests them etc.

3. Book your next meeting - get out both diaries while you are there and get a date. Do this and avoid the task of going through a receptionist, secretary or gate keeper.

4. Sell a campaign - Something your company does that hasn’t yet been discussed with this client. Maybe it is a product or service that is on special offer, two for the price of one, or limited availability.

5. Ask for a referral - people know people. People recommend products all the time and are happy to recommend a good pub or restaurant. The same goes for business, ask whether there is anyone else who might benefit from your offering – who else can you talk to? Even better would be to get your customer to sending an introductory email or phone call to let them know you will be calling.

Do these five things - they should occur naturally during the meeting and then you really know you have given it your best.