5 Tips in 5 Minutes
: 5 n i 5
5 Tips in 5 Minutes A Quick Guide for More Profitable Sales Meetings
Close a sale. Build relationships. Offer solutions. Share information. These are goals every salesperson has when meeting with a client or prospect. A no-brainer, right? Unfortunately, the vast majority of sales meetings do not meet prospect expectations.1 And unproductive meetings are a waste of both the client’s and the rep’s time.
On the flip side, when meetings DO meet clients’ expectations, they help build relationships that take business to the next level. According to The National Sales Executive Association, well-developed relationships are what build sales.2 Their research indicates that:
2% of sales are made on the 1st contact 3% of sales are made on the 2nd contact 5% of sales are made on the 3rd contact 10% of sales are made on the 4th contact
100%
0%
80% of sales are made on the 5th-12th contact
5 Tips in 5 Minutes will show you a smarter, faster way to sell by:
l Conducting meetings that meet prospect expectations l Adding 10 hours back into your life each month l Engaging your clients and prospects l Meeting more efficiently l Better managing your time l Boosting productivity l Achieving your goals
Spend five minutes reading the following five tips, and you’ll be on the road to more profitable sales meetings!
30%
u o Y d i D w? o n K
Managers claim that
30% of their time
in meetings is wasted.3
M
T
W
T
An average of
seven people
91% of professionals
are involved in most buying decisions.4
who regularly attend meetings admit to daydreaming.5
x 25,000,000
47% of workers
F
Sales reps spend an
average of just 22% of the work week selling.6
25 million meetings take place in corporate America every day.7
cited “too many meetings” as the number one time-waster at the office.7
M
T
W
T
F
34% Most professionals attend a total of
61.8 meetings per month.4
Sales-related meetings make up
34% of business travel spending.8
The average office worker spends around
16 hours in meetings each week.10
Tip #5
Stop Wasting Everyone’s Time. Fast Fact: 85% of sales meetings do not meet prospect expectations.
1
Ouch. Imagine the difference if prospects went into the meeting knowing that the “what’s in it for me” issue would be addressed. Your close rate would skyrocket!
How? Before setting the agenda, ask attendees what they want to achieve or learn during the meeting. Be open to their ideas and add their responses to the agenda. Sure, this is easier said than done, but addressing the issues that are pertinent to the people at the meeting will create a great flow and even greater results.
Tweet this Profitable Meeting Tip: #ProfitableMeetingTip. Deliver what’s desired. Ask attendees for their ideal meeting outcome & set the agenda accordingly.
Tip #4
Add 10 Hours Back Into Your Life Each Month! Fast Fact: Considering that most professionals average a staggering 61.8 meetings per month,5 this simple tip can add 10 well-deserved hours back into your life each and every month.
How? Put your meetings on a diet. Instead of scheduling a half-hour meeting, schedule it for 20 minutes, or instead of an hour, schedule it for 50 minutes. Be sure to follow tip #5 (set an agenda that accomplishes everyone’s goals), and then stick to the timeline. Your client isn’t going to set another meeting (and neither are you) during those extra 10 minutes. A smarter, faster way to sell means you can spend those ten minutes brainstorming your next move or grabbing a celebratory latte.
Tweet this Profitable Meeting Tip: #ProfitableMeetingTip. Give the gift of time. Shave 10 minutes off a meeting by sticking to the agenda & let grateful participants give thanks.
Tip #3
Identify ALL Potential Decision Makers. Fast Fact: In a typical firm with 100 to 500 employees, an average of seven people are involved in most buying decisions.4 We’ve all been in a meeting where the presenter only addresses the decision makers and ends up losing the sale, not to mention boring the other team members to tears.
How? Share and share alike! Talk to everyone at the meeting and ask their opinion. Remember, today’s junior team member may be tomorrow’s head of the department.
Tweet this Profitable Meeting Tip: #ProfitableMeetingTip. Don’t focus on a single decision maker. Engage all meeting participants & make sure they’re all on board.
Tip #2
Keep Attendees Engaged. Fast Fact: They snooze, you lose. 91% of professionals who regularly attend meetings admit to daydreaming.5 The reality? When the mind starts to wander, so does the sale.
How? If attendees look like they are ready to doze off, take a break from the agenda for a moment. Check in to see if they have questions and to gain agreement. If they are actively engaged, keep going. If they have agreed to purchase at some point during the meeting, stop! Enjoy the win. Smarter, faster sales mean stopping while you are ahead.
Tweet this Profitable Meeting Tip: #ProfitableMeetingTip. If a prospect’s attention drifts, so does the deal. React appropriately & change direction when needed.
Tip #1
Conduct Faster, Smarter Meetings. Fast Fact: Sales reps spend an average of only 22% of the work week selling.6 Instead of selling, sales people find that travel, administration and other duties eat up most of their time. Imagine if a salesperson could simply meet with more people each week – then, they could potentially make more sales. It’s basic math.
How? Take your meetings online. Online meetings are efficient, fun and effective, and are becoming more popular every day. To keep it simple, smart and fast, look for intuitive and accessible offerings that include instant screen sharing tools. Don’t bother with web conferencing options that require bulky software downloads or frustrating installations for participants.
Tweet this Profitable Meeting Tip: #ProfitableMeetingTip. Hop over hurdles like downloads & complex logins. Opt for a mtg app that combines instant screen sharing & powerful tools.
A Quick Guide for More Profitable Sales Meetings Before setting the agenda, ask attendees
what they want to achieve or learn during the meeting.
Use a one-click online meeting solution.
Adjust
to your attendees’ interest.
Schedule a 20-minute
or 50-minute meeting.
Address and engage everyone in the meeting.
Print me.
References 1. Selling Power, 5 Sales Leadership Strategies for 2013 2. Come On Inside, How many sales calls to a client does it take to make the close? 3. Psychology Today, Wired for Success, Ray B. Williams (ref. Industry Week) 4. The Gardner Group/BuzzBuilder Lead Generation Software, 20 Shocking Sales Stats That Will Change How You Sell 5. The Expense of Ineffective Meetings, Jeffrey Scott Klubeck, M.A. 6. How Sales Reps Spend Their Time, Mark Ellwood, Pace Productivity, Inc. 7. Intuit Quickbase (outside ref.) 8. Use These New Statistics to Counter Meetings Critics, Kevin Iwamoto 9. Meetings in America V: Meeting of the Minds, An MCI® Executive White Paper 10. Management Today, UK Workers Waste A Year Of Their Lives In Useless Meetings, Rebecca Burn-Callander
5in5 is sponsored by join.me, the instant, online meeting app built for today’s fast-paced workplace. What are you waiting for? Start having more profitable meetings now at join.me.
5 Tips in 5 Minutes A Quick Guide for More Profitable Sales Meetings
Close a sale. Build relationships. Offer solutions. Share information. These are goals every salesperson has when meeting with a client or prospect. A no-brainer, right? Unfortunately, the vast majority of sales meetings do not meet prospect expectations.1 And unproductive meetings are a waste of both the client’s and the rep’s time.
On the flip side, when meetings DO meet clients’ expectations, they help build relationships that take business to the next level. According to The National Sales Executive Association, well-developed relationships are what build sales.2 Their research indicates that:
2% of sales are made on the 1st contact 3% of sales are made on the 2nd contact 5% of sales are made on the 3rd contact 10% of sales are made on the 4th contact
100%
0%
80% of sales are made on the 5th-12th contact
5 Tips in 5 Minutes will show you a smarter, faster way to sell by:
l Conducting meetings that meet prospect expectations l Adding 10 hours back into your life each month l Engaging your clients and prospects l Meeting more efficiently l Better managing your time l Boosting productivity l Achieving your goals
Spend five minutes reading the following five tips, and you’ll be on the road to more profitable sales meetings!
30%
u o Y d i D w? o n K
Managers claim that
30% of their time
in meetings is wasted.3
M
T
W
T
An average of
seven people
91% of professionals
are involved in most buying decisions.4
who regularly attend meetings admit to daydreaming.5
x 25,000,000
47% of workers
F
Sales reps spend an
average of just 22% of the work week selling.6
25 million meetings take place in corporate America every day.7
cited “too many meetings” as the number one time-waster at the office.7
M
T
W
T
F
34% Most professionals attend a total of
61.8 meetings per month.4
Sales-related meetings make up
34% of business travel spending.8
The average office worker spends around
16 hours in meetings each week.10
Tip #5
Stop Wasting Everyone’s Time. Fast Fact: 85% of sales meetings do not meet prospect expectations.
1
Ouch. Imagine the difference if prospects went into the meeting knowing that the “what’s in it for me” issue would be addressed. Your close rate would skyrocket!
How? Before setting the agenda, ask attendees what they want to achieve or learn during the meeting. Be open to their ideas and add their responses to the agenda. Sure, this is easier said than done, but addressing the issues that are pertinent to the people at the meeting will create a great flow and even greater results.
Tweet this Profitable Meeting Tip: #ProfitableMeetingTip. Deliver what’s desired. Ask attendees for their ideal meeting outcome & set the agenda accordingly.
Tip #4
Add 10 Hours Back Into Your Life Each Month! Fast Fact: Considering that most professionals average a staggering 61.8 meetings per month,5 this simple tip can add 10 well-deserved hours back into your life each and every month.
How? Put your meetings on a diet. Instead of scheduling a half-hour meeting, schedule it for 20 minutes, or instead of an hour, schedule it for 50 minutes. Be sure to follow tip #5 (set an agenda that accomplishes everyone’s goals), and then stick to the timeline. Your client isn’t going to set another meeting (and neither are you) during those extra 10 minutes. A smarter, faster way to sell means you can spend those ten minutes brainstorming your next move or grabbing a celebratory latte.
Tweet this Profitable Meeting Tip: #ProfitableMeetingTip. Give the gift of time. Shave 10 minutes off a meeting by sticking to the agenda & let grateful participants give thanks.
Tip #3
Identify ALL Potential Decision Makers. Fast Fact: In a typical firm with 100 to 500 employees, an average of seven people are involved in most buying decisions.4 We’ve all been in a meeting where the presenter only addresses the decision makers and ends up losing the sale, not to mention boring the other team members to tears.
How? Share and share alike! Talk to everyone at the meeting and ask their opinion. Remember, today’s junior team member may be tomorrow’s head of the department.
Tweet this Profitable Meeting Tip: #ProfitableMeetingTip. Don’t focus on a single decision maker. Engage all meeting participants & make sure they’re all on board.
Tip #2
Keep Attendees Engaged. Fast Fact: They snooze, you lose. 91% of professionals who regularly attend meetings admit to daydreaming.5 The reality? When the mind starts to wander, so does the sale.
How? If attendees look like they are ready to doze off, take a break from the agenda for a moment. Check in to see if they have questions and to gain agreement. If they are actively engaged, keep going. If they have agreed to purchase at some point during the meeting, stop! Enjoy the win. Smarter, faster sales mean stopping while you are ahead.
Tweet this Profitable Meeting Tip: #ProfitableMeetingTip. If a prospect’s attention drifts, so does the deal. React appropriately & change direction when needed.
Tip #1
Conduct Faster, Smarter Meetings. Fast Fact: Sales reps spend an average of only 22% of the work week selling.6 Instead of selling, sales people find that travel, administration and other duties eat up most of their time. Imagine if a salesperson could simply meet with more people each week – then, they could potentially make more sales. It’s basic math.
How? Take your meetings online. Online meetings are efficient, fun and effective, and are becoming more popular every day. To keep it simple, smart and fast, look for intuitive and accessible offerings that include instant screen sharing tools. Don’t bother with web conferencing options that require bulky software downloads or frustrating installations for participants.
Tweet this Profitable Meeting Tip: #ProfitableMeetingTip. Hop over hurdles like downloads & complex logins. Opt for a mtg app that combines instant screen sharing & powerful tools.
A Quick Guide for More Profitable Sales Meetings Before setting the agenda, ask attendees
what they want to achieve or learn during the meeting.
Use a one-click online meeting solution.
Adjust
to your attendees’ interest.
Schedule a 20-minute
or 50-minute meeting.
Address and engage everyone in the meeting.
Print me.
References 1. Selling Power, 5 Sales Leadership Strategies for 2013 2. Come On Inside, How many sales calls to a client does it take to make the close? 3. Psychology Today, Wired for Success, Ray B. Williams (ref. Industry Week) 4. The Gardner Group/BuzzBuilder Lead Generation Software, 20 Shocking Sales Stats That Will Change How You Sell 5. The Expense of Ineffective Meetings, Jeffrey Scott Klubeck, M.A. 6. How Sales Reps Spend Their Time, Mark Ellwood, Pace Productivity, Inc. 7. Intuit Quickbase (outside ref.) 8. Use These New Statistics to Counter Meetings Critics, Kevin Iwamoto 9. Meetings in America V: Meeting of the Minds, An MCI® Executive White Paper 10. Management Today, UK Workers Waste A Year Of Their Lives In Useless Meetings, Rebecca Burn-Callander
5in5 is sponsored by join.me, the instant, online meeting app built for today’s fast-paced workplace. What are you waiting for? Start having more profitable meetings now at join.me.
