If you or anyone in your team is struggling to open a client meeting effectively or if you feel awkward, lost for words and your client or prospect is shifting in their seat, then you need an agenda.
One of the best ways you can kick off a client meeting is with an agenda. An agenda guides you, keeps you and your client on track, and lets everyone know what the client meeting is about.
Does that mean you stick to the agenda all the way? Probably not, because with any agenda things can change. But beginning with a clear agenda is a good place to start.
So how do you go about setting up an agenda with a client or prospect?
It all begins with the telephone call you make to your client or prospect about your intention to arrange an appointment with them.
What is your reason for calling? Is it to arrange an account review or is it a new prospect call to meet and introduce yourself as a potential business partner or is it something else?
How clear you are about why you are making contact with a prospect or client is critical to getting off on the right foot.
Having a valid business reason to call a client or prospect gives you the support you need when prospecting and positioning yourself to get a meeting.
That initial contact will then determine your meeting agenda.
Assuming you have a meeting booked with your client or prospect and assuming that you stated clearly why you wanted to meet them and assuming they have agreed to meet you and could see something in it for them you are now in a position to create an agenda.
What should you put in the agenda?
Think about the following questions and they will provide the answers you seek:
o New prospect meeting/initial meeting.
o Presentation of a proposal or tender.
o Account review.
o Win back meeting for a lapsed or lost account.
Sending an email with bullet points outlining your agenda two days before the meeting is usually good business protocol, especially for a straightforward client/prospect meeting.
However you may like to type up a document for more a complex meeting and send it out sooner, so they have time to read over it and consider any items before you meet – it all depends on what you want to achieve.
Excellence in your work at any level comes from purposeful action.
What is your intention, your purpose or your goal?
An agenda is about establishing an intention, a purpose. It’s about making it clear for all concerned.
Winston Churchill once said: “If you don’t know where you are going then every road will lead you nowhere.”
Remember everybody lives by selling something.
Sue Barrett practices as a coach, advisor, speaker, facilitator, consultant and writer and works across all market segments with her skilful team at BARRETT. Sue and her team take the guess work out of selling and help people from many different careers become aware of their sales capabilities and enable them to take the steps to becoming effective and productive when it comes to selling, sales coaching or sales leadership.To hone your sales skills or learn how to sell go to www.barrett.com.au.
James was the editor and publisher of SmartCompany and LeadingCompany for five years. He is now the Australian Financial Review‘s companies & markets editor, and a former BRW editor.
