Sales is a dynamic and often unpredictable field, and consistent reflection is key to sustaining and improving performance.
As a Business Development Representative, my profession is an ever-evolving roller coaster. In some quarters, you’re exceeding quota; in others, you may fall short of the mark.
Regardless of where you stand, it’s essential to reflect on your process regularly. Consistent review not only helps maintain success but also uncovers growth opportunities. There’s always room for improvement — whether you’re at the top of your game or striving to get there.
I realized there could be room for improvement in every stage of the sales cycle, from cradle (before meeting with the prospect) to grave (after presenting). Therefore, I took a step back and reflected on my process, and here is what I came up with:
🔍 Pre-Call Planning
1. Research the Prospect
- ✅ Review their website (key messaging, leadership, recent news).
- ✅ Identify competitors in their area/industry.
- ✅ Note differentiators and opportunities to position your solutions.
2. Understand the Contact
- ✅ Identify the contact’s role, authority level, and responsibilities.
- ✅ Add them on LinkedIn before the meeting.
- ✅ Look for shared connections, past experiences, or mutual interests.
3. Call Objectives
- ✅ Define and write down specific goals for the meeting (e.g., uncovering pain points, determining budget, and qualifying the timeline).
- ✅ Set an intention for what you want to achieve (e.g., next meeting, decision, access to decision maker, etc.).
4. Prepare Questions
- ✅ Create a customized question set based on their vertical/industry.
- ✅ Include open-ended discovery questions and pain-point probes.
5. Anticipate & Prepare for Prospect Questions
- ✅ Identify the most common objections or concerns by industry.
- ✅ Prepare strong, value-driven responses for each.
6. Rehearse the Upfront Contract
- ✅ Practice setting expectations: purpose, time, outcome, agenda.
- ✅ Reinforce mutual value: “If it makes sense for both sides, we’ll decide on next steps. If it does not make sense for either of us, we will close the book and end it as friends.”
7. Positioning Strategy
- ✅ Align each of your solutions with a potential business problem or website insight.
- ✅ Prepare proof points, relevant case studies, or analogies.
🎙 During the Intro/Discovery Meeting
1. Firm on the Decision-Making Process
- ✅ Ask: “Who else would need to be involved before a decision is made?”
- ✅ Push for full participation from all decision-makers early on.
- ✅ Use “reversing” tactics to challenge partial attendance:
- “It would be a disservice to ask you to sell this internally.”
- “My fear is wasting your time if we’re not both aligned.”
- “If your [spouse/partner/founder] isn’t here, we may not be doing this justice.”
2. Stick to the Process
- ✅ Keep control of the flow. Don’t shortcut qualification or budget discovery.
- ✅ Confirm their buying process and timeline.
🤝 Presentation/Proposal
1. Go In-Person
- ✅ Shake hands, build trust, and observe non-verbal cues.
- ✅ Confirm all decision-makers are attending.
- ✅ If not confirmed, reach out the night before to get alignment.
2. Closing Protocol
- ✅ If they’re ready, close the deal in the meeting.
- ✅ If not, establish firm next steps:
- Time/date for the follow-up.
- Both parties put it in the calendar before the meeting ends.
📞 Post-Call Debrief
5-Minute Internal Sync
- ✅ Who attended?
- ✅ What was newly learned?
- ✅ What were the next steps committed to?
- ✅ Were there red flags or concerns?
- ✅ What follow-up actions need to happen and by whom?
0 Comments