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Preparing a Key Corporate Resource To Meet With Your Customer
In last month's March TTS newsletter we addressed Robert's question about coaching his team to prepare for critical meetings with key clients. We shared the TTS Executive Meeting Pre-Call Planning Guide with him. Let's say Robert utilized the Guide and has successfully prepared his rep, Nancy. Nancy is happy to announce that she has secured the meeting with a key account executive. Nancy wants Robert to attend for corporate presence and necessary authorization for possible terms. Now the tables are turned. How should Nancy prepare Robert for this meeting?
This month we will help Nancy prepare for this all important face-to-face. Lest you think that
your Manager, Corporate Executive or Key Technical Specialist "knows the ropes" and needs no preparation, beware! Maybe you have been as stunned as I was in the past. I can recall one instance where I had negotiated a multi-million dollar deal having worked for over a year on its particulars. I had convinced my client that he had negotiated the best possible discount. I had worked tediously to justify every aspect of the agreement, and brought my manager into a meeting with my customer for the final stamp of approval.
How shocking it was to watch my manager succumb to demands I had previously averted! Next thing you know he was increasing the customer's discount voluntarily and caving on other terms. Dismayed and feeling my credibility shot down, I vowed to never let that happen again. How can you prevent this scenario?
Here are a few key points to help you plan and prepare for your meeting. Remember:
- YOU are the orchestra conductor/quarterback. Your corporate resource is another essential part of your orchestra/team. The resource may be your manager, or your manager's manager, or even the CEO of your company. You, however, still own the customer relationship and are 100% responsible for the success or failure of the meeting. You decide what happens. For example, you may decide to appoint your resource as quarterback during the actual customer meeting. However, you call the plays. You lead and own all the preparation and meeting follow up.
- Never assume that your resource possesses key selling skills. Don't be fooled by age, experience or title. Your resource needs to be carefully guided on exactly what the goal of the meeting is, what his role is and exactly what he should say.
- Never assume that the resource knows the account the way that you do. You must do your best to bring her up to speed.
- You must insist upon ample time to prepare you resource. A five-minute meeting in the lobby prior to the meeting is NOT preparation. No, this would be "winging it", along with creating cause for "special assignment" (time to look for employment elsewhere).
Here are some key questions you can ask yourself while preparing:
- What is the goal for the meeting?
- Do you have the right resource to accomplish this goal?
- Is this the right time to be utilizing this key resource?
- Would you gain more value if the meeting were delayed?
Below is the TTS Guide to Preparing a Key Corporate Resource To Meet With Your Customer:
GENERAL:- Meeting date, time and location
- Company
- Dress Code
- Depending on the goal for the meeting, BMPCC - S may be appropriate to review.
OPPORTUNITY & TOTAL DOLLARS:- Include historic and potential future value of this client where appropriate.
MEETING GOAL(S):- Outline meeting goals clearly.
YOUR COMPANY ATTENDEES:- Delineate roles and responsibilities
CLIENT ATTENDEES/TITLES:- Review all relevant personal data on each attendee and her involvement with the negotiations
MEETING AGENDA:- Include topic, owner and estimated time allocated
WARNING/SENSITIVE TOPICS: - List any key issues to prevent surprises
CLIENT BACKGROUND -- IDENTIFY:- Key corporate goals & initiatives for the current year
- Your client's main competitors
- Recent relevant news items
- CEO's name
- Key pertinent financial data.
Robert, you and your team are now set for very successful and productive key client meetings. Nancy, you are ready to prepare Robert effectively! Enjoy your meetings. Good Luck, and Close 'Em!
P.S. For Dan's previous TTS Newsletters click HERE.
P.S.S. Be sure to visit www.salesstrategizer.com for the new Sales Strategizer-Pro iPhone app. The Sales Strategizer-Pro offers the following unique benefits to sales managers and representatives:
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Analyzes data input to provide intelligence in the form of recommendations for the proper major account sales strategy (strategies) to employ
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Consolidates user inputs to illustrate the chances of winning with an indicator gauge and digital readout
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Submits "red flag" coaching feedback with action items to improve chances of winning
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Coaches and explains why inputs are critical by providing hyperlinks in each question
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Presents a simple and concise summary report to facilitate coaching & major account review
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Provides summary report e-mail capability for sharing and printing
- Creates a database to store account Strategizer results for subsequent updates and modifications
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FOR INSPIRATION: "There is only one boss. The customer! And he can fire everybody in the company from the chairman on down, simply by spending his money somewhere else." -Sam Walton
"People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did,
but people will never forget how you made them feel"
-Maya Angelou
"If not now, when?" -Hillel
"Good is the enemy of great." -Jim Collins
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