Individual Level Research
Never Start a Sales Meeting from Square One
As we dive into our advanced account analysis — Triple-A — we begin by researching a potential tech sales account at the individual level.
This makes it personal. Get to know the people you’ll be interacting with. Whose problems are you actually solving?
The truth is, in the tech world, you can’t sell to someone you don’t know. And a lot of tech sales professionals waste their first meeting with a potential new client by asking a lot of unnecessary (dare I say stupid?) questions.
If you want to make sure you’re the most helpful and best-informed sales professional while ingratiating yourself with the client from day 1, then read on.
If you’re not into closing deals, building relationships, or solving problems then just move right along…nothing to see here.
First Meeting Goals
When I walk into (or, these days, more likely log into) the first meeting with a potential client, I want to ensure I’ve got the advantage. I want to read the room best. I want to arrive with intelligent, well-informed questions and leave with the information I need to close 7-figure deals.
To put it simply, a tech sales professional’s first meeting goal should be to understand what jobs need to be done. You must use your precious minutes to create situational clarity around the problems that your product could potentially solve, make easier, or eliminate altogether.
But the startling reality is that customers don’t always know the problem they’re trying to solve. They don’t know that they need tech salespeople to come along and help them find situational clarity. That’s what tech sales reps can demonstrate during the first meeting. Then boom, you’re an invaluable asset.
If a tech sales professional can prove their worth by joining the conversation already happening in a client’s office (or head) they can show a client ways to gain insight and solve problems, ideally, with the technology they’re selling.
This means that, by the end of the first meeting, you should understand:
What a client needs done
In what amount of time?
Within what budget constraints?
Who are the decision-makers in solving this problem?
Furthermore, selling in the tech world gets tricky because we often sell to a committee of 6-7 people, not just one individual. Walking this tightrope can be extremely difficult and complicated. Before closing a deal (not before the end of the first meeting, don’t worry!) we have to understand ALL their jobs and be able to speak to each decision-maker individually because they have different needs.
This is why you can’t arrive at the first meeting without preparation, analysis, and research. Remember, it’s personal.
So, who are you selling to?
Meet these Goals with Research
The only way to meet these audacious first-meeting goals is to arrive prepared. Rookies spend meetings asking unnecessary questions, but experienced tech salespeople ask deeper questions because they’ve done the research.
Y’all, don’t make this n00b mistake. Don’t start at square 1 when you first meet with a new client!
Instead, spend time before the initial meeting researching on your own and gaining qualitative data in order to have an intelligent conversation that solidifies in the client’s mind that you’re the one to work with.
Do background research BEFORE an appointment so you’re not wasting time with irrelevant questions that you could have googled the answers to beforehand.
GOOGLE THEM!
Seriously, Google is your friend. It may seem too simple to warrant a section header, but a quick google search can reveal a lot of important information about your client.
Plus, it’s EASY. This isn’t an afternoon in the basement library stacks with the microfiche. It’s a simple, 5-minute rabbit hole that pays exponential dividends down the line.
With a quick search of your potential client, you’ll see recent news items, uncover any big scandals, and become aware of any high-level turnover events their company may have recently suffered.
You’ve got to understand the mood of the company to be able to read the room you’re entering on that first meeting. A client who has recently had to lay off 50 people isn’t going to be able to invest a lot of money in your product right now. You may have to lead with payment plan options and potential savings instead of improved speeds and fewer bug fixes.
Don’t hesitate to Google the name of your contact. See what you can learn about them. Anything and everything can be helpful.
Reaching out on LinkedIn is a touchpoint you can’t afford to pass up. While you shouldn’t expect one cold message on Linked In to bag an actual lead, it’s still part of the process. It puts you in the brain of the person you’re looking to connect with.
After starting the conversation, it’s time for some good ol’ fashioned, friendly stalking. What’s the buzz on your contact? Do you have any 1st or 2nd connections in common? That would be a bonus.
Scroll through their work history, see how long they’ve been at the company, and what positions they’ve held. Notice any articles they write, projects they promote, or links they share.
LinkedIn is the perfect place to understand an individual’s professional presence. It’s professional social media after all. It’s also a great place to see what other connections your client may already have. Are they connected to your competitors?
Once you’ve gathered the right qualitative data, you go into the first meeting already understanding the basic needs of the client. From here, you can ask deeper and more implicating questions.
Doing initial analysis allows you to ask intelligent questions and understand your client’s jobs (and needs!) more quickly. This is what moves deals forward.
With appropriate research beforehand, your first meeting can be used to understand the specific problems your client faces and gather quantitative data, instead of asking redundant questions and wasting everyone’s time.
By documenting along the way, referring to detailed notes throughout the process, and organizing those notes at the end of each touchpoint, you’ll NEVER start from square one again
What’s Next?
While you’re anxiously awaiting the next installment of our Triple-A Series—Advanced Account Analysis, that is—a perfect next step is to join a community of tech sales professionals who are building a better world through empathetic selling and problem-solving.
Lissen, I know that everyone doesn’t have the budget for another monthly membership—although this Patreon is pure gold so you may wanna give it some thought—so y’all know I’ve always got a freebie or two ready for instant download, and implementation.
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