The Power of Sending Agendas!
You arrive to your first appointment with a new client, well prepared and enthusiastic. Small talk is exchanged for a minute and suddenly the client stops, looks you straight in the eye, and demands, “So, what’cha got for me?”
This scenario can throw any collected sales professional off his or her mental train tracks, and puts the client squarely in control of the conversation.
Here is a very simple method to reduce the likelihood of this occurring: send a short agenda to your client 4-5 days before your appointment!
It may read something like this:
Dear Mr. Client,
I am looking forward to our meeting scheduled for April 12th at 3:00PM at your office. In preparation for our conversation, here are the topics I would like to explore with you:
(Succinctly list 4-5 topics, as long agendas can be off-putting and show disregard for the client’s schedule.)
Is there anything in addition that you would like to discuss? Please let me know so that I can add your items and be fully prepared to discuss them.
I look forward to seeing you. I have set aside 30 minutes as agreed.
Sincerely,
Ms. Top Salesperson
Why do top salespeople use this basic strategy? An agenda communicates that you are preparing for the appointment, and encourages your client to do the same. You will both maximize your time, and avoid leaving a meeting with important topics unexplored. Your client will perceive you as organized and professional, even before the first handshake is exchanged. Most importantly, you will have established a road map that will provide focus and drive action with your customer.
Ready to take this technique to the next level? Use thought-provoking questions as your topics to extract high-level information, and open the door to the solutions that your expertise can offer.
If you do this one thing, your calls will be significantly better. I guarantee it!
Think about it!