When you combine expert facilitation with visual representations of the outcomes that were achieved in a collaborative manner, you have a living reminder of the work you accomplished together. And most important, you have a map that you can use to help the rest of your employees understand why it is important to change the way the company is doing something.
Here are five key points to consider in preparation to make your initial call on a prospective customer. No, they’re not about putting brochures in a folder or loading up the power point!
Acceleration. It’s the difference between a 4-cylinder Civic and a V-8 Jag. Both can cruise at highway speeds, but only one can gain more speed while it’s already moving fast. In the business world, the desire to move faster often causes management to exercise more central control. One foot on the gas, one set of hands on the wheel, one eye on the road, and one on the rear view mirror. It’s a one-person show – too risky to share.
At some point in your sales process, your team will deliver “the big pitch.” This event could take place at your place of business or at your prospect’s office. If you invite them to your place of business, we call it “The Big Show.” If you are visiting them, it’s “The Road Show.” This isn’t just your usually Monday meeting. This is a big deal. Don’t assume that just because you got the meeting that you got the deal. You and your team have to rock it! Below are some best practices for a winning presentation.
What should happen when you first meet with a new prospect? Here are five tips to make that first meeting a good one.
What happens after a meeting is over? Do you have quick and easy ways to share the outcomes and next steps, both with people who were there and others with a “need to know” who weren’t there? Meetings are a huge waste of time if you don’t share the outcomes and follow up on the […]
How many times have you come out of a meeting with more work than you had before you went in? And just having lost an hour or two or more of time in which to get it done? It’s no wonder busy people hate meetings! The answer to that dilemma is to change the way […]
The delightful phrase repeated by a recorded voice in the London tube warns passengers to “mind the gap.” If you speak “American,” typically you find this quaint and amusing. We of course would say something more foreboding and less memorable: Warning: Severe injury or death is possible if you cross this line. The English are […]
In this series on how to get real work done in meetings (and make more money!), the third principle is to clarify the purpose and desired outcomes of your meeting. Why are you meeting? What do you want to accomplish? Too often very little thought goes into calling a meeting. Is there something you want […]
Advice on how to structure business meetings with rules of engagement.
How many times do you sit around a conference room table with several other people to hold yet another boring, unproductive meeting? Conference tables were not designed to foster real work; they are only good for certain kinds of discussions. The fact of the table limits how people work when seated around it. You might […]
Introducing a series of ten blog posts about making meetings more productive to increase the time available for sales and service.