Set a simple sales agenda to help close more business
Have you ever found that there often appears to be a gap in the conversation near the beginning of a sales conversation? You know the bit, it’s the one between the nicey nicey pleasantries and when you are asking your big open questions to establish your prospects need.
It always seems to be the bit when neither of you appear to be keen to get down to the real reason you are in the room, so to speak as it happens on the phone too. Endless idle chit chat about the weather, the traffic, even children and pets all seem to take up you and your prospects valuable time, when all you both want to do is trade.
That is what you are there for isn’t it?
To exchange goods or services for cash as that is what selling is all about, but how do you move the conversation forward from the lightweight stuff and get down to business.
Keep it moving
If you don’t keep the meeting moving forward neither of you will get a good deal. The consequences of not moving the meeting forward quickly enough, could be that the prospect:
- Doesn’t have enough time to make an informed decision in your favour.
- Misunderstands your offer and therefore objects to it……frequently!
- Says that they can’t make the decision alone.
- Perhaps is not even aware that they have a problem that needs solving.
It all comes down to not making a sale at the end of the day, which is not great.
Don’t panic!
There is one very simple thing that you can do to overcome this delay and close more business.
Take control and set a sales agenda
When you have a meeting with a prospect, you need to seek their permission to start selling to them. Agreeing a sales agenda will help you do just that.
By agreeing a sales agenda you will also prepare the prospect to buy from you. They will feel more relaxed and in control of the decision, but in reality it will be yourself who has the power to make the deal happen.
This is the non pushy way to sell.
[easy-tweet tweet=”Never let the other fellow set the agenda – James Baker” user=”SucceedatSellin” hashtags=”#salesmeeting”]
How to set a sales agenda
So to get things moving there are a few simple things you need to find out before you start asking your open questions to uncover your prospects needs.
Find out how long they have allowed for the meeting – Never go over this time unless the prospect says that they want you to. Over staying your welcome is way too pushy.
Ask what they want to achieve from the session – This will help you understand if they are in a position to buy during the meeting. More often than not the prospect might throw up a smokescreen and say they are only seeking more information, when in fact they are seriously looking. Great questions will help you understand this better.
Describe what you plan to do and why – Outlining how you want to handle the meeting is vital to gain your prospects commitment
Agree that there will be next steps to action at the end – It is important to remind your prospect that there will be next steps at the end of the meeting. This could be a commitment to buy, or it could just be another date in the diary. Either way sharing with your prospect your desired outcome for the meeting will help you to achieve it quicker.
Ask if anyone else is needed to implement any next steps – The last thing you want to do is try closing the business then find out that your prospect doesn’t have the power to make that decision alone.
Find out the answers to these five questions first and you will find it a lot quicker to close business and your prospects won’t consider you at all pushy. Setting a sales agenda is probably one of the best tactics you use to make every selling conversation count.
If you are struggling to keep moving the conversation forward, then apply now for your FREE Sales Accelerator call. I promise that together we will get your sales agenda back on track.
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I always take an agenda in with me to sales meetings and am constantly surprised that people are suprised that I do, but for me it shows that I’m not there to waste there time and that i consider it important
I used to do it for my benefit so I knew what I had to do. However, I now find the client finds an agenda really useful too!