Working with a young sales team recently, I got pushback on my idea that we should ask customers questions right at the start of a meeting.
When I mentioned that I like to begin First Discovery meetings by asking:
“What do you already know about us (our company)?” or
“What made you decide to meet with me?”
My young sales professionals looked at me in horror with responses like:
“That sounds like we’re testing them!”
“Isn’t it our job to tell them about us? That’s why they’re meeting with us.”
“What if they have the wrong information about what we do??”
“The meeting would go off-the-rails right away.”
They had been taught that a good first meeting should begin with a presentation of their company, the equivalent of which I see all the time:
It's called: “Why You Should Work With Our Very Good 100-Year-Old Company.” *
The company was clearly established, well-respected, and making great money in a traditional industry, so obviously what they were doing was working!
Plus the young vibrant sales team felt confident and in-control with this format of meeting.
Why was I messing with what was working?? Because...
They could be doing so much better. A new competitor had been steadily gaining marketshare in other cities where their reputation wasn't as well-known.
What we discovered is that prospects were simply tolerating these first meetings because of the brand's long-standing service record.
Senior buyers only showed up in the second or third meeting...when they knew the seller's next step was "a facility tour" (aka- now it's about us.)
Here's why their competitor was gaining marketshare:
When we sell in this traditional way- which is:
Sales Presentation
Discussion in the time leftover
We actually:
Unnecessarily extend the sales process.
Skew our forecasting.
Ignore modern decision-making.
Let’s dive a bit deeper into this.
First,
By talking about ourselves- our company and our products- it takes LONGER to get to what the prospect or customer really wants and why they are meeting with us.
The customer is like a kid in line at the ice cream truck…just waiting until it’s their turn.
We’re wasting 20 minutes (or more- many sales presentations take 40 minutes of a 1-hour meeting) of time that we could be hearing from the customer.
Why not let them talk first, then match what you sell to what you heard from them?
Salespeople push back on this concept of asking some BIG questions in a first meeting, because they worry that it's "too soon" to dig deep into how serious the Buyers are about the purchase.
Nope. Not true. You'd be surprised what customers will tell you if you just ask.
If you let the customer speak first, both parties will figure out quickly whether there should be subsequent discussions, saving everyone time and earning you a reputation as smart and efficient.
Get to what matters to them faster.
Second,
When we present our products and services, we feel in control.
We’re doing our job of “selling” because we’re informing these prospects about all the services and products we can provide.
Most salespeople present well. We leave confident that it was “a good meeting.”
Here's the problem: our own sense of accomplishment when we "had a good presentation" skews and over-exaggerates the actual interest of the Buyer.
If we were doing most of the talking, we probably didn’t ask enough questions about when, how and why this customer might want to purchase.
If we didn't ask questions like: "What other priorities could interrupt or would accelerate this purchase?" then we don't have clear insight into their Buying cycle.
Really what we've forecasted in our CRM is our level of Presentation skills, not a deep analysis of why, when, and how the purchase might be made.
Third,
Our customers have the internet.
Your prospects are smart people.
Most Buyers have already done research on you and your company before this first meeting. They already know that you were founded in 1999.
In fact, they can find out a lot about your products and services before you set foot in their door or show up on their screen.
You know what adults love? Being told things they already know.
So why not just ask them kindly and curiously (tone matters) in the first 6 minutes of the meeting… what questions do they already have? How and where do THEY THINK your company can help?
You’ll be able to gauge quickly if you need to share a bit more information on your offerings, or course-correct any misunderstandings.
You also need to be well-informed about their company: you should be asking questions about things you can't find on their website.
The world of modern selling means informed, collaborative conversations and an egalitarian relationship.
Stop beginning your sales relationship with a presentation that the customer silently judges and has to wait to speak.
In conclusion:
Yes. Asking questions FIRST means you will be less in control.
You’ll have to be less “present-y” and more consultative. That scares the average salesperson. But you're not average.
You'll also get to what matters to the customer sooner and if the sale proceeds, you've already started with a more collaborative relationship.
Curious Salespeople know they Were Made to Sell Better.
Cheers,
Jenn
PS. *not the actual name of the presentation. (Actually, it could be...)
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