Are you struggling with filling your calendar with great meetings? 

Well, it might be the name of your sales stages. 

Yes, we are very good at goal setting and we’re very good at paying attention to our sales stages, which is why we get into trouble around the sales stage: meeting.

Because we call it a meeting, we work very hard to get those meetings, even if that close is premature. 

So, change the name of your first sales stage to “positive response.” That way you’re aligning the goal with the appropriate task on your first email or call, setting you up for success later when closing for a meeting is more appropriate. 

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Not sure how to handle it when your customer has to leave a meeting early? 

Well, it’s actually simple. Just schedule another meeting. 

You know, life happens, and there’s no reason to get upset with a customer because they have a fire drill, which means they have to cut their 30 minute meeting with us to 15. But it also doesn’t mean that we need to cram in a 30 minute meeting into 15 minutes. I don’t want to do that at all. 

What I will do is actually reschedule the meeting right there. It might be awkward, and sure I missed the opportunity to talk a little, but what I gained back was high levels of social value and the potential of my customer to postpone their next meeting to accommodate mine.

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Do you want your customer to take your opinion seriously? 

Start closing for access to their end users to have an opinion anybody cares about. 

I know how desperate we can be sometimes as we try to appear credible and thoughtful as a sales rep when we’re trying to also persuade someone to take a good hard look at our products and services. 

So next time you’re in a situation where you’re trying to show that what you’re saying is serious, why not do what I do?

Close for access to end users to get their opinions of how their workflow would be impacted by what you’re selling. 

Then at your meetings, you can speak on behalf of the end user, which gives you the license to have a much stronger opinion and one that’s harder to discount. 

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Still not sure if you have a champion in one of your accounts?

Well, why don’t you just ask them? 

Champions are there before you meet them. They’re champions in their world before you ever have called them one. So if you’re not sure if you have one or not, just ask. 

Champions, in order for them to help us, have to be able to do two things: they have to be able to break rules where required and influence those who disagree. We don’t know if they have those powers unless we confirm them. 

So do what I do. 

I always have two closes to ensure I have a champion. “Are you going to work as hard as I’m about to work at my company to find a home for it as you’re going to find a home for it at your company?” And “If this gets stuck, will you unstick it for us?”

If I hear two yeses, I can say, yes, I have a champion.

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Does it look like your next meeting is getting a little out of control? Well, remember: attendance before participation. 

You should feel good when your prospect is inviting lots of people to your meeting because it means there’s some level of interest. But be careful because early discovery calls that they have too many attendees can be very difficult to manage and to close. So why not do what I do? 

If there are people in a meeting that you did not know were going to attend, spend time in the beginning of the meeting to get their information, their contact, their role, and their reason for attendance. Even if this chews up a lot of my meeting, I’d rather invest the beginning of it to know who everybody is before I start talking about things they may or may not actually want. 

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Having a hard time putting urgency in your pitch? Well – just do it!

You know, Nike has made famous the globe over with three simple words: just do it. Funny how their pitch did not say “we’re the world’s greatest manufacturer of athletic footwear.” 

That’s because great pitches aren’t descriptive, they’re transformative.

So when building your pitch, do what I do. Make sure that it includes plenty of emotional words that describes the transformative state that your customers experience when they become a customer, and doesn’t only describe what they purchased. 

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Ever wonder how to do referral selling when you don’t even have a referral to start with? The answer is starting with non-traditional buyers. 

The truth is, we spend so much time thinking about our buyer that we create all of our messaging for that buyer. Sometimes if we want to reach that buyer, the best way to do it is not with more people who agree: it’s with more people who disagree. 

If I don’t have a referral, I try to find one. But, I don’t look in the places you might expect. Instead, I try to find a referral at a title slightly higher than my buyer and also slightly to the left or right of my buyer. So if I’m calling someone who reports to a director of IT, then I might reach out and cold call a VP of marketing. Or maybe I’d look to find a head of product.

Why? Because the heat of opinions from people to the left and right of my buyer could absolutely influence them. Sometimes the influence is even greater than their boss. Because if their boss says, “You should talk to this guy,” that that person only has to say, “Eh, I talked to him last week. It’s all set.” But if it comes from a VP of marketing or a head of product, they probably need to do their due diligence on this before they say it’s all set.

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Are your customers still unsure of how you’re different from your competitors? 

Well, the answer is staring at them right in the face. 

Of course, there are a million reasons why we’re different from our competitors, but there’s one in particular that’s very unique: and that’s you. You work where you work on purpose, and that means you don’t work for your competitors. The biggest difference between the competitors and you, is that you’ve already established where the value is and where you’ve parked your career, so don’t be bashful in sharing that with a customer. 

I always like to spend some time with my customers, giving them some insight into my career journey and why I selected this company to work for, because nothing shows credibility more than actually being the customer of your own product.

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Would you like to know how to get someone to give you even more information in detail the next time you talk to them? 

Just remember, ignorance is bliss. 

It’s very quick for us to say things like, “I get it,” or “I understand,” or “Makes sense.” We’re engaged with someone to let ’em know that we hear them. But in reality, all that does is get them to stop talking. So why don’t do what I do? 

Say things like “I don’t understand,” or “I don’t know what that means,” instead of nodding your head. Then watch the person you’re talking to give you even more detail and more color, giving you the information you need to advance the relationship.

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Still not certain if the customer is thinking of buying from you? Knowing how to qualify a lead in sales can help you identify genuine interest and move the sales process forward.

One of the key elements in understanding how to qualify a lead in sales is recognizing buying signals. We often think that when prospects nod their heads in approval and acknowledgment, they understand what we’re saying. However, people typically do this even when they don’t fully understand but don’t want to appear foolish.

The truth is, one of the best buying signals is when a prospect asks you to repeat something. It doesn’t mean that what you said was over their heads. It means that what you said was interesting enough for them to want it repeated because they think it might be something they want to pursue.

So, how to qualify a lead in sales effectively? Instead of just explaining things when someone asks for repetition, spend some time on that topic. Find out why they want it repeated or what they thought you might have said. Any way you slice it, that confusion probably indicates interest.

Here’s a tip: When a prospect asks for clarification, consider it a golden opportunity. Dive deeper into the topic and ask follow-up questions to gauge their level of interest. For example, you might say, “I noticed you asked for clarification on that point. Is there something specific you’re looking to achieve?” This approach not only addresses their confusion but also helps you understand their needs and priorities better.

Another strategy is to encourage open communication. Let your prospects know that it’s okay to ask questions and seek clarification. This builds trust and demonstrates that you’re genuinely interested in helping them find the best solution.

Learning how to qualify a lead in sales involves recognizing and responding to key buying signals, such as when a prospect asks for repetition. By engaging with your prospects and addressing their concerns, you can build stronger relationships and move closer to closing the deal. So, next time a prospect asks you to repeat something, embrace it as a sign of interest and take the opportunity to qualify the lead effectively.

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