Your Next Sales Meeting

Here is a suggestion for your next sales meeting. Create a list of all the job functions of the people your sales team members need to reach. These can include decision makers and decision influencers. Then, on a flip chart or white board, brainstorm as many business issues you can for each person. Don’t argue about any items – just let them flow.

Next, edit the lists and prioritize with the issues your company’s products and services can address. Try to name at least one customer that has benefited from your products and services for each issue. These will be important when you structure your initial benefit statement. Then ask each member to create an initial benefit statement they could use to approach a targeted prospect and have each person share their response.

Have your team put this information to use by creating initial benefit statements they can use when prospecting for new business. Initial benefit statements are the smart tool successful sales professionals use to create interest with key decision makers and influencers. With a little advance planning and effort, your people can greatly enhance the results of their prospecting activity, gain a distinct competitive advantage, and crush their sales quotas! Benefits involve things that increase, improve, gain, grow, maximize, enhance and/or decrease, lower, reduce, minimize, control, and manage.

We suggest your people provide the prospect with three benefits in an opening paragraph of a letter or email or within the first thirty seconds of a phone call.

Why three? It will improve your chances of success. Choose three that will be of interest to someone in that person’s position. Do your homework and make the most of the opportunity by addressing areas of importance to the organization or person you approach.

Initial Benefit Statement Example for a Construction General Manager:

“Our experience shows that people in your position are looking for these things:

1. Reducing the time to complete a project
2. Lowering their labor, material and equipment costs
3. Growing their business & profits.

Ask for an investment of time. ““XYZ Company has worked with us to achieve these things. If you’d invest thirty minutes with me, we could explore how we might help achieve some of your important initiatives. How does that sound?”

We think this exercise will make your next sales meeting very productive. Good Luck!