Get in the “BOAT” and Sail to Success!

By Michael J Griffin

Research by Gartner indicates that B2B buyers only spend 17% of their purchasing decision time meeting with salespeople. Secondly, their research reveals that younger purchasing managers are relying more on digital research and social media to make B2B purchase decisions and less on meeting salespeople. This means you, as a B2B salesperson, must be even better prepared to meet customers in the post Covid B2B marketplace as you may only get one shot to prove your competitive advantage and keep you in the running to win the deal.

Preparation means getting your “BOAT” ready to sail to success before you journey to meet your customer! What is “BOAT?”

B – Background

O – Objective

A – Agenda

T – Timeline

Here is a simple checklist employing the BOAT to prepare for your sales (or sails!) meeting with your customer.

Background

1.0 Have you talked to others in your company about the history and key players in the account?

2.0  Have you researched your company’s CRM system across different territories?

3.0  Have you researched LinkedIn to gain key insights into the decision makers that may be involved?

4.0  What does the customer’s website or news feeds tell you about the internal and external circumstances that affect your chances of scoring this business?

5.0  Do you have necessary product and solution information on a laptop or cell phone that is adequately charged? Any research or testimonials ready to show?

Objective

1.0  Successful salespeople set clear achievable sales objectives before meeting the customer. A sales objective moves the sale forward where you and the customer take action to progress the sale.

2.0  What is your primary sales objective for the sales meeting?

3.0  What is your back up objective for this meeting?

4.0  What customer concerns might arise – skepticism, misunderstandings, resistance, or apathy? How are you prepared to address and resolve them?

Agenda

1.0  The customer is always the pilot, you, the salesperson are the navigator.

2.0  Are you ready to be seen as trusting and professional by proposing a sales meeting agenda that focuses on customer issues, problems and success?

3.0  Have you identified what exclusive features and benefits support client problem solving and success?

4.0  What probing/questioning strategies have you prepared to navigate you and the customer to agree on solutions that support client success?

5.0  How will you ensure you get client answers or insights into “PAR?”

5.1  Account Potential – Does the account have long term potential?

5.2  Authority – What is the decision making process to purchase?

5.3  Resources – Does the client company have the budget and resources for purchase and implementation?

Timeline

1.0  Have you reconfirmed the sales meeting timing and method? Face to face or virtual?

2.0  Send a meeting invite if a virtual meeting to all participating?

3.0  Establish with the customer how much time is allotted for this sales meeting?

4.0  What are key milestones of moving the client from a prospect to closing the sale with an invoice?

5.0  What is your deadline to follow up with a summary email after the sales meeting is over?

6.0  Do you need a meeting with your sales coach to strategize this account after your sales call? If so schedule it.

Next step: cut and paste this checklist and keep it on your laptop or HP as your “compass” to better prepare your “BOAT” to “sale to success” at every sales meeting!

Have a great week doing what you love to do – serve and support your customer’s success!

Michael J Griffin
Founder ELAvate!
Global Sales Productivity Consultant
Master Sales Trainer