Author of "LinkedIn for Personal Branding" l Keynote Speaker l TEDx | LinkedIn Rebranding | B2B Social Selling l My Mantra: "Be a Friend First" | Helping Teams and Leaders l Let’s Amplify Your Event
Pre-call planning is ESSENTIAL 🔥 for B2B sales reps before meeting with a potential client. Here are a few tips - can you add any more? ✅ Research 🔎 your prospect - both company and people. Refer to websites, and social media profiles Learn about their business, interests, and their role. LinkedIn is gold 👑 for this! ✅ Identify their pain points. Consider the challenges they are facing in their business and how your product or service can help them solve those problems. ✅ Identify their key 🔑 opportunities. Think big and figure out their big-picture opportunities so you can help them achieve their goals. ✅ Think through your value proposition as it relates to this prospect. Develop a clear message that showcases the specific benefits of your product or service and how it can add value to their business. ✅ Set goals 🎯 for the call. Identify the specific objectives you want to achieve from the call, such as setting up a follow-up meeting or doing a demo. ✅ Anticipate objections. Prepare for potential concerns that the prospect may have and develop responses that address them. ✅ Practice your presentation. 🖥 Rehearse your pitch beforehand to ensure that you can deliver it confidently and persuasively. ✅ Prepare relevant materials. Bring along any relevant sales resources, such as brochures, case studies, or product demos, to support your presentation. ✅ Confirm your meeting. Send a friendly confirmation note and consider LinkedIn for this task. Better yet send an audio or video message to the prospect telling them how you are looking forward to the meeting. What else can you add to this list for pre-call preparation? #b2b #sales #linkedin ----------------------------------- Please follow my new hashtag #️⃣ #SalesBySandra Sandra Long Post Road Consulting: LinkedIn and Social Selling Training
That's a great list, Sandra! I like to add a set of questions that I intend to ask to get them talking about their company, what they are trying to accomplish, who else will be affected by their decisions etc. I think the pre-call planning is a little different for each time you speak. Early on I want mostly to listen, so I need prompts to get them talking. Closer to close, I have different prompts and questions and more points that I want to be sure to make.
Randy Bonett
1y
Nice list Sandra for sure thanks -- i will share this--but speaking from a Salespersons perspective here: I also click on almost all additional information such as: bios, case studies, highlights and activity section for videos, images, articles -- I could go on and on. Point is #OVERPREPARE
That’s a comprehensive list, Sandra! I have to believe a sales rep who makes this standard practice will position themselves for success. If I was to suggest one more thing, out of the Marcus Sheridan playbook, it would be to be ready respond to questions about pricing and competitor differentiation with straightforward, honest answers.
Great list Sandra! On the setting goals for the call, I would add to think about the goals that they, the buyer, may have for the call. When in doubt, or even when sure- always ask!
Those are really essentials. Solid tips, Sandra.
Sandra Long great tips! For pre-call planning I would add a 3x3x3 step: 3 pieces of information from 3 different resources (website,LI and one more) in 3 minutes!
Listen and appreciate....... However, a very comprehensive list here!
This is a great list, Sandra Long. What little-known or underutilised ways can you research information on prospective clients on LinkedIn?
Keynote Speaker (Positivity, Leadership, Sales and Corporate Sponsorship, Customer Experience, Work/Life Integration, Employee Engagement) | Author | University Professor | Humanitarian | Sales & Marketing Executive
1yPrepare an “agenda” sheet with the question: In order to make this program, product, experience (etc…) impactful and successful for you, what do you need? Next: Listen carefully, write it down, make it happen and say “thank you.” Sandra Long - we both know that gratitude and appreciation go a long way! And -the sale begins AFTER the sale! ☀️