Breaking Down the First Appointment (face-to-face or phone)

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Breaking Down the First Appointment (face-to-face or phone)

19-Sep-2017 Blog Sales and Marketing

Before the Meeting:

Before any 1st appointment, send the prospect the following email as your agenda:

First Name,

Looking forward to our upcoming meeting. In terms of our agenda, I would like to propose the following:

Learn about you
Share about us
Kick around some ideas
Confirm that we “fit”
Determine next steps

Then, if available, also attach a list of questions that will act as the discovery guide.

The Structure of a 1st Appointment:

		% of Time
work on career module	Start off by being “social” Review your agenda and get commitment Invite them to add to your agenda	5%
Body	Follow the acronym “SPINITH” Situation: Use your preset discovery questions to understand their current situation. Problem: Use your preset discovery questions to understand their current challenges. Dig deep. Keep asking “why” (in various ways). See “Digging Deep” module. Implication: Ask them to explain the magnitude of their need to their business. What if they did nothing? So what? Need: Ask them to define their view of their need. Have a discussion and challenge them. Are they defining a need or a symptom of a bigger problem? See “Digging Deep” module. Ideas: Begin to kick around some ideas. You are NOT offering a firm solution yet. Timing: Ask them their timing. If they have a firm answer – great but try to understand why. If not, be a consultant to help them determine their timing by reverse engineering their timeline. Hurdles: Probe about the hurdles that may stand in the way. Budget? Board approval? Other priorities? Other options they have? What else? This is a critical step that cannot be missed.	55% 15% 15%
Closing	Re-state their needs and your ideas. Get their c onfirmation that you two organizations conceptually “fit”. Establish and commit to definitive next actions All will have a when (date/time), what and who	5% 5%

% of Time

work on career
module

Start off by being “social”
Review your agenda and get commitment
Invite them to add to your agenda

Body

Follow the acronym “SPINITH”

Situation: Use your preset discovery questions to understand
their current situation.

Problem: Use your preset discovery questions to understand their
current challenges. Dig deep. Keep asking “why” (in various ways). See
“Digging Deep” module.

Implication: Ask them to explain the magnitude of their need to
their business. What if they did nothing? So what?

Need: Ask them to define their view of their need. Have a
discussion and challenge them. Are they defining a need or a symptom of
a bigger problem? See “Digging Deep” module.

Ideas: Begin to kick around some ideas. You are NOT offering a
firm solution yet.

Timing: Ask them their timing. If they have a firm answer – great
but try to understand why. If not, be a consultant to help them
determine their timing by reverse engineering their timeline.

Hurdles: Probe about the hurdles that may stand in the way.
Budget? Board approval? Other priorities? Other options they have? What
else? This is a critical step that cannot be missed.

55%
15%
15%

Closing

Re-state their needs and your ideas. Get their

onfirmation that you two organizations conceptually “fit”.
Establish and commit to definitive next actions
All will have a when (date/time), what and who

5%
5%

A few Tips:

Ask lots of “open” questions … those that do not trigger a “yes” or “no”answer
This meeting is about “them” … not YOU or us

Avoid pitching and don’t try to sell. A first appointment is often not pitch what you do.
Stick to your meeting agenda

Show empathy – show you understand what is truly happening in their business. The best way to do this is to repeat back to them what they said

Don’t fall into the trap of talking too much (about yourself, products and company)
Never leave a meeting without a next action no matter how simple it maybe;

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