{"id":477,"date":"2022-12-12T18:30:00","date_gmt":"2022-12-12T13:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/humantic.ai\/blog\/?p=477"},"modified":"2022-12-08T20:01:21","modified_gmt":"2022-12-08T14:31:21","slug":"how-to-crush-your-next-sales-meeting","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/humantic.ai\/blog\/how-to-crush-your-next-sales-meeting\/","title":{"rendered":"How to crush your next sales meeting"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>In an ideal world, a successful sales meeting would be a piece of cake. You go swinging with a strong pitch, <a href=\"https:\/\/humantic.ai\/blog\/handle-sales-objections-with-personality-ai\/\">handle prospects\u2019 objections<\/a> effortlessly, and close the deal \u2013 all in the same call.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But in reality, most sales meetings are uphill battles. You walk in barely prepared (and often enough, unprepared) and fail to answer prospects\u2019 questions \u2013 at least to their expectations. Then you watch the opportunity slip through your fingers. So close, yet so far. Yet another lead lost.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If this sounds familiar, you need to level up your meeting preparedness to be in control of your sales calls, build rapport, and move them further down the sales funnel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Thankfully, you don\u2019t have to look any further to up your game. We\u2019ve compiled an ultimate sales meeting preparation checklist to make every call feel like you\u2019re cruising down the highway instead of a rollercoaster ride.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-ht-block-toc  is-style-outline htoc htoc--position-wide toc-list-style-plain\" data-htoc-state=\"expanded\"><span class=\"htoc__title\"><span class=\"ht_toc_title\">Table of Contents<\/span><span class=\"htoc__toggle\"><svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"16\" height=\"16\"><g fill=\"#444\"><path d=\"M15 7H1c-.6 0-1 .4-1 1s.4 1 1 1h14c.6 0 1-.4 1-1s-.4-1-1-1z\"><\/path><path d=\"M15 1H1c-.6 0-1 .4-1 1s.4 1 1 1h14c.6 0 1-.4 1-1s-.4-1-1-1zM15 13H1c-.6 0-1 .4-1 1s.4 1 1 1h14c.6 0 1-.4 1-1s-.4-1-1-1z\"><\/path><\/g><\/svg><\/span><\/span><div class=\"htoc__itemswrap\"><ul class=\"ht_toc_list\"><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#htoc-different-facets-of-preparing-for-a-sales-meeting\">Different facets of sales meeting prep<\/a><ul class=\"ht_toc_child_list\"><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#htoc-be-fully-aware-of-who-you-re-pitching-to\">Be fully aware of who you\u2019re pitching to<\/a><\/li><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#htoc-know-more-about-the-space-they-operate-in\">Know more about the space they operate in<\/a><\/li><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#htoc-set-a-structured-agenda-and-respect-their-time\">Set a structured agenda and respect their time<\/a><\/li><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#htoc-learn-more-about-the-decision-makers\">Learn more about the decision-makers&nbsp;<\/a><\/li><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#htoc-designate-time-and-workflows-for-follow-up-actions\">Designate time and workflows for follow-up actions<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#htoc-ultimate-sales-meeting-preparation-checklist\">Ultimate sales meeting preparation checklist<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"htoc-different-facets-of-preparing-for-a-sales-meeting\">Different facets of sales meeting prep<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"htoc-be-fully-aware-of-who-you-re-pitching-to\"><strong>Be fully aware of who you\u2019re pitching to<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>First order of business\u2014know who you&#8217;re selling to. This might seem a no-brainer, but it\u2019s unbelievable how often this can get overlooked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Zero in on your prospects with a research memo covering details like:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Sale size&nbsp;<\/li><li>Company size<\/li><li>Primary offering(s)<\/li><li>Vendor relationships<\/li><li>Ideal customer profiles<\/li><li>Pain points (most important)<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>The exercise of putting together a research memo will also enlighten you on whether a deal is worth chasing in the first place. What if you need 50 HR professionals in a team for this to be a viable opportunity and you find out there\u2019s only 13?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In an ideal case scenario, you will go into the discovery call to confirm your suspicions rather than to interrogate a blank page.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Don\u2019t go into a sales call with the intent of <em>winging it<\/em>. Instead, do your homework to show prospects your efforts to understand their company and challenges.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"htoc-know-more-about-the-space-they-operate-in\"><strong>Know more about the space they operate in<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The next best step is to understand the industry your prospects belong to. Learn more about the target market, their customers, the competitors\u2014the whole nine yards. This will help understand how they fare in the industry and identify the gaps they\u2019re trying to fill.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Use this information to contextualize their pain points and create a compelling offer to take them to the promised land.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Here\u2019s a checklist by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/kyletcoleman\/\">Kyle Coleman<\/a> to help you prepare for a sales call:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image is-style-default\"><figure class=\"aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/lh5.googleusercontent.com\/SCmrPfucbA2ByJ_rcpbQl6Md-qUCT5hzL3Zv9LAV5mQ7tAdwxt2BvNZ3oGQ9Ul1mfA1d2k0rfDKuFOg41y-T--eOmEBZo9gTW8m9sPQNCF6jt0VEVPHxM1VU-URBRIiBh5Ol-KvbWPQtChbFhVn7VfJe6OAUwl8zG13jfUpQrTtet3rDZDz_qPI7GPcAjQ\" alt=\"A meeting checklist by Kyle Coleman\"\/><figcaption><a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/posts\/kyletcoleman_sales-sdr-activity-6972584514493521920-XhIC?utm_source=share&amp;utm_medium=member_desktop\">Source<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"htoc-set-a-structured-agenda-and-respect-their-time\"><strong>Set a structured agenda and respect their time<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Let&#8217;s face it: poorly planned sales calls create friction for your prospects and hurt your sales performance. So, once you&#8217;ve done the legwork to know your prospects fully, it&#8217;s time to make a meeting agenda.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>By sharing a meeting agenda <em>before <\/em>the actual call, you can show prospects that you respect their time and will stick to a defined schedule. More importantly, an agenda can keep you on the right track, making the call meaningful for both parties.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Here\u2019s a handy list of items to include in your meeting agenda:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Objectives&nbsp;<\/li><li>Main points of discussion<\/li><li>Next steps<\/li><li>Slot for Q&amp;A&nbsp;<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>An agenda creates guardrails to keep you in control of your sales meetings. It also shows prospects your approach to sales calls, making a good impression.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"htoc-learn-more-about-the-decision-makers\"><strong>Learn more about the decision-makers&nbsp;<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Sales reps often drop the ball when it comes to knowing the actual decision-makers for a potential account. Doing your research about the company is great, but it\u2019s not enough.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>That\u2019s because <a href=\"https:\/\/hbswk.hbs.edu\/item\/the-subconscious-mind-of-the-consumer-and-how-to-reach-it\">95% of buying decisions<\/a> are made by the subconscious mind. People buy based on emotions and justify these decisions using logic. So, you have to go a step further to understand the company\u2019s decision-makers\u2014<em>your main buyers<\/em>\u2014and deliver an emotionally-driven and personalized pitch.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>No two buyers think alike. So, to win their buy-in and convince them of the next steps, you have to be aware of their:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Decision drivers<\/li><li>Thought process<\/li><li>Communication style&nbsp;<\/li><li>Decision-making parameters&nbsp;<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Put simply, you have to understand their personality to know how to nudge them toward a purchase decision. This is where Humantic AI can do all the heavy lifting for you.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>With the <a href=\"https:\/\/humantic.ai\/product\/personality-ai-assistant\">Humantic Personality AI Assistant<\/a>, you can learn more about a prospect in just 30 seconds. Go to a decision-maker&#8217;s LinkedIn profile, and the tool will create a detailed report revealing their personality traits and decision-making style.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Here&#8217;s a snippet of the Humantic Personality AI Assistant&#8217;s report.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-1 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image is-style-default\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/lh4.googleusercontent.com\/QsfxEIe_ZkXgLG38vYpeUjSycd7VxUyZZ9RdaZWknZjazHJKg4Fq5qgkZlRkH3VsWbPTX2oq9DcNp-XKFa_oi-AvuQFgF6ZuXXqxHuBIyN8d1RsGjiI6pfAc444IroptcasxkElFGEO5d1rG1dvkD_zxSlJYFXk8cCYLI-fpQniq53EJZ8kfXZaJAuGbCQ\" alt=\"Niraj Kapur, sales leader's personality summary. To be kept in mind when getting into a sales meeting with him.\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image is-style-default\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/lh6.googleusercontent.com\/AUKfP6czqCHOasdSlBd_lsVA7tz6dRA3KI6m8R2CCgZB-UpzySuasZnvTdjQbu3TjbrqAfjB49w3PIy_fmK_o0UwyuFexISM6GfGBqIBWrTb6Qhrc6asLFV8j9QMMlNTiS9NN3226PQlkMQTSlwYZCxI9sH5PcEGrgVvcAq5_blNBYe_WuPNrJKClvU5yQ\" alt=\"Niraj Kapur's DISC personality\"\/><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>The best part? With Humantic AI\u2019s all-new calendar integration, you\u2019ll automatically get a prospect\u2019s personality analysis before an upcoming meeting.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"htoc-designate-time-and-workflows-for-follow-up-actions\"><strong>Designate time and workflows for follow-up actions<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>It takes an average of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.rainsalestraining.com\/sales-research\/sales-prospecting-research\">eight touches<\/a> to book an initial sales meeting. But this discovery call is just the first step. The overall sales cycle includes three main stages:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Interest<\/li><li>Consideration<\/li><li>Commitment&nbsp;<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>To take your leads from a place of interest to that of commitment, you have to consistently follow up with them and reiterate the value you can deliver\u2014until they\u2019re ready to seal the deal.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So, set up automated workflows to check in with your leads regularly. <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/dylan_bridger\">Dylan Bridger<\/a> shares some actionable tips to follow up after a call.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image is-style-default\"><figure class=\"aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/lh6.googleusercontent.com\/0hNgYuyAMc61yezxFo84yFj_gRXhJgX0G8BnFk4ra2uDR6iLPMnSks2e6QU5KMAgn_JRi8LLk-iHcsrhnbKbC_g6fS-0pQ2Rz_q3xAly8y_t5w5N6xQ4T6wfq4enm9YymAN-NeOFg5lGs9egO_0P6cf9FwWZK9LYfDmQLMvC9iYJSxHNye1Z_oyUm5DRUg\" alt=\"\"\/><figcaption><a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/dylan_bridger\/status\/1578702042604130304\">Source<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"htoc-ultimate-sales-meeting-preparation-checklist\"><strong>Ultimate sales meeting preparation checklist<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Be fully aware of who you\u2019re pitching to<\/li><li>Know more about the space they operate in<\/li><li>Set a structured agenda and respect their time<\/li><li>Learn more about the decision-makers&nbsp;<\/li><li>Designate time and workflows for follow-up actions<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"htoc-ace-your-sales-meetings-with-the-right-approach\"><strong>Ace your sales meetings with the right approach<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>That\u2019s a wrap on sales meeting prep essentials. Use this checklist to make your sales preparation as airtight as possible and ramp up your sales performance.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Remember: if you want to appeal to your buyers\u2019 emotions, you have to know their personality traits well enough and understand how they make decisions. Try <a href=\"https:\/\/humantic.ai\/\">Humantic AI<\/a> (and particularly, its calendar integration) to get an in-depth view of your prospects\u2019 personality and tailor your pitch to their preferred style. You&#8217;ll be one step closer to making the sale!&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"htoc-if-you-d-like-to-dive-deep-into-these-tips-here-are-our-recommended-reads\">If you&#8217;d like to dive deep into these sales meeting prep tips, here are our recommended reads:<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li><a href=\"https:\/\/puremuir.com\/28-sales-questions-research-prospective-client\/\">28 Sales Questions to Research Your Prospective Client \u2013 James Muir<\/a>&nbsp;<\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.salesforce.com\/blog\/10-secrets-to-a-successful-sales-meeting-agenda\/\">10 Secrets To a Successful Sales Meeting Agenda<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/blog.close.com\/follow-up\/\">12 Sales Follow-Up Techniques for Maximum Results in 2022<\/a><\/li><\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A comprehensive checklist to help you walk into every sales meeting well prepare. Dive in and get started right from today.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":485,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mi_skip_tracking":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3,27],"tags":[25,28],"class_list":{"0":"post-477","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-sales-prospecting","8":"category-sales-meetings","9":"tag-account-executives","10":"tag-sdrs"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/humantic.ai\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/477","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/humantic.ai\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/humantic.ai\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/humantic.ai\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/7"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/humantic.ai\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=477"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/humantic.ai\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/477\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":486,"href":"https:\/\/humantic.ai\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/477\/revisions\/486"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/humantic.ai\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/485"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/humantic.ai\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=477"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/humantic.ai\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=477"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/humantic.ai\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=477"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}